Key Stage 4

Parents’ Information Evening

The Key Stage 4 Curriculum

Martyn Beer - Deputy Head

How to approach GCSEs

Ruth McQuire - Senior Teacher

English and Maths GCSEs

Sarah Fairburn - Head of English

Graeme Daly - Head of Maths

Pastoral Support

Phil Alker - Head of Year 10

Conclusions

Martyn Beer - Deputy Head

Refreshments and opportunity for further discussion

Hatcher Room

What is our Curriculum?The total experience which every child has of the school.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Years ago I came across Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands to

fill the time available for its completion.” Since then I’ve

discovered another, more hopeful principle: “Young people

grow to fill the space we create for them.”

Ask little of our children and they stay small — not physically

but ethically, spiritually. Ask much and they surprise us by

their capacity to give and take responsibility. One of the

questions any society should ask itself is: What space do we

create for our children?

For where your heart is there

your treasure is also.

Subject Projection Teacher CommentCODE for Learning

C O D E

English 8Excellent development of creative writing and attention to detail.

Well done.3 2 3 4

Maths 7Very helpful in lessons, well done. Spend time on writing neatly and

organising your work.3 3 3 3

Science 8 Remember to work hard when trying to solve problems. Have a go! 3 2 1 1

French 6Lovely confidence when speaking in French and excellent vocabulary

learned so far.3 3 4 4

Spanish 7 Very good start to the subject – keep it up. 2 3 4 3

PE 7Great progress in learning skills and techniques. Very enthusiastic

student, well done.3 4 4 4

Art 8Wonderful use of skills, taking the time to work carefully. Love the

styles used, well done.3 4 4 4

Technology 7Very good ideas and creativity shown and enjoyed the practical

aspects of the work too.3 5 4 5

Business Studies BPractise more and more. Use different software applications as much

as possible at home.4 3 3 3

History 8 Learn more facts and extend your answers. Add more detail. 3 3 3 3

Geography 9Excellent work on coasts, very good comments and a great

presentation on effects of the sea!2 3 2 2

Based on prior attainment (KS2 and previous years’ attainment at St Aidan’s) you are

forecast to achieve grade A/ A* 8/9

KS4 Report

A/B

0 0 0 0

2

18

33

2324

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

U G F E D C B A A*

Perc

en

t

Grade

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

B

0 0 0 0

4

27

36

19

15

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

U G F E D C B A A*

Perc

en

t

Grade

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

C/D

0 01

6

30

46

15

3

1

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

U G F E D C B A A*

Perc

en

t

Grade

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

How to approach GCSEs…

…and love learning

• Linear exams

• Growth mindset

• Reporting progress home

Linear exams

• far less continual assessment

• exams at the end of two years

These things are important:

Practice tests and exams (details to follow)

Dedicated and undisturbed study time

Retrieval and interleaving

Testing effect

Taking a test often does more than assess knowledge; tests can also provide opportunities for learning. When information is successfully retrieved from memory, its representation in memory is changed such that it becomes more recallable in the future (e.g., R. A. Bjork, 1975); and this improvement is often greater than the benefit resulting from additional study (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006).

Do…keep testing (yourself)

Spacing

Information that is presented repeatedly

over spaced intervals is learned much better

than information that is repeated without

intervals

Do…keep revisiting material

after increasing intervals

Interleaving

The theory is that interleaving requires

learners to constantly “reload” motor

programs (in the case of motor skills) or

retrieve strategies/information (in the case of

cognitive skills) and allows learners to

extract more general rules that aid transfer.

Do…switch topics/subjects

Your memory works best when it is forced to mix up

different subjects and topics within subjects

This will feel more difficult and it takes careful planning

but it will be more effective.

History Chemistry English History

Growth mindset – we’re not there

yet• Ability is not fixed

• Challenge is routinely given (learning pit)

• Continued effort (responding to feedback)

is essential and will reap rewards

Reporting home

• 2 progress reviews + 1 report using

projected grades

• CODE scores (5-1) to monitor learning

behaviours

English

The teaching of the new specifications started

in Year 9

ENGLISH LANGUAGE: PAPER 1 CREATIVE READING AND WRITING (EXAM

1HOUR 45 MINUTES)

50% OF QUALIFICATION (EXTRACT FROM 20TH/21ST

CENTURY FICTION AND NARRATIVE/DESCRIPTIVE

WRITING)

PAPER 2 WRITERS’ VIEWPOINTS (EXAM 1 HOUR 45

MINUTES)

50% OF QUALIFICATION (NON-FICTION/NON-LITERARY

TEXTS AND WRITING TO EXPLAIN A POINT OF VIEW)

ENGLISH LITERATURE

PAPER 1 SHAKESPEARE/19TH CENTURY

NOVEL

1 HOUR 45 MINUTES EXAM 40% WEIGHTING

ENGLISH LITERATURE

PAPER 2: MODERN TEXTS AND POETRY

EXAM

2 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES 60% OF

QUALIFICATION

(Poetry dominant weighting)

How can parents help?

English

Maths

• GCSE Maths is being taught as a three year

course

Maths

• 3 exams, each 90 minutes long

Maths

• What can you do to help and support your

child?

Pastoral Support

Form tutors and Head of Year are the first point

of contact with any pastoral concerns.

Mentoring of some students

Parents’ Evening (15th November) will provide

further opportunities for discussions.

The tutorial programme will be informative and

support students throughout their GCSE

courses.

Encourage a balanced approach in terms of

academic work and extra curricular activities.

The Careers Department

Professionally qualified Careers Advisers to offer careers information, advice and guidance

All students will have career guidance interviews to help with Post 16 Options

Sixth Form, College and Apprenticeships

Be Real Day in Year 10

Work Experience at end of Year 11

STEM Careers Evening on Thursday 10th March

Career talks and events throughout the year

Parents/Carers are always welcome to get in touch with the Careers Department