Year 11 Information Evening Thursday 3 rd November 2016 'How to prepare for GCSEs'

1. Year 11 Information Evening Thursday 3rd November 2016 'How to prepare for GCSEs'

2. Introduction - Mrs Wavell The Purpose of Tonight New GCSE Grading Explained • English and Maths are using the new GCSE 1-9 format; 1 = lowest, 9 = exceptional performance. • A Grade 4 is broadly in line with the old grade C BUT the DFE guidance states that a good pass is a Grade 5+. • All other subjects will remain A*-G.

3. Science Overview Mr Newstead

4. GCSE Routes Double Award = 2 GCSEs Triple Science = 3 GCSEs GCSE - Biology Bio11hr exam 25% Bio2 1hr exam 25% Bio3 1hr exam 25% Best Bio ISA 25% GCSE - Chemistry Chem 1hr exam 25% Chem 1hr exam 25% Chem 1hr exam 25% Best ChemISA 25% GCSE - Physics Phy 1hr exam 25% Phy 1hr exam 25% Phy 1hr exam 25% Best Phy ISA 25% 16th May 16th May 9th June GCSE - Science A Bio 1hr exam 25% Chem 1hr exam 25% Phy 1hr exam 25% Best Y10 ISA 25% GCSE - Additional Science Bio 1hr exam 25% Chem 1hr exam 25% Phy 1hr exam 25% Best Y11 ISA 25% 18th May 24th May 18th May 14th June 9th June 14th June 16th June 24th May 16th June

5. GCSE Science

7. Preparing for mini assessments Reflecting on mini assessments Make revision notes using: • Class notes • Revision guides ISBN: 978 1 84762 868 8 • MyGCSEScience – mini tutorial videos available on youtube. • BBC bitesize website .

8. Revision Guides Double Award = 2 GCSEs Triple Science = 3 GCSEs ISBN: 978 1 84762 660 8 ISBN: 978 1 84762 665 3 ISBN: 978 1 84762 661 5 ISBN: 978 1 84762 868 8 ISBN: 978 1 84762 662 2

9. Mr Newstead • http://www.my-gcsescience.com/

10. BTEC Science Students who have incomplete assignments are being identified and intervention is taking place on a rolling basis.

11. BTEC Science This can be used to prepare for the BTEC exam, which is worth 25% of the qualification. Each page contains questions to test students knowledge and understanding. The answers to these can be found at the back of the exercise book. EXAM DATES: Friday 3rd March 2017 Retake on Friday 19th May 2017 ISBN: 978 1 4469 0283 7

12. Maths Overview Mr Daunt

13. Little starter activityThe diagram shows a patio 3 m How many 60cm by 60cm square paving slabs are needed to cover this patio (ignoring gaps)? 3.6 m

14. Maths GCSE Exam board: EDEXCEL Three papers, one non calculator, two calculator No specification so no real exams exist

15. How to revise…. MyMaths PiXL App Revision Guide Exam papers

16. Maths Mock 3 papers. Individual targets set. Students will each receive a list of topics to work on

17. Maths Paper Levels Foundation (1 – 5) or Higher (4 – 9)?

18. An English Overview Mr Cotter

19. Mock Examination and Intervention Mr Utting

20. Year 11 Controlled Assessment (CA) and Exam Overview Sept 2016-May 2017

21. SCHS Year 11 Intervention and Catch up Sessions Nov-Dec 2016

22. SCHS Year 11 GCSE Mock Exams Wednesday 30th November – Friday 16th December SCHS Year 11 GCSE Mock Results Day Friday 13th January 8.30am Library

23. The purpose of the GCSE mocks are to – • Experience a realistic 2 week exam period • Develop exam technique, organisation and revision, and hopefully find the approaches that work for you • Sit exams in the exact conditions the final exams will be in • Become used to using the CM block notice board • Provide accurate information and data for subsequent intervention • Receive positive news, as well as potentially less positive/ areas to develop

26. Year 11 Revision and Intervention Timetable Jan-May 2016 – After School

27. Your child has been asked to attend revision tomorrow, 3:30-4:30pm for Science in preparation for the final exam. We appreciate your support with this. SCHS

28. Revision Tips / techniques Mrs Wavell

29. Create a Revision Timetable Building a revision timetable can add structure to your revision and help you identify which GCSE subjects you need to prioritise to get better marks. Creating a revision timetable is a great way to organise your study time, plus it also helps boost your motivation to revise for your exams.

