GCSE Maths November 2011 Edexcel Linear Exam Wednesday 9 th November (pm) and Monday 14 th November (am)

Why maths in November? No other exams taking place in November. Students will know their results by January when they are making college applications. It will help alleviate some of the pressure in the summer. Students have the opportunity to re-take if they need to. Historically students do very well in November Our students have been working towards this since the beginning of year 9.

Exam dates and times Wednesday 9 th November –Exam starts 1.15pm –Non-calculator paper –Off timetable for revision in the morning Monday 14 th November –Exam starts 9am –Calculator paper (must bring own calculator, recommend the Casio fx-83) –Warm up starts at 8:25am in LRC

Students do well in November November students entered with only 6 weeks notice (from 11A4, B1 and B2) 70 students achieved a C grade or better 2 students achieved A grades 22 students achieved B grades November students entered (from 11A2, A3, A4, B1, B2 and B3) 154 students achieved a C grade or better 1 student achieved an A* grade 27 student achieved A grades 65 students achieved B grades

Overall Last Year’s Results Year 11 – 2010/ students achieved a C grade or better 85% A* to Cs 12 student achieved an A* grade 47 student achieved A grades 65 students achieved B grades 64 students achieved C grades 11 students achieved D grades 8 students achieved E grades 9 students achieved F grades 1 student achieved G grade

In lessons We are following a fixed programme of lesson topics One topic per lesson The focus is on achieving marks in the exam Therefore lessons at the moment are focusing on the topics in which students most easily achieve marks Use of past paper questions

In registration Students not achieving a confident C grade in the year 10 mock exam have started a programme of booster classes on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday during registration. Students have been given letters with the dates but do need reminding to attend. Topics covered are individually tailored to students particular needs. If students don’t attend these compulsory sessions they will need to attend an after school revision session to make sure they have covered the work they missed.

After school After school revision is optional but recommended. The more maths that is completed in six weeks the better students are likely to perform. Revision classes are held by different teachers on different nights of the week (3:15 to 4:15pm): Monday Mrs Palmer Target A/B Ms McManusTarget A/B Mr EdinTarget C/B Mrs LambTarget C Miss StewartTarget C/D Wednesday Ms McManus Target C/B Mrs Palmer Target A/A* Mrs LambTarget C/B Thursday Mrs Lamb Target C/D Mrs PalmerTarget C/B Mrs PrinceTarget A/B

Taster Day Friday 30th September the school is open only to year 5 & 6 students. Revision sessions for year 11 will run from 9:45am to 12:45pm. These are generally being offered to students who in the Year 10 mock were not a confident C grade. You will need to provide own transport into school You will need to provide own break snack as the canteen will not open to year 11. Replies are needed quickly to allocate staff.

Final mock exam Week commencing 10 th October during lessons The papers will be analysed to give information on strong and weak topics to provide focus for last two weeks’ of lessons and for revision days

Revision days Focused revision and past paper work immediately before the exams –Tuesday 8th November (pm) – topics to be decided –Wednesday 9th November (am) - past papers –Friday 11th November (am) – topics to be decided –Friday 11th November (pm) – past papers Topics will be decided after the mock based on the areas of need that it highlights

What can you do at home? Stanwayrucsac Booster packs –Ds to Cs –Cs to Bs –As to A*s Library of resource lessons

My maths lesson and online homework GCSE bitesize Maths Watch (available at £3 per CD) GCSE text book –Shared area/maths/GCSE higher text book –Shared area/maths/GCSE foundation text book Revision guide Shared area/maths/exam revision

GCSE Maths Higher or Foundation Revision Guide Published by Collins Normal price £9.99 Available through school at £2 Includes notes, questions, exam questions and answers – all combined in one book

Math Watch DVDs Available for Higher and Foundation

Homework Set weekly on Thursday or Friday Please encourage students to complete homework and get it in on time. Currently it’s exam questions from a pack of past paper questions which cover the topics from class that week. Any extra available time spent on other revision work will always be beneficial.

When will it all be over? From November to January students continue to study maths. Topics will be those that are relevant to a possible retake but also to the additional maths qualifications we will be offering from January Results are issued in early January In January students are re-set with the following possibilities: –Foundations of Advanced Mathematics – a higher level qualification which will be relevant for all students who achieve their target grade of a B or above –Functional Maths GCSE at Level 1 or 2 –Re-take GCSE Maths in order to reach target grade Not all options are available to all students and will depend on numbers and results.