History

GCSE Reforms House Life

• All GCSE subjects are now graded and assessed using the new 9-1 structure; NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES • 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 Well or cut bits out of them! • In every subject, the content is more demanding and the assessment more rigorous than previously; • 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 ‘PHONES to the relevant Head of Department. Mobiles Tiering of exams You are generally allowed to have your mobile phone with you in school, (3rd Form only after the The new GCSEs are only split into foundation tier and higher tier if one single exam paper does not give all students Autumn half term), but it must be on ’silent’ during the school day. If it does ring, your mobile will be the opportunity to show their knowledge and abilities. Consequently, exams are tiered in Biology, Chemistry, French, confiscated for a period of time. Sometimes you will be allowed to use your phone to record prep or use German, Maths, Physics and Spanish. during lessons, but only if the teacher says you can. Phones can be kept on a student’s person during the day but should be invisible unless in the boarding houses or the Sixth Form Centre where they can be used; this also includes not listening to music anywhere other than those locations. This would apply for the duration of each week Monday to Friday, regardless of the time of day. 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 A(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. Watches that connect to the internet can be worn but notifications must be turned off unless in the boarding house or Sixth Form Centre. Mobiles should not be used after ‘lights out’. 3rd Formers are initially not allowed ‘mobiles in school, but thereafter they have to hand their mobile phones and other devices to the staff member on duty before lights out. 4th and 5th Form girls should hand their mobiles in to Matrons’ room before prep and before bed time.

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 pass’ for Maths and English is a 5, which is on the border between a C and a B under the old system.