30. Take Regular Study Breaks Do you feel stressed, tired and that no new information is entering your head? • There is no point forcing yourself to study for hours upon hours as this will not result in a positive outcome. • Taking regular study breaks and exercising is proven to engage your brain and improve your exam performance in the long-run. • See the proof…

31. Use Mind Maps to Connect Ideas If you find it difficult to remember tons of new study notes, Mind Maps may be the key to improving your memory. The theory behind mind mapping explains that making associations by connecting ideas helps you to memorise information easier and quicker.

32. Understand Your Learning Style • Everyone thinks that there is a best way to study but the reality is that each person is different. • Once you understand whether you are a visual, auditory, reading/writing or kinaesthetic learner, then remembering and recalling new information will become much easier. • Practice will also tell you if you work better studying during the night or in the morning/daytime.

33. Practice, Practice, Practice One of the biggest recommendations that past GCSE students recommend is to do as many GCSE past papers as you can. Practising past papers will help you get familiar with the exam format, question style, time pressure and overall improve your ability to retrieve information quicker.

34. Collaborate with Classmates If you find creating revision notes too much, why not divide the course study notes between trustworthy classmates and share your notes with each other. This will reduce the amount of workload you need to do to prepare for your GCSEs plus you will gain an insight into how other students learn.

35. Variety is the Spice of Life! • Mix up your study habits and methods by listening to podcasts, watching videos or documentaries, moving to new study area or even something as simple as using different colours for your study notes. • This is different to the other GCSE revision tips mentioned here as it encourages you to try a few different things to see what fits for you. Your brain will recall where you were or how you revised for a topic which will help you remember more information. Give it a go!

36. Adapt for Different GCSE Subjects • It may seem obvious but many students try to study for different subjects using the same study methods. Your GCSE revision should take account of the difference between your subjects and the challenges they represent. • For example, Flashcards are an ideal study aid to help you prepare for a Spanish, French, German and exam such as GCSE Science where you need to remember key definitions. MyMaths is a great way to test your GCSE Maths skills. • Once you understand that your subjects need to be approached differently, there is no stopping you!

37. The Day of Your Exam • Wake up early so that you do not need to rush through having breakfast and getting ready. • Before leaving home, check that you have everything that you will need – candidate numbers, stationery, etc. • If there are people around who are panicking, avoid them. They are not doing you any favour! • Read all the questions carefully before starting and quickly plan how much time to allocate to each.a • Start answering the questions that you feel most confident about. There is no need to answer the questions in order. • If your brain freezes, just start writing anything and you will soon start remembering more details. • Use every minute of the exam and if you have time left, review your answers before handing back the paper

38. Use the School website

40. Coping with Exam Stress Mrs Nicklin

41. Looking ahead – careers advice and the use of ‘Help you choose’ Mrs Jackie Hammond

42. For Parents and Carers

43. Student Choices at 16 • Continue education at Sixth Form or College • Learn and earn at the same time through an Apprenticeship • Employment with Accredited Training • Volunteering combined with part-time study or training

44. What is Help You Choose? • Norfolk’s careers information, advice and opportunities website for young people, parents and carers • Prospectus of courses, training and jobs in Norfolk • Prepare and submit online applications • Information and advice on choosing options • The website address is: www.helpyouchoose.org

45. The Help You Choose Homepage

46. Search Results • Click ‘More Information’ next to any course to find out more about it.

47. Applying Online • All students should apply online on Help You Choose for post 16 courses. If they have completed ‘My Account’ area they will only have a few additional questions to complete on their form.

48. Why Apply Online? • All the learning options are all in one place. • Young people can apply to multiple providers using the same information. • They will receive emails to keep them up-to-date with the progress of their applications.

49. What Happens After Applying? • The student gets an Email Receipt to confirm their application’s been sent • They’ll then get an Email Acknowledgement from each sixth form and college when they start processing the application • Some sixth forms and colleges then contact the student to arrange an Advice Interview

50. Apprenticeships Norfolk • If your child is interested in an Apprenticeship they should click on the Apprenticeships, Jobs and Training tab to find details of vacancies available across Norfolk.