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19 November 2013
Dear Parents/Guardians
Please find attached a copy of the Year 9 Core Exam timetable for the last week of
this term. The first exam being on Monday 16th December.
The principles behind this process are that students have been working hard towards
finishing their KS3 English, Maths, Science and Languages courses. After Christmas
they will begin to build their GCSE skills base to give them an added advantage
when it comes to sitting their GCSE exams in 30 months’ time. Maths have been
doing GCSE content since September.
It is time for all of our Year 9 boys to realise that they are entering the business end
of their time at Verulam. Decisions and work ethic they are showing now will affect
their setting for GCSE core subjects and inform us on the pathway process that is to
begin after these exams when students start to decide which subjects they want to
do moving into their GCSE years.
It will also therefore have an impact on the A-Level or further education choices they
have and ultimately the future they have in front of them. In an ever increasing
competitive environment to gain access to the best universities, best apprentiship
places and best graduate training programmes it is vital that we stay one step ahead.
We have asked the Heads of English, Maths, Science and Languages to provide
some advice and tips on what to revise, this information will be done via Homework
Tracker. The core departments will be using homework tracker to provide boys will
very useful and plentiful revision materials including practice questions, based on the
topics they have outlined. I have attached an outline revision plan that should be
used to plan when they do the work that is set for them on Homework Tracker.
If you have not used Homework tracker before it is very easy. Go to the Verulam
School website homepage, external links, homework tracker, click on homework at
the top (no need to log in but log in is the boys normal school log on) and search for
the teacher or subject. It will show you all the homework’s set with the attachments.
Mr Doyle will be doing some consolidation work on “How to revise” over the coming
weeks and building on skills that were presented to them last summer for end of year
8 exams.
Many thanks for your continued support. We wish them the best of luck.
Yours sincerely
Mr R P Mawby
Assistant Head
Mr O Doyle
Head of Year 9
Headmaster: P A Ramsey BA (Hons)
Verulam School, a company limited by guarantee
And registered in England and Wales No: 07690125
Maths
Year 9 students will be taking a one hour past paper for Unit 1 Maths GCSE. This Unit
covers Number and Statistics and will test the content they have covered from the beginning
of September. The main topic areas are below;
 Calculating with Numbers
 Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
 Ratio and Proportion
 The Language of Algebra
 Sequences , Functions and Graphs
 The Handling Data Cycle
 Data Collection
 Data Representation
 Data Analysis and Interpretation
 Probability
Year 9 teachers will devise their own revision plans and place this and the class revision
work on Homework Tracker
English
The boys will have an extract from 'War of the Worlds' and they will have a series of 'reading
for meaning' GCSE style questions to respond to. The questions will cover the following:
1. A specific vocabulary question
2. Summarising
3. Rewriting a small part of the text in the student's own words
4. Define explicit meanings of specific words and phrases
5. A question to test implicit understanding of the text
6. A question that tests understanding of how the writer creates effects.
Science
Year 8 Topics
 Cell tissues and organs
 Reproduction
 Working in a Laboratory
 Particles and reactions
 Energy Transfers
 Forces and Speed
 Classification and Food Webs
 Weathering and Fossils
 Keeping Healthy
 Studying Disease
 Separating Mixtures
 Atoms, Elements & Components
 Magnetism
 Sound and Heat
 Life and Death
 Space
 Variation
 Humans & The Environment
 Geology
Year 9 Topics
 Drugs and Behaviour
 Chemical Patterns
 Chemical Reactions
 Pressure Forces & Movements
Year 9 Spanish Exam December 2013
Year 9 Students will sit a Reading and a Writing exam
The reading paper contains Foundation GCSE questions
These will be multiple choice/ or require a short answer in English
Students should revise the following vocabulary areas:
1. Mi dormitorio- bedroom furniture
2. La comida- food
3. Mi colegio- school description and subjects
4. Los deportes- sport
5. Mi casa- rooms in house
6. Las compras- types of shop
7. La rutina diaria- daily routine
8. Las vacaciones- holidays/ hotels
-
Grammar covered so far, including tenses
The writing section of the exam is in GCSE format.
Students are expected to write 80 words on each of the following 2 topics:
1. Mi Tiempo libre

¿Qué te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre?

¿Cómo es tu rutina diaria?

¿Dónde vives?

¿Cómo es tu casa?

¿Cómo es tu dormitorio?

¿Qué te gusta comer?
2. Mis vacaciones

¿Adónde vas de vacaciones?

¿Qué haces cuando estás de vacaciones?

¿Qué hiciste durante las vacaciones del año pasado?
How to revise
Students should use their exercise books to help them revise as well as their KS3 Grammar Toolkit and
the KS3 vocabulary booklets that are available on the school website.
Try making a mind map of useful vocabulary.
Write key vocabulary on Post-it notes.
Choose a topic and see how many words you can remember in 1 min.
Students should prepare a draft for each of the writing pieces in advance and try to learn key
phrases and vocabulary by heart.
Year 9 French Exam December 2013
All Year 9 Students will sit a Reading exam which contains Foundation
GCSE questions.
The questions cover a range of topics from Year 7 – 9.
Questions are either multiple choice or require a short answer in English.
Students should revise the following vocabulary areas:
-
Foods
School subjects
-
Likes and dislikes
-
Personal information
-
Days of the week
-
Sports and hobbies
-
Weather
-
Family
-
TV programmes
-
Technology
-
Grammar covered so far, including tenses
How to revise
Students should use their exercise books to help them revise as well as
their KS3 Grammar Toolkit and the KS3 vocabulary booklets that are
available on the school website.
Try making a mind map of useful vocabulary.
Write key vocabulary on Post-it notes.
Choose a topic and see how many words you can remember in 1 min.
The following websites may also be useful:
www.linguascope.com
www.zut.org.uk
www.bbcbitesize.co.uk
www.samlearning.co.uk
verulam/devoirs