Modern Foreign Languages

Choosing the right subjects for GCSE House Life

JEWELLERY AND MAKE UP Your son/daughter will make initial GCSE choices in You may wear a discreet amount of make-up when in school uniform • February so that next year’s timetable can be blocked Coloured nail varnish and any type of false nails are not allowed • and staffing planned. They will confirm their choices at You can wear one stud or sleeper in the lower lobe of each ear, one discreet ring, necklace and/or the end of this term. There is the opportunity to add bracelet, but not ankle bracelets, when in school uniform. • any supporting comments on both initial and final Tongue/lip/eyebrow/nose or any other “unusual” piercings are not allowed in school option-choice forms if you feel particularly strongly about the choices that have been made. Once the final ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL options form is submitted, the allocation of options will be made based on the information supplied on Planned absence (Dr appointments, family events, driving lessons etc.) • the form.48 hours notice where possible • Ask parent/guardian to email in the details • Once choices have been made, the College reserves Permission must be sought from the Headmaster to miss academic lessons or sporting the right to withdraw any courses for which there is commitments if not medical / dental. insufficient demand. We try to accommodate all subject choices within Unplanned absence (illness, car breakdowns, sudden events etc.) • the prescribed framework. However, subjects are If you are boarding and feel ill please come and tell Matron/Miss Liggins or ask a friend to get us— sometimes oversubscribed and availability of staffing any time of the day. Mrs HH is here every night so do wake her up. • prevents additional classes. If this is the case, we will If at home, please email / phone the House before 8.20am to let us know you will not be in • contact you to discuss alternatives. Matron can put you ‘off-games’ if you are unwell or injured • During the day, if you feel unwell, come back to House and talk to Matron. She will contact your

On the following pages, you will find more information parent/guardian if needed about each subject, as well as some useful advice from the Head of Careers and Higher Education, Sharon Medication: Allmark. These will help you when weighing up the Painkillers and medication cannot be kept by students in the 3rd, 4th and 5th Form; it must be stored various factors involved in making the most with Matron. Sixth Formers need to declare what they have and fill out a form. appropriate choices. COMPUTERS/EMAIL Please use computers/ emails /social media sensibly. Remember that what you do on-line is very real. We have an Acceptable Use Policy—do read it so you know what the rules are. Your Houseparent will go through it with you and tell you your logon details. NEVER tell anyone your passwords.

Stephen Badger Deputy Head (Teaching & Learning) 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! You must bring your own lap-top to school and it is your responsibility to look after it.

GCSE Reforms House Life

Screen time must be limited especially before bed. The advice is no screen time 30 minutes before • All GCSE subjects are now graded and assessed using the new 9-1 structure; bedtime. We ask you to self-monitor but if we think there is an issue we will act to protect your sleep • 9 is the highest grade, awarded to the very best candidates in the subject. The official definition of a grade-9 and wellbeing. candidate is that they will be ‘in the top 20% of those achieving grades 7-9 in the subject’;CARS • In every subject, the content is more demanding and the assessment more rigorous than previously; Sixth Formers may be allowed to bring their cars to school. We have a permission form your parent/ • The assessment will be mainly by exam. In some subjects such as Drama and Art, other types of assessment will guardian must sign first; these forms are available on the VLE or from the School Office. Your driving be used only where they are needed to test essential skills. For further information about assessment, please speak privileges will be withdrawn if you do break these very important rules. to the relevant Head of Department. For you to drive or be driven by a student driver we MUST have permission from both sets (driver Tiering of exams and passenger) of parents/guardians. 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, Signing In and Out German, Maths, Physics and Spanish. This is one of the most important things you have to do at least 3 times a day.

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.

Park operates a T-Card system which shows when you are: • In house • In school but not in house • Out of school but on a school trip/activity • Out of school Your buddy will show you how this works and you will get the hang of it very quickly. Day book—please ask Matron to write in where you are planning to be after 4pm e.g. Horse riding Under the updated Mon-Fri structure, the ‘good • BRegister before 8.20am personally with Matron or Miss Liggins pass’ for Maths and • Register with your tutor before 2pm English is a 5, which is • Wednesday register with Matron before 2pm on the border between Saturday a C and a B under the • Register before 9.15am old system. ALWAYS sign-out with Matron or the tutor on duty before you go home Start of the New Academic Year We actively encourage all Park girls to be in House until 9pm for the first 2/3 full weeks. This enables girls to get to know each other and there are quiet a few socials organised to enable everyone to get to know each other.