Supporting your child's learning for GCSE by methody

SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING FOR GCSE

2024/2025

Supporting your child through their GCSE Art and Design

Supporting your child through their GCSE Biology

Supporting your child through their GCSE Business Studies

Supporting your child through their GCSE Chemistry

Supporting your child through their GCSE Classical Civilisation

Supporting your child through their GCSE Digital Technology (Multimedia)

Supporting your child through their GCSE Digital Technology (Programming)

Supporting your child through their GCSE Drama

Supporting your child through their GCSE Economics

Supporting your child through their GCSE English Language and English Literature

Supporting your child through their GCSE Food and Nutrition

Supporting your child through their GCSE French

Supporting your child through their GCSE Further Mathematics

Supporting your child through their GCSE Geography

Supporting your child through their GCSE German

Supporting your child through their GCSE Government and Politics

Supporting your child through their GCSE History

Supporting your child through their GCSE Latin

Supporting your child through their GCSE LLW (Form 4)

Supporting your child through their GCSE LLW (Form 5)

Supporting your child through their GCSE Mathematics

Supporting your child through their GCSE Moving Image Arts

Supporting your child through their GCSE Music

Supporting you child through their GCSE Physical Education

Supporting your child through their GCSE Physics

Supporting your child through their GCSE Religious Studies (Form 5)

Supporting your child through their GCSE Russian

Supporting your child through their GCSE Spanish

Supporting your child through their GCSE Technology and Design Study Timetable

GCSE ART & DESIGN

KEY DATES

October Work on preparatory work for Part B

November Finish prep work and work on outcome for Part B

December Complete Component 1, Part B

January Component 2 paper issued by CCEA. Begin work on this

February Continued with preparatory work for Component 2

March Finalise ideas for outcome (completed

May

Moderation

EXAMINATION CONTENT

Pupils produce preparatory work and complete an outcome in response to stimulus paper issued by CCEA in January 2024. Preparatory work produced in class and at home, being mindful of controlled assessment conditions. Outcome is completed under formal examination conditions over a 10-hr (2 school days) period. Pupils entitled to extra time receive up to 2.5 hrs extra time on the third day.

CCEA

COMPONENT 2 PREVIOUS PAPER

Please note that the 2025 theme will be different

SUPPORT WITH ORGANISATION FOR 10-HR EXAM

Pupils are given a planning calendar to support them in breaking their preparatory work into smaller chunks. Pupils are taught by individual tutorial and given support in ensuring readiness for the 10-hr exam, being mindful of controlled assessment conditions.

GCSE BIOLOGY

October Tracking test 23/09/24

November F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Mock examination Unit 1&2

Feb/March Revision at home increased. Internal Practical (Booklet A)

April Easter holiday revision programme

May/June External examinations

1.7b

2.2

2.3

CCEA COMPONENT 2 PREVIOUS PAPER

SUPPORT WITH REVISION

Revision is vital for all pupils but it can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety. We have included some tips below for parents/carers:

• Encourage your child to start revision early. This will also be beneficial for the January mock exam.

• Encourage your child to be organised, use a revision timetable, and also space out different topics they study.

• Encourage your child to use the revision guides recommended and revision notes provided by the department.

• Ask your child if you can help them: chatting to them or using flash cards to quiz them etc.

• Encourage your child to use the ‘How to revise in Biology’ sheet that gives hints on the best way to revise Biology.

• Ensure your child has breaks, eats well, exercises (even a short walk) and gets a good work/ life balance.

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

From September, every class had already begun spaced revision. Pupils have access to a set of ‘recall questions’ for each topic. A printed ‘Study Calendar’ and ‘Chunking’ of Topics’ will be provided to help organise.

For homework they must revise the topic by completing their workbook using the guides.

ONLINE REVISION

The Biology staff use Google Classroom to share past examination papers, revision videos, revision notes, PowerPoints and worksheets. They also use Seneca Learning for retrieval practice and the MCB Biology YouTube channel is available for video resources.

