Revision Parents’ Forum

1. Revision Parents’ Forum 7th February 2019

2. Introductions and Welcome • Introduction to the courses in Maths, English, and Science: • how are they structured? • What will students study? • When will they be examined? • What will the questions look like? • Revision and support in school • Revision ideas for using at home

3. All resources or products are hyperlinked • If you see any blue underlined text, right-click and select open hyperlink or launch presentation and click on appropriate text to navigate to resource • This presentation will be available on the school website: Curriculum, Key Stage 4

4. A dripping tap • It is better to revise little and often • Trying to cram for exams at the last minute will mean that much of what you are trying to remember will ‘splash’ out.

5. English – An overview of the course • Two GCSEs – English Language and English Literature. • Both GCSEs are 100% linear exam courses. • All exams are taken in Summer 2020 (Year 11). • No foundation or higher option. • Students will have regular assessments, which will prepare them for a different section of the exams.

6. English Language • Two 1 hour 45 minute exams. • Paper 1 Section A – reading. Students will read an extract from a novel and answer four questions on the text. Section B – writing. Students will be asked them to produce either a piece of narrative or descriptive writing. • Paper 2 Section A –reading. Students will have to read two non-fiction texts (one will be modern and one will be a 19th century text) and answer 4 question on them. Section B – writing. Students will be asked to produce a piece of transactional writing: letters (formal and informal), reports, articles, leaflets, speeches, reviews.

7. Spoken language assessment • Speaking and listening is now assessed through a spoken language presentation. This is usually a 3-5 minute presentation on a topic of the student’s choice. • This is teacher assessed and students are awarded a pass, merit or distinction. • This does not contribute towards the overall GCSE mark. However, it is recorded on a students GCSE certificate.

8. English Literature • Two exams • Paper 1: 1 hour 45 minutes (40% of GCSE) Section A – Shakespearean text (Romeo and Juliet or Macbeth) Section B – A Victorian novel (Jekyll and Hyde or A Christmas Carol) Each question will ask them to focus first on an extract from thetext and then on their knowledge of the whole text. • Paper 2: 2 hour 15 minutes (60% of GCSE) Section A - Modern texts (An Inspector Calls) Section B – Poetry Anthology: students will answer one comparative question. They will be given one named poem printed on the paper and have to compare it to one other poem from their chosen anthology cluster(they will not have the anthology in the exam). Section C - Unseen poetry: Students will answer one question on one unseen poem and one question comparing this poem with a second unseen poem.

9. Revision resources in school • Exam papers shared and discussed in lessons. • AQA materials available through Switch (Learning Platform) • Revision guides will be recommended at parents evenings

10. Resources that can be accessed outside of school • Revision guides/workbooks York Notes/ CGP guides • Websites - GCSE Bitesize, Podcast revision, shmoop for Literature.

11. Revision strategies - Language • Read and summarise any text: non-fiction, short stories, extracts • Pick out interesting vocabulary and explain the effect • Annotate writing questions, identifying key elements of the question • Mind-map and plan answers to written questions, thinking about the structure

12. Revision strategies - Literature • Create a bank of key quotations: group them by theme, character, order in the text • For each poem in the Power and Conflict collection identify which other poems it can compare to and why • Annotate exam questions – what would the focus be? What would their opinion be? • Plan exam questions – which quotations would they use?

13. What you can do to help • Talk about the course. • Get them reading (novels, newspapers, non –fiction books) and talking about it. • Encourage students to read through their own work to identify mistakes. • Read the Literature set texts and discuss them with students. • Provide access to media versions of the text. • Keep in contact with us. If you have questions, queries or concerns please let us know.

14. Maths – An introduction to the course • The mathematics GCSE is a linear course. • We follow the AQA linear 8300 specification • There is no coursework • There are three exam papers, one non-calculator and two calculator papers, all at the end of the course. • All sets will be examined in Summer 2020. • Year 10 – students will sit a ‘mock’ exam at Easter to assess their progress on the course. Tier entry adjustments may be made at this time.

15. 3 examinations all equally weighted, • all 1 hour and half in length • 1 non-calculator paper and 2 calculator papers • Foundation – grades 1 – 5 • Higher – grades 4 - 9

16. Maths Exam questions • Problem solving is a major part of the GCSE and one of the biggest challenges for our students. Most questions are now given in context rather than just testing a skill. • Old: Which has the greater perimeter an equilateral triangle of side 10cm or a circle of diameter 10cm? • New: Is the statement below always true, sometimes true or never true? • The circumference of a circle of diameter 10 cm is greater than the perimeter of a triangle with a base 10 cm.

17. Equipment and competency • Scientific calculator – All students must have one and need to be able to use it. • Ruler – Preferably 30cm. • Compass and protractor – As above all students need them and need to practise using them at home.

18. Revision resources in school • Foundation/Higher tier past papers are available online and will be given to students in Y11. • Lunchtime drop-in sessions with teachers are ongoing throughout the term • Lesson time intervention – small groups. • Mymaths booster packs

19. Resources that can be accessed outside of school • Revision guides/workbooks: CGP are our preferred revision guide – AQA Linear 8300 spec • Seneca learning • Mymaths website – Select GCSE 9 - 1(top left) • Apps: Maths card, Collins maths revision, Maths watch. • Corbett maths – worksheets on every topic • AQA website – course specifications and past papers including mark schemes http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/mathematics/gcse/mathematics-8300

20. What parents can do to help • Help prepare a revision schedule with students in preparation for ‘mock’ and again next year. • Discuss the course with them; how are they getting on? how are they revising? Are they attending revision sessions in school? • Encourage them to use resources – Revision guides and websites. • Revision is best done from exam papers with the support of revision guides, are they doing this? – Possibly offer to mark papers for them from the mark schemes. • Encourage them to show working out – lots of method marks are available! • Encourage to not just revise facts, but apply the facts to an exam question. Application is crucial! • Reading through notes doesn’t work for maths, pen and paper practice is essential!

21. Modern Foreign Languages • Exam board - AQA • 4 exams – all taken in Year 11 • Each skill worth 25% of final grade

22. MFL – An overview of the course • Beginning in Year 9, students learn a variety of topics -family and friends, free-time activities, where they live, holidays, the environment, school and future plans. • All exams are taken in Summer 2020 (Year 11). Students will take a speaking, listening, reading and written paper. • Students are entered for either foundation or higher option. Students performance across all four skill areas is taken into consideration. • Students will have regular assessments which will prepare them for a different section of the exams. • MAIN FOCUS IS VOCABULARY LEARNING!

23. Speaking exam – March / April 2020

27. Resources available.. • digital book with listening and reading activities • interactive resources to practice grammar • videos to promote listening and speaking skills • vocabulary builders • Practice papers in all skills

30. What parents can do to help • Help them revise and put together a timetable. Students should focus on topics they find the most difficult. They should practise the speaking questions little and often. • Discuss the course with them; how are they getting on? how are they revising? Learning a language is hard but very rewarding. Help us keep them motivated! • Encourage them to use all resources – passbooks, speaking booklets, Kerboodle, language apps, revision guides and websites. • Get in touch with the department if you have any further concerns.

32. Revision Timetable http://www.dayjob.com/content/revision-timetable-771.htm

33. More revision techniques • Study groups – choose carefully • Ask others to test you • Ask your teacher • Flash cards • Post it notes – every where!!

35. Summary of revision ideas • Create a timetable: year 10 exams are the last two full weeks before Easter: April 1st – 12th. • Organise notes and check that they understand them • Re-organise the information • Get creative with the ideas • Complete practice questions and past exam papers Revision world http://getrevising.co.uk/