1. RIDGEWOOD SCHOOL Y10 PARENTS’ INFORMATION EVENING AN INTRODUCTION TO GCSE

2. THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM IS CHANGING For Year 10 Students and Parents  New Specifications in nearly all Subjects  These will be graded 1-9  GCSE Business, Product Design and BTEC are exceptions  These will continue to be graded A*-G  Greater Demand

3. THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM IS CHANGING For Year 10 Students and Parents  A national agenda of increased challenge  An expectation of students achieving across a range of subjects  Challenging targets set in line with national expectations  No view of Grade Boundaries yet: Best Fit  A need for students’ learning and revision skills to be developed with resilience  Increased support for students planning of their Post-16 pathways.

4. THE NEW GRADING SYSTEM 1-9

5. RIDGEWOOD REPORTING Creating Futures  New target grades as numbers  At CF1: A target grade, an attitude grade  Any concerns regarding Behaviour, Attendance or Homework  At CF2 onwards: A Realistic Expected Grade  REG

6. RIDGEWOOD REPORTING FOR KS4 Creating Futures 1: REG= Realistic Expected Grade TargetREGAttitudeBFLHomeworkAttendance English7M Maths7M Science7M

7. RIDGEWOOD REPORTING FOR KS4 Creating Futures 2 and onwards: REG= Realistic Expected Grade TargetREGAttitudeBFLHomeworkAttendance English76M Maths77M Science77M

8. ENGLISH – APPROACHING THE NEW GCSE What changes have been made to GCSE English? Year 10 have begun preparing for the new GCSE English Language and Literature GCSE examinations. With the new courses, there is now no controlled assessment or coursework element. This means both courses will be externally assessed by the exam board. The new courses are broader and require students to study an interesting range of texts, and we will have more time to explore whole texts and develop the key skills needed for the exams. How are we as a department preparing for the changes? In order to prepare for these changes, the school has allocated more teaching time in English at KS4. Students will have 9 English lessons per fortnight. We have decided to split Y10 classes so that they each have two teachers. This will allow students to cover the course content of both GCSEs in more depth. What can students expect in lessons? Lessons will consist of a variety of activities including paired work and group work alongside independent learning. As the exams are now also all closed book, we will focus on developing the skills students will need to be successful in this aspect of the exams. Y10 students have made an excellent start to their GCSE English courses. They are currently studying Macbeth by William Shakespeare and The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde by R.L Stevenson. What changes have been made to GCSE English? Year 10 have begun preparing for the new GCSE English Language and Literature GCSE examinations. With the new courses, there is now no controlled assessment or coursework element. This means both courses will be externally assessed by the exam board. The new courses are broader and require students to study an interesting range of texts, and we will have more time to explore whole texts and develop the key skills needed for the exams. How are we as a department preparing for the changes? In order to prepare for these changes, the school has allocated more teaching time in English at KS4. Students will have 9 English lessons per fortnight. We have decided to split Y10 classes so that they each have two teachers. This will allow students to cover the course content of both GCSEs in more depth. What can students expect in lessons? Lessons will consist of a variety of activities including paired work and group work alongside independent learning. As the exams are now also all closed book, we will focus on developing the skills students will need to be successful in this aspect of the exams. Y10 students have made an excellent start to their GCSE English courses. They are currently studying Macbeth by William Shakespeare and The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde by R.L Stevenson.

9. GCSE English Language – AQA Two exams Paper 1: Reading literary fiction Descriptive and narrative writing 1 hour 45 minutes, 50% of GCSE Paper 2: Non-fiction and literary non-fiction Writing to present a viewpoint 1 hour 45 minutes, 50% of GCSE Both exams will be taken in June 2018 There are no tiers (Foundation or Higher, all students will sit the same paper) GCSE English Language – AQA Two exams Paper 1: Reading literary fiction Descriptive and narrative writing 1 hour 45 minutes, 50% of GCSE Paper 2: Non-fiction and literary non-fiction Writing to present a viewpoint 1 hour 45 minutes, 50% of GCSE Both exams will be taken in June 2018 There are no tiers (Foundation or Higher, all students will sit the same paper) GCSE English Literature – AQA Two exams Shakespeare and the 19 th century novel 1 hour 45 minutes long, 40% of GCSE Macbeth Jekyll and Hyde Closed book Modern texts and poetry 2 hours 15 minutes, 60% of GCSE An Inspector Calls Anthology of poetry: Love and Relationships Unseen poetry Both exams will be taken in June 2018 Like language, there are no tiers GCSE English Literature – AQA Two exams Shakespeare and the 19 th century novel 1 hour 45 minutes long, 40% of GCSE Macbeth Jekyll and Hyde Closed book Modern texts and poetry 2 hours 15 minutes, 60% of GCSE An Inspector Calls Anthology of poetry: Love and Relationships Unseen poetry Both exams will be taken in June 2018 Like language, there are no tiers ENGLISH – COURSE DETAILS http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/gcse/english-literature- 8702 http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/gcse/english- language-8700 Skills being tested: Information retrieval Selecting evidence Analysing writers’ methods Exploring language and structure Arguing a viewpoint SPaG Creative writing skills Skills being tested: Information retrieval Selecting evidence Analysing writers’ methods Exploring language and structure Arguing a viewpoint SPaG Creative writing skills Skills being tested: Approaching an unseen poem Selecting evidence Analysing writers’ methods Exploring form, language and structure Comparing texts Evaluating the significance of context Skills being tested: Approaching an unseen poem Selecting evidence Analysing writers’ methods Exploring form, language and structure Comparing texts Evaluating the significance of context