RECOMMENDED APPS

Gojimo / Seneca Learning

THE BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Every member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so:

Dr Campton (Head of Department), Mr Finlay, Mr Gallagher, Mrs McCluggage, Mrs Marrs, Mrs Oliver & Mr Hampton

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

Pupils have access to a set of ‘recall questions’ for each topic. These are available on Google Classroom.

GCSE BUSINESS STUDIES

Subject

•

command words

For homework they must revise the topic by completing their workbooks and ensuring all key terms are completed.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

The task will address the following areas of the specification: Creating a Business (Business aims and objectives), Marketing (M-business), Business Operations (Methods of manufacturing), Human Resources (Recruitment), and Finance (Financial statements).

Booklet A: to be completed as part of the 12 hours of research. 15 marks available

Booklet B: on completion of Booklet A - I hour structured response. 45 marks available Total: 60 marks

ONLINE REVISION

The Business Studies staff use Google Classroom to share past examination papers, revision videos, revision websites, revision guides, PowerPoints, share good practice, examination technique resources and booklets.

RECOMMENDED APPS AND WEBSITES

Tutor2U

Two Teachers

Revision World

BBC Bitesize

REVISION SESSIONS

Revision sessions will begin in March 2025. These will consist of both lunch time and afterschool revision sessions. Individual classes may have time to revise specific topics before the examinations. Individual help can be sought from your teacher.

THE ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS STUDIES DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so: Mr Davidson (Head of Department), Mr Armstrong, Mrs Logan, Mr Holland, Mr O’Neill & Mr Cleland.

GCSE CHEMISTRY

DATES

October Start revising at home, L6th mentoring sessions, every Thursday, lunctime in J5 at 1.00

November F5 Parent Consultation (7/11), Half term Unit 1 Revision booklet (retrieval)

December Mock examination Unit 1&2 (part only) (1hr 30mins)

Feb/March Lunch time revision classes for specific topics and revision at home increased, GCSE Practical examination (Booklet A) 27th March 2025

April Easter holiday revision programme May/June

2 2.1 Metals and reactivity Series

2.2 Redox, rusting and iron

2.3 Rates of reaction

2.4 Equilibrium

2.5 Organic Chemistry

2.6 Quantitative Chemistry

2.7 Electrochemistry

2.8 Energy changes

2.9 Gas Chemistry

3 Units 1 and 2 include a number of practical tasks that pupils carry out during the course. Nine of these are prescribed practical’s. Elements of these practical will make up the Practical Examination Booklet A EXAMINATION CONTENT

CCEA SPECIFICATION

CCEA PREVIOUS PAPER

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

Pupils will complete a 1hour 15mins revision paper on Unit 1 over half term break.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

The Chemistry Practical Examination will take place on Thursday 27 March 2025. Details to follow.

ONLINE REVISION

Each class has a Google Classroom which contains completed booklets for each Unit and revision material such as quizzes. The CCEA Chemistry microsite has a number of useful resources, invlduing Factfules whch contain revision notes on each topic, past papers and mark schemes. A new BBC Bitesize web page has been launched which is specific for CCEA.

CHEMISTRY CLINIC

Every Thursday 1pm in J5. Lower 6th mentors will help students with theory that they re unsure about or past paper questions that they cannot answer.

REVISION SESSIONS

Lunch time revision sessions this year, starting in February 2025 on specific topics in GCSE. Individual classes may have time to revise specific topics before the examinations. Individual classes may have time to revise specific topics before the examinations.

THE CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so: Mrs Drumm (Head of Department), Mr Marron, Mrs Sowney, Miss Hamilton, Mrs Hammond, Mr Hart & Dr Campalani.

GCSE CLASSICAL CIVILISATION

October Start revising at home,

November Revision at Home, ‘ Roman City Life’ examination component, F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Winter Examination - ‘Myth and Religion’ (1hr 30mins)

February Classical Civilisation Drop-in Slots, Ongoing revision, Past papers started.

