History

GCSE Reforms House Life

NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES

• All GCSE subjects are now graded and assessed using the new 9-1 structure; • 9 is the highest grade, awarded to the very best candidates in the subject. The official definition of a grade-9 candidate is that they will be ‘in the top 20% of those achieving grades 7-9 in the subject’; Newspapers and magazines are delivered regularly—they are for everyone to enjoy. Please do not remove them from the main foyer or Common Room or cut bits out of them! • In every subject, the content is more demanding and the assessment more rigorous than previously; OCCASIONAL BOARDING • The assessment will be mainly by exam. In some subjects such as Drama and Art, other types of assessment will • be used only where they are needed to test essential skills. For further information about assessment, please speak If you are a day pupil and you need to stay overnight, your parents/guardian should ask us if it is to the relevant Head of Department. ok to do so at least 24hrs in advance. • You need to bring your own duvet or sleeping bag, pillows and sheets. Tiering of exams • If you are a day pupil and there are some spare beds in the house then you may find that you are The new GCSEs are only split into foundation tier and higher tier if one single exam paper does not give all students lucky enough to keep the same bed each time you stay. However, day pupils are not entitled to the opportunity to show their knowledge and abilities. Consequently, exams are tiered in Biology, Chemistry, French, their own bed and you may have to use any bed which is available. German, Maths, Physics and Spanish. • You should not leave your bedding on the bed on nights when you are not staying as the bed may be needed by someone else.

PHONES

New grading structure

Current grading structure

9 A* 8 7 A 6 5 4 C 3 D 2 E F 1 G U U

9 is awarded to those pupils achieving what would currently be a top A*: perhaps at around 96%+

GOOD PASS (DfE) 5 and above = top of C and above Schools are no longer AWARDING assessed on A*-C 4 and above = bottom of C and above statistics, but on ‘9-4’ statistics.

Mobiles You are generally allowed to have your mobile phone with you in school, (3rd Form only after the Autumn half term), but it must be on ‘silent’ during the school day. If it does ring, your mobile will be confiscated for a period of time. Sometimes you will be allowed to use your phone to record prep or use during lessons, but only if the teacher says you can. Under the updated structure, the ‘good Phones can be kept on a student’s person during the day but should be invisible unless in the boarding pass’ for Maths and B houses or the Sixth Form Centre where they can be used; this also includes not listening to music English is a 5, which is anywhere other than those locations. This would apply for the duration of each week Monday to Friday, regardless of the time of day. on the border between a C and a B under the old system. The weekends would be exempt from this; students could use phones in all areas of the campus at any time, although phones must not be used at a meal table. Phones can be accessed during offsite trips (e.g. on a bus during an away sports fixture during the week). Students can still use phones in a lesson when researching something that the teacher has asked them to. Should a student wish to contact their parents using their own phone during the school day they can do this at main school reception (with permission from the receptionist), their boarding house or the Sixth Form Centre.