10. ENGLISH – REVISION, REPORTING, SUPPORT How can students be successful and what support can I offer as a parent? Purchase copies of set texts. Purchase revision guides for set texts and language skills (from the English Department). Encourage students to access resources on the VLE. For language, encourage students to find and collect any interesting non-fiction or literary non-fiction texts and create a scrapbook. Access websites such as BBC Bitesize, Sparknotes and Lit Charts. Use AQA website to access specimen exam papers and mark schemes. Create flashcards and other revision materials (quizzes, mind maps) as they go through topics in Y10 and Y11. Improve mock exams at home using class teacher’s feedback. Assessment and Creating Futures Students will complete an exam-style assessment in class every half term with each teacher and will receive feedback for each piece. For each round of Creating Futures, students will receive an REG based on their performance in classroom assessments and formal mock exams. Students should speak to their class teacher in the first instance about any aspects of the courses. How can students be successful and what support can I offer as a parent? Purchase copies of set texts. Purchase revision guides for set texts and language skills (from the English Department). Encourage students to access resources on the VLE. For language, encourage students to find and collect any interesting non-fiction or literary non-fiction texts and create a scrapbook. Access websites such as BBC Bitesize, Sparknotes and Lit Charts. Use AQA website to access specimen exam papers and mark schemes. Create flashcards and other revision materials (quizzes, mind maps) as they go through topics in Y10 and Y11. Improve mock exams at home using class teacher’s feedback. Assessment and Creating Futures Students will complete an exam-style assessment in class every half term with each teacher and will receive feedback for each piece. For each round of Creating Futures, students will receive an REG based on their performance in classroom assessments and formal mock exams. Students should speak to their class teacher in the first instance about any aspects of the courses.

11. MATHS – APPROACHING THE NEW GCSE Assessment 3 exams – all in June 2018 Assessment 3 exams – all in June 2018 PaperDurationQuestionsPercentage Paper 1 Non-calculator 1 hour 30 Content from any part of the specification may be assessed in each of the three papers. They consist of a mixture of question styles, from short, single-mark questions to multi-step problems. The mathematical demand increases as a student progresses through the paper. 33 ⅓ % of GCSE Paper 2 Calculator 1 hour 30 33 ⅓ % of GCSE Paper 3 Calculator 1 hour 3033 ⅓ % of GCSE

12. MATHS – COURSE DETAILS Changes from old GCSE: Three exams instead of two with a higher proportion of calculator questions. More questions will involve links between multiple topics. This will mean that pupils need to have mastered individual topics and understand how they could be applied in other contexts. The Foundation paper will span grades 1 to 5 (up to a low B) The content is the same across all exam boards and we are waiting until we have as much information as possible from each exam board before making a decision on what would be best for our students. Changes from old GCSE: Three exams instead of two with a higher proportion of calculator questions. More questions will involve links between multiple topics. This will mean that pupils need to have mastered individual topics and understand how they could be applied in other contexts. The Foundation paper will span grades 1 to 5 (up to a low B) The content is the same across all exam boards and we are waiting until we have as much information as possible from each exam board before making a decision on what would be best for our students. The changes mean there is an extra level of challenge at the top end for those pupils who are gifted at Maths (grade 9) Y10 students now have 9 hours of Maths each fortnight. The new content has been integrated into our scheme of work and we are putting more of an emphasis on applying skills and problem solving in lessons. Lessons will consist of a variety of activities including group work, paired work and individual work. Year 10 have made a great start to this year. They are just finishing a mock exam and will be moving onto a topic on ratio. The changes mean there is an extra level of challenge at the top end for those pupils who are gifted at Maths (grade 9) Y10 students now have 9 hours of Maths each fortnight. The new content has been integrated into our scheme of work and we are putting more of an emphasis on applying skills and problem solving in lessons. Lessons will consist of a variety of activities including group work, paired work and individual work. Year 10 have made a great start to this year. They are just finishing a mock exam and will be moving onto a topic on ratio.