March Revision at home increaded

April Easter holiday revision programme

May

EXAMINATION CONTENT

1 • Gods

• The Universal Hero: Hercules, Heracles

• Religion and the City: Temples

• Myth and the City: Foundation Stories

• Festivals

• Myth and Symbols of Power

• Death and Burial

• Journeying to the Underworld

• Prescribed Literary Sources

• Prescribed Visual/ Material Sources

2 • Roman Housing

• The Roman Home and Family

• Society

• Leisure and Entertainment

• Prescribed Literary Sources

• Prescibed Visual/ Material Sources

PAST PAPERS:

Specimen OCR questions and mark schemes will be added to the Google Classroom as the year progresses.

SUPPORTING WITH REVISION:

Revision is vital for all pupils but it can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety. We have included some tips for parents/ carers at the start of this booklet. Subject specific revision tips include:

• Ensuring that you have made revision notes on each topic.

• Having a good knowledge of all prescribed visual/material sources and their relevance to specific topics.

• Knowing the main points contained in the literacy sources

• Practising the specimen and past paper OCR questions

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

From September 2022 onwards pupils have been involved in spaced revision of each topic.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

There are no controlled assessment tasks.

ONLINE REVISION

Google Classroom contains a complete set of notes for each topic. Make sure that you are familiar with the supplied links for prescribed visual/material sources.

REVISION SESSIONS

Drop-in revision session slots will run from February until April. Attendance is encouraged if you have any specific questions.

THE CLASSICS DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so: Dr Dempsie (Head of Department) & Miss Williamson.

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

GCSE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY (MULTIMEDIA)

Sept to March Controlled Assessment, Units 1 & 2 theory, F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Winter examination - Units 1 (some topics) & 2 (1 hour) Feb/May

SUPPORT WITH REVISION

Revision is vital for all pupils but it can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety. We have included some tips for parents/guardians at the start of this booklet. Subject specific revision tips include:

• Ensure you are fully prepared for your Controlled Assessment classes

• Try past paper questions, and use mark schemes, available using the link above

• Make pupil notes from Fact Files and eTextbook provided (CCEA GCSE Digital Technology by Matthewson, Lynch and Debbadi)

Pupils should look over the eTextbook and factfiles regularly. The Winter exam in December provides a good test of their retrieval learning. The exams in the summer covers theory from 4th and 5th Form so it is important to revise all theory for Units 1 and 4.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

Controlled assessment is an ongoing piece of work. Preparation starts in 4th Form and should be completed by the end of March of 5th Form. Pupils are required to work independently on the design and development of a digital multimedia system. This solution should meet the task requirements set by CCEA.

ONLINE REVISION

All Fact Files, guides (to help with Controlled Assessment) and extra resources are available for pupils through Google Classroom. Pupils have access to a textbook/eTextbook for the course (CCEA GCSE Digital Technology by Matthewson, Lynch & Debbadi (978-1510414969)). Pupils may also wish to make use of the following resources:

* My Revision Notes: CCEA GCSE Digital Technology by Matthewson, Lynch & Debbadi (978-1510427211)

* BBC Bitesize

REVISION SESSIONS

Controlled Assessment support is available through the class teacher, Mr Wright. Pupils will be notified of additional support for the Units 1 and 2 theory examinations by Mr Wright.

THE COMPUTING DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so: Miss J Richmond (Head of Department) and Mr N Wright.

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

GCSE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY (PROGRAMMING)

Revision

• Ensure you are fully prepared for your Controlled Assessment classes

Subject specific revision tips include:

• Try past paper questions, and use mark schemes, available using the link above or your revision

• Make pupil notes from Fact Files and eTextbook (CCEA GCSE Digital Technology by Matthewson, Lynch and Debbadi)

Pupils should look over the eTextbook and Factfiles regularly. The Winter exam in December provides a good test of their retrieval learning. The exams in the summer covers theory from 4th and 5th Form so it is important to revise all theory for Units 1 and 4.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

Controlled assessment is an ongoing piece of work. Preparation starts in 4th Form and should be completed by the end of March of 5th Form. Pupils are required to work independently on the design and development of a programmed system. This should meet the task requirements set by CCEA.

