Mathematics

GCSE Reforms House Life

CARS

• 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’; From the Summer Term of Lower 6th, 6th Formers may be allowed to bring their cars to school if they have been granted permission by the Senior Deputy Headmaster. Permission forms are available from the VLE. • In every subject, the content is more demanding and the assessment more rigorous than previously; You may not travel in a car driven by another pupil unless we received written (or email) permission • The assessment will be mainly by exam. In some subjects such as Drama and Art, other types of assessment will from your parents and the parents of the driver. be used only where they are needed to test essential skills. For further information about assessment, please speak to the relevant Head of Department. Your parents have to give permission for you to travel with the parents/friend of another pupil. Tiering of examsCar keys must be handed into Matron or Mr Shedden at morning registration. The new GCSEs are only split into foundation tier and higher tier if one single exam paper does not give all students the opportunity to show their knowledge and abilities. Consequently, exams are tiered in Biology, Chemistry, French, COMPUTERS/EMAIL German, Maths, Physics and Spanish. The house computers are for academic work only.

Please do not fiddle with any of the computer settings – if there is a problem please report it to a member of staff.

Save your work on to the school network - you will then be able to pick it up on any computer in school - or at home!

A You may bring your own lap-top to school but it is your responsibility to look after it. Ink and paper are expensive - please do not waste them by printing out unnecessary stuff!

New grading structure

Current grading structure

9 A* 8 7 6 B 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.

Under the updated structure, the ‘good Access to your email address and the College network: pass’ for Maths and English is a 5, which is on the border between Your username for the school network will be your surname followed by your first initial. e.g. Joe Smith = smithj. a C and a B under the old system. First and second initials are used in cases where the username is already in use by another pupil or staff member. e.g. James Smith = smithja Houseparents will be given a list of usernames and passwords for their pupils for the start of the academic year by the IT Office. When you first arrive at the College, in order to access the system you need to log onto a school computer. There are computers in your House, the library and the ICT rooms for you to use.