13. AO3: SOLVE PROBLEMS WITHIN MATHEMATICS AND OTHER CONTEXTS A SAMPLE QUESTION:

14. FOUNDATION OR HIGHER? It is expected that more pupils sit the new Foundation exam than in previous years as they can now achieve a grade B due to the introduction of previous ‘higher’ topics. The current year 11 will be the first cohort to sit this exam. We are not making the decision about who will sit the Higher/Foundation papers at this stage. Grade C/B

15. MATHS – REVISION, REPORTING, SUPPORT Homework: All pupils in Y10 now have a yellow homework book. They are currently following a weekly homework schedule. The only time they will not be given homework is during mock exams, when they will be expected to complete independent revision. REG The Maths REG is created from mock exams they sit in class and the progress we would expect the student to make by the end of Y11. Testing:  Y10 have a Maths mock on w/b 5 th of December.  Alongside these they will be given half termly topic review tests. Homework: All pupils in Y10 now have a yellow homework book. They are currently following a weekly homework schedule. The only time they will not be given homework is during mock exams, when they will be expected to complete independent revision. REG The Maths REG is created from mock exams they sit in class and the progress we would expect the student to make by the end of Y11. Testing:  Y10 have a Maths mock on w/b 5 th of December.  Alongside these they will be given half termly topic review tests. Homework

16. MATHS – REVISION, REPORTING, SUPPORT How to revise: The best way to revise is to do questions. These can be from a revision guide, from past papers on the VLE and many other sources. Then come back to school and ask for help if necessary. Regular practice is essential for success in Maths, which is why we place such a large emphasis on homework in our subject. Useful websites for revision: http://www.mrbartonmaths.com/gcsetakeaway.htm https://corbettmaths.com/contents/ http://www.mrcartermaths.com/ School Shop: The school shop currently stocks a great range of revision resources for students. Revision guides Revision workbooks Past papers (coming soon) How to revise: The best way to revise is to do questions. These can be from a revision guide, from past papers on the VLE and many other sources. Then come back to school and ask for help if necessary. Regular practice is essential for success in Maths, which is why we place such a large emphasis on homework in our subject. Useful websites for revision: http://www.mrbartonmaths.com/gcsetakeaway.htm https://corbettmaths.com/contents/ http://www.mrcartermaths.com/ School Shop: The school shop currently stocks a great range of revision resources for students. Revision guides Revision workbooks Past papers (coming soon) These are listed in students’ homework books £2.50 each

17. SCIENCE – APPROACHING THE NEW GCSE What changes have been made to GCSE Science?  Year 10 students have begun preparing for the new GCSE Science. All students are now following either: AQA Trilogy Science (Combined) which will result in two GCSE grades. Or AQA Separate Science, which will result in a GCSE in each discipline.  With the new courses there is no longer a controlled assessment or coursework element, meaning the entire course is externally assessed by the exam board.  The coursework element has been replaced with 21 ‘required practical’ activities which will be assessed in the exams. How are the science department preparing for these changes?  The number of teachers allocated to Y10 classes has been reduced, meaning that our staff know their students better.  Allocated lesson time to improving practical knowledge and skills. What can students expect in Science lessons?  Lessons will consist of a variety of activities including paired, group and independent learning. We will focus on the skills that students will need to answer specific types of exam questions.  Y10 students will already have made an excellent start to their GCSE Science courses as they started studying towards them in year 9. meaning they have already completed large selection of the content and practical skills needed for their exams.

18. SCIENCE COURSE DETAILS Trilogy (combined Science) two GCSE’s 6 x 1 hour 15 minutes exams Each exam will contribute 16.7% to the GCSE grade (9-1). Paper 1 and paper 2 will contribute towards each of the two GCSE grades. Questions based on the knowledge, understanding and skills of the required practical elements will contribute to at least 15% of the marks for each exam. Chemistry Paper 1 Chemistry Paper 2 + Biology Paper 1 Biology Paper 2 + Physics Paper 1 Physics Paper 2 + Separate Sciences (three GCSE’s) 6 x 1 hour 45 minutes exams Each exam will contribute 50% to the GCSE grade (9-1) for each of the separate Sciences. Questions based on the knowledge, understanding and skills of the required practical elements will contribute to at least 15% of the marks for each exam. Chemistry Paper 1 Chemistry Paper 2 + Biology Paper 1 Biology Paper 2 + Physics Paper 1 Physics Paper 2 +

19. SCIENCE – REVISION, REPORTING, SUPPORT How can students be successful and what support can I offer as a parent? Purchase copies of the revision guides (available at the school shop). Purchase work books and answers (available from WHS or CGP website). Encourage students to access resources on the VLE. Access websites such as BBC Bitesize. Use AQA website to access specimen exam papers and mark schemes. Complete old exam papers on the AQA website and make improvements. Complete revision resources e.g. Mind maps, flash cards, exam questions. Improve mock exams at home using class teacher’s feedback. Then get students to go back and add any extra information to their revision notes for future reference. Support students in attending revision sessions held on a Tuesday afterschool – these are primarily for year 11 however year 10 are welcome. Supporting students by helping them attend required practical catch up sessions later in the year. Assessment and Creating Futures Students will be assessed every 7 weeks, students will be assessed in Biology, chemistry and physics. These assessments will contain synoptic content from previous assessments, therefore allowing students to prepare for their exam in year 11. These examinations will also contain practical questions based on the required practical's that students will have completed In lessons.

20. TOGETHER WE WILL ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS Prepare for the road ahead…….