ONLINE REVISION

All Fact Files, code snippets (to help with Controlled Assessment) and extra resources are available for pupils through Google Classroom. Pupils have access to a textbook/eTextbook for the course (CCEA GCSE Digital Technology by Matthewson, Lynch & Debbadi (978- 1510414969)). Pupils may also wish to make use of the following resources:

My Revision Notes: CCEA

REVISION SESSIONS

Controlled Assessment support is available through the class teachers, Miss Richmond or Mr Wright. Pupils will be notified of additional support for the Units 1 and 4 theory examinations by their teacher.

THE COMPUTING DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so: Miss J Richmond (Head of Department) and Mr N Wright

AQA SPECIFICATION

PAST PAPERS

GCSE DRAMA

November Start revising at home, F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Revision at Home Using Departmental Revision Booklets and Google Classroom.

January Winter Examination (1 Hour) Blood Brothers

February Practical examination dates - Between the 3rd and 14th February March Revision at home increased

April Easter Holiday Revision Programme set May 08.05.24 am Unit 1 ‘ Understanding Drama’ External Examination

COMPONENT TOPICS

1. Understanding Drama

• Genre

• Structure

• Character

• Form

• Style

• Language

• Sub-text

• Character Motivation and Interaction

• The Creation of Mood and Atmosphere

• The Development of Pace and Rhythm

• Dramatic Climax

• Stage Directions

2. Devising Drama

3. Texts in Practice

• Realise Artistic Intention in Text- Based Drama. EXAMINATION CONTENT

• The Practical Demands of the Text- Blood Brothers

• Theatrical elements of live theatre

• Carry out Research

• Develop their Own Ideas

• Collaborate with Others

• Rehearse, Refine and Amend their Work in Progress

• Analyse and Evaluate their Own Process of Creating Devised Drama.

• Interpret Texts

• Create and Communicate Meaning

A selection of past papers are contained in the Google Classroom where you will find an original bank of tailored resources designed to meet the needs of all learners. These include PowerPoints, multiple-choice questions, exemplar essays, essay plans, assessments, writing frames and practical activities.

AQA QUESTIONS AND MARK SCHEMES

SUPPORT WITH REVISION

Revision is vital for all pupils, but it can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety. We have included some tips below for parents/carers at the start of this booklet. Subject specific revision tips include:

• Ensuring that you have made revision notes on each topic.

• Engaging in continued home study using the departmental revision booklets.

• Attending after-school revision sessions.

• Practising the specimen AQA past paper questions.

• Using online quiz platform Kahoot! to test your knowledge of ‘Theatre Roles and Responsibilities’.

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

We have a number of quizzes on the online platform Kahoot! The BBC Bitesize website offers revision aids for the study of Blood Brothers and Roles and Responsibilities in Theatre.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

The Controlled Assessment is based on Devising Drama (Component 2).

ONLINE REVISION

Google classroom is used to support learning by providing exemplar work, videos, past papers, and PowerPoints which aids pupils understanding.

REVISION SESSIONS

Coursework catch-up sessions are available on Tuesday each week until Christmas. Pupils should meet at the Drama studio and let Miss Anderson know beforehand if they are attending. Drop-in revision session slots will begin in February and will be every Monday until May in A7 at 3.15pm. Attendance is encouraged if you have any specific questions.

THE DRAMA DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so: Miss Anderson (Head of Department), Dr Devlin and Mrs Clarke.

GCSE ECONOMICS

*Note

Subject specific revision tips include:

• Practice using economic terminology appropriatelt and accurately in responses.

• Use a range of sources to address problems and issues raisied in questions.

• Include application in responses by using both quantitative and qualitative evidence to support conclusions and judgements.

Pupils have access to a set of ‘recall questions’ for each topic. These will be available on Google Classroom. For homework they must revise the topic by completing their workbooks and ensuring all key terms are completed.

ONLINE REVISION

The Economics staff use Google Classroom to share past examination papers, revision videos, revision websites, revision guides, PowerPoints, share good practice, examination technique resources and booklets.

RECOMMENDED WEBSITES

Tutor2U

Economics Theory Help EconDal Videos

Seneca

REVISION SESSIONS

THE ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS STUDIES DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so: Mr Davidson (Head of Department), Mr Holland, Mr O’Neill, Mrs Logan, Mr Armstrong & Mr Cleland

ANNUAL REVISION LECTURE SERIES

GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND ENGLISH LITERATURE

1 Written Exam: Writing for audience and purpose & responding to non-fiction and media texts

2 Speaking & Listening: 3

3 Controlled Assessment: Responding to Spoken Language & Responding to Literacy Texts

4 Written Exam: Personal/ Creative Writing & responding to Literacy and Non-Fiction Texts.

1 Prose: Of Mice and Men OR Lord of the Flies &

Prose.

November F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

Oct/ Nov Completion of final Language CAT (Written Language)

Jan/Feb Completion of Literature (Macbeth) CAT

March External Moderation of Sp & List. Revision Lecture Series Starts (Thursdays after school)

April Revision Lectures Continue

May Final practice essays in class

June Drop-in sessions with teachers

WITH REVISION

• Know your TECHNICAL VOCAB well: DEVICES must be accurate and effectively understood.

• Develop your understanding of connotation and suggestion: Vital to ANALYSIS and EVALUATION

• ENGAGE with the KT, don’t just tack on.

• READ, READ, READ: we cannot over-state the sheer value of exposing yourself to a wide range of non-fiction and literature. Everything from magazines to blog posts, to short stories and longer novels.

Each year, the English Dept run a series of intensive support classes and lectures designed to support final prep in each Unit. These take place before school, at lunchtime and after school, and pupils in F5 will be alerted to dates / topics throughout the year.

This year, the topics are:

Language Papers 1 & 2 The Writer’s Craft Questions: The Mechanics of Language Study Language Paper 1, Tasks 4 & 5

The Media Text questions

Language Paper 1, Task 1 Writing for Audience and Purpose

Language Paper 2, Task 1 Creative and / or Personal Writing

Literature Paper 2, An Inspector Calls

Literature Paper 2, Identity Poetry Anthology.

These will all be further sub-divided into precision-targeted areas.

ONLINE REVISION

The English team has put past examination papers, revision videos, revision guides, powerpoints and worksheets on GC. Google Classroom will increasingly become our pathway for resourcing your learning.

THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Mr Bleakley (Head of Department), Mrs Parker, Mrs Cooney, Mr Latimer, Miss Coll, Mx Devlin, Mr Maltman, Mrs Webster, Ms Artherton, Mrs Reid.

GCSE FOOD & NUTRITION

September Unit 1 - Exam theory

October Unit 1 - Exam theory, Unit 2 - Mock practical assessments - 17th, 18th and 21st October

November Unit 1 - Exam theory, Unit 2 - Controlled assessment, F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Unit 1 - Mock Examination, Unit 2 - Controlled Assessment

January Unit 2 - Controlled Assessment, Unit 2 - Practical Assessments: Monday 17th, Tuesday 18th and 20th February

February Unit 2 - Controlled Assessment

20th May 2025 (2hrs)

1. You will study:

• Food provenance;

• Food processing and production;

• Food and nutrition for good health;

• Energy and nutrients;

• Macronutrients;

• Micronutrients;

• Fibre;

• Water;

• Nutritional and dietary needs;

• Priority health issues;

• Being an effective consumer when shopping for food;

• Factors affecting food choice;

• Food safety;

• Resource management; and

• Food preparation, cooking and presentation skills. CCEA SPECIFICATION

CCEA PAST PAPERS

*(GCSE revised from 2017)

SUPPORT WITH REVISION

Revision is vital for all pupils, subject specific revision tips include:

• Go over past paper questions.

• Use mark schemes available on website for