Academic Update

Dear Parent (s) / Carer (s), As this is one of the busiest times of the year, I thought I would give you some year group-specific advice and updates regarding your son / daughter’s academic progress, and how you can best support them at this time. Year 7 Have another read through the ‘I can’ booklet given out at parents' consultation evening, then go back over the specific targets that teachers set, and the resources they mentioned that will help the students to progress. If you are uncertain about where to find materials, email the teachers directly - it is easy to find their email addresses if you ask your son / daughter to log onto their email account, then…

Dear Parent (s) / Carer (s),

As this is one of the busiest times of the year, I thought I would give you some year group-specific advice and updates regarding your son / daughter’s academic progress, and how you can best support them at this time.

Year 7

  • Have another read through the ‘I can’ booklet given out at parents’ consultation evening, then go back over the specific targets that teachers set, and the resources they mentioned that will help the students to progress. If you are uncertain about where to find materials, email the teachers directly – it is easy to find their email addresses if you ask your son / daughter to log onto their email account, then simply enter the surname of the teacher in the ‘to’ box.
  • The more progress your son / daughter makes, the more likely they are to achieve their Bronze 3 Cert certificate in every subject, so they should be trying their hardest.

Year 8

  • Please make sure you have read the options letter and booked the date in your diary for the parents / options evening. The best piece of advice we can give for Year 8s at present is to work their hardest in every subject, building knowledge about themselves, i.e. where their strengths and weaknesses really lie in each subject. If they know themselves and their abilities inside out, they will be best placed to make good option choices.   
  • Your son / daughter will be experiencing taster lessons in a range of subjects between now and March 9th, including Citizenship, Creative iMedia, Computer Science, Media Studies and Business Studies, so please do ask them about these sessions. All other option subjects will be talking your son or daughter through the GCSE spec during lessons as well.

Year 9

  • Now that we are six months into GCSE courses, it would be helpful to have a specific focus with your son / daughter on writing answers to extended exam questions, as this is a key feature of the reformed GCSE 9-1 specifications. Students need to write more, and there are more marks for Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar. Look at exam questions together from the exam boards’ websites so that your son / daughter can familiarise themselves with the challenges that lie ahead.
  • The Year 9 option booklet is openly available on the website if you want to know which exam board individual subjects are following.

Year 10

The key focus for Year 10 students at present is RE, as they now have about 3 months left before their full GCSE exams. Here is a list of the intervention available to them:

  • 42 students are currently involved in additional lessons during enrichment on Friday afternoons with Ms Malik.
  • From the week following February half-term up to the exams in May, there will be weekly revision classes after school. Please contact your son / daughter’s RE teacher for full details.
  • Some of the Sixth Form RE students will be available to provide tuition for a small number of motivated students every Tuesday after school from half-term 4 onwards. Please register your interest with Mr.Cragg.
  • All of the students have received free revision guides for the Edexcel RE full course exam, so you should see your son / daughter working from these. If you are looking out for them they should have a lilac coloured front cover!
  • Ms Malik is sending weekly emails to all Year 10 students with exam tips and advice about specific topics.
  • Finally, a question – Do you know your son / daughter’s mock exam grade from December? Ask them what they need to do to improve, and ask them to be specific about the subject content and skills involved.

Year 11

In the all-important run up to the final GCSE exams, it is vital that students have a positive mindset, so nobody should be thinking ‘It’s too late. I may as well give up.’ Students should believe that in the next 3-4 months, a lot of progress can be made, and they can achieve the grades of which they are capable.

  • Firstly, a question – Do you know your son / daughter’s mock exam grades? What are the key things they need to focus on to improve?
  • To help answer the questions above, students have received ‘PLCs’ (personalised learning checklists) from many of their subject areas, to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses in each course. These are very helpful in identifying where the focus of the students’ revision needs to lie over the final few months.
  • Ensure that your son / daughter has a clear and realistic revision timetable in place from Easter to June. Here is a simple revision timetable that you can print off if you wish:

https://www.distance-learning-centre.co.uk/images/revision%20timetable.pdf

  • From half-term 4 onwards, there will be a formal after-school revision class timetable, including all subject areas. Details of this will be shared with the students on their return after the holidays.
  • Remember, for the current Year 11 cohort, unlike Years 9 and 10, controlled assessment still contributes a significant percentage towards many of the courses’ final grades, so it is essential that students have maximised their performance in these units of work. Here is a list of the subjects for which controlled assessment is still relevant:
    • Science, 25%
    • Art 60%
    • Business Studies / Business and Economics 25%
    • Food Technology 60%
    • Geography 25%
    • History 25%
    • Media Studies 60%
    • MFL 60%
    • Music 60%
    • Product Design 60%

Sixth Form

In the all-important run up to the final GCSE exams, it is vital that students have a positive mindset, so nobody should be thinking ‘It’s too late. I may as well give up.’ Students should believe that in the next 3-4 months, a lot of progress can be made, and they can achieve the grades of which they are capable.

  • Firstly, a question – Do you know your son / daughter’s mock exam grades? What are the key things they need to focus on to improve?
  • To help answer the questions above, students have received ‘PLCs’ (personalised learning checklists) from many of their subject areas, to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses in each course. These are very helpful in identifying where the focus of the students’ revision needs to lie over the final few months.
  • Ensure that your son / daughter has a clear and realistic revision timetable in place from Easter to June. Here is a simple revision timetable that you can print off if you wish:

https://www.distance-learning-centre.co.uk/images/revision%20timetable.pdf

  • As a general rule, Sixth Form students should be completing a minimum of five hours per week per subject of IL, so please do try to ensure that this volume of work is actually taking place. It really is necessary to maximise achievement.