Welcome
Year 10 Parents Information
Evening
Introduction
Miss A Gill
Head of Year 10
Key Stage 4
Qualifications achieved in Key Stage 4 will be required for
future career
Performance at Key Stage 4 is now looked at by Universities
and Higher Education establishments.
Performance at Key Stage 4 will be on Curriculum Vitae for
the rest of their working life.
Results based society. Grades matter.
Far more competitive than ever before for university places,
apprenticeships and jobs. Students need to be fully prepared.
Key Stage 4
From this point on students in Year 10 have
 just over 5 academic terms remaining of their compulsory
education.
 This amounts to around 66 Academy weeks or 330 days
 Controlled assessments which contribute to final grades
are starting this term.
 First GCSE examination will take place on January 12
2012. It is worth 33%.
 TIME IS TICKING!
Year 10 Student Expectations
 Work hard in lessons.
 Complete classwork and homework to the highest
standards.
 Prepare fully for controlled assessments and GCSE
examinations
 Work at a constant level throughout BTEC courses.
 Show commitment.
 Be consistent.
 Aim high
 Do the best they can.
Help and Support
 Accessing subject support during enrichment time.
 Asking teachers for help when needed.
 In the run-up to examinations, utilising revision sessions
put on by each department during enrichment time.
 During the Easter holidays, attending revision sessions put
on by each department.
 Using GCSE Bitesize and other appropriate revision
websites.
 Doing past papers to improve exam technique.
 Use the Careers services available.
Success at Key Stage 4
Consistent approach
Aiming high! Target grade of a C or
higher.
Have a plan for Post 16. Research it
and know what you need to get it.
Accessing all the support at Macmillan
that is available.
Assessment
Mrs Lloyd
Assistant Principal
Controlled Assessment
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Controlled Assessment has replaced coursework in a
number of GCSEs
Controlled Assessments are taken under controlled
conditions usually in a classroom environment
Not all GCSE subjects include Controlled Assessment
All Controlled Assessments are mandatory and are worth
between 20-40% of the final GCSE grade
Controlled Assessment

‘If you use someone else’s ideas in your work without
giving them credit for the original, this is plagiarism
(trying to pass someone else’s work off as your own). If
this work is submitted for your qualification this
constitutes malpractice and you will be penalised, which
could result in disqualification from the examination or
examination series.’

Using Sources, Ofqual 2010
Controlled Assessment Booklet
 Time plan of all subjects in Years 10 & 11
 Marks available
 Outline of the assessment
 Resources needed
 Preparation work
 Dates and times
Controlled Assessment
Help from Parents
 May encourage child and discuss planning and timing of
their work
 May provide access to resource materials
 Must not give direct advice on what should or should not
be included
Avoiding Plagiarism, Ofqual 2010
Controlled Assessment
 Different levels of control for different subjects
 Everything attracting marks to be done under supervision
 Research can be done without supervision – but worthless
without annotation
 Never use Wikipedia as a sole source
 Annotation must be under supervision
 Writing frames are restrictive for higher grade candidates
GCSE Modularisation
 Increased focus on modular approach
 All external modular examinations are mandatory and are
worth between 20-40% of the final GCSE grade
 Modular examinations take place in January, March,
May/June & November (Y10)
 Timetables are available on the Macmillan Academy
Calendar and on the Exam Information section on the
website
 No internal examinations in Y10
 Internal examinations in most subjects in Y11
Reporting to Parents
 Progress Data
weeks beginning 17 October 2011& 16 January 2012
 Annual Report
week beginning 7 May 2012
 Parent Teacher Consultation Evening
week beginning 6 February 2012
 Academic Tutoring
week beginning 31 October 2011
 Parent contact
Maths
Miss Cook
Head of Maths
GCSE Maths
AQA modular course
No controlled assessment
Unit 2 Number and Algebra
Written exam (no calculator) 1 hour 15 minutes
Available in November, March and June
66 marks 33.3% Foundation and Higher tiers
Content includes:
• Working with numbers and the number system
• Fractions, decimals and percentages
• Ratio and proportion
• Expressions and equations
• Sequences and linear functions
This will be examined in March 2012.
If a resit is required it will be taken in June 2012.
Unit 1Statistics and Number
Written exam (calculator) 1 hour
Available in November, March and June
54 marks 26.7% Foundation and Higher tiers
Content includes:
• The data handling cycle
• Data Collection
• Data presentation and analysis
• Data interpretation
• Probability
This will be examined in June 2012.
If a resit is required it will be taken in November 2012.
Unit 3 Geometry and Algebra
Written exam (calculator) 1 hour 30 minutes
Available in November, March and June
80 marks 40% Foundation and Higher tiers
Content includes:
• Properties of angles and shapes
• Geometrical reasoning and calculation
• Mensuration
• Graphical methods
• Solving problems with algebra
This will be examined in June 2013.
English
Mrs Colabella
Head of English
Edexcel GCSE English
Running from September 2010
English GCSE
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The course is delivered over 2 years
Each module can only be re-sit once
English is taken on its own – you cannot take
Literature with this option
The course overview
Unit 1: 20%
English Today
Unit 2: 40%
Unit 3: 40%
The Writer’s Craft Creative English
Controlled Assessment
Reading response to
two media/non-fiction
texts
Examination
Questions on Shakespeare
Question on prose from
different cultures
Practical writing task
Writing task
Controlled assessment
3 Speaking and Listening
pieces
Response to poetry
Creative writing task
Controlled Assessment
Tasks are pre-set by Edexcel
Brief notes and clean texts only
Edexcel – GCSE Language
and Literature
Running From September
2010
The Course
• Runs over two years
• A lot to fit in
• Just for sets 1 and 2a
The Language course overview
Unit 1: 20%
English Today
Unit 2: 40%
The Writer’s
Voice
Unit 3: 40%
Spoken
Language
Controlled Assessment
Reading response to
two media/non-fiction
texts
Examination
Reading response to
Different Cultures text
Controlled assessment
3 Speaking and Listening
pieces
Practical writing task
Spoken Language Study
Writing task
Writing for the spoken
voice
The Language course overview
Unit 1: 20%
English Today
Unit 2: 40%
The Writer’s
Voice
Unit 3: 40%
Spoken
Language
Controlled Assessment
Reading response to
two media/non-fiction
texts
Examination
Reading response to
Different Cultures text
Controlled assessment
3 Speaking and Listening
pieces
Practical writing task
Spoken Language Study
Writing task
Writing for the spoken
voice
Science
Mr Shaw
Head of Science
Gateway Suite
Gateway Separate Sciences
B1, B2, B3
35%
75 min
C1, C2, C3
35%
75 min
P1, P2, P3
35%
75 min
B4, B5, B6
40%
90 min
C4, C5, C6
40%
90 min
P4, P5, P6
40%
90 min
Controlled
assessment B
25%
Controlled
assessment C
25%
Controlled
assessment P
25%
GCSE
Biology
GCSE
Chemistry
GCSE
Physics
Gateway Science &
Additional Science
B1, C1, P1
35%
75 min
B3, C3, P3
35%
75 min
B2, C2, P2
40%
90 min
B4, C4, C4
40%
90 min
Controlled
assessment S
GCSE
Science
25%
Controlled
assessment A
25%
GCSE
Additional
Science
Each mixed paper includes questions
from biology, chemistry and physics
Terminal Requirement
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40% of assessment must be taken in
final series, when certification is
requested
Any combination of units: Controlled
Assessment and Written Paper
Units which are part of the 40% must
‘count’
Requirement must be met again if
candidate subsequently re-certificates
Thank you for
coming.
Staff will be in attendance should
you have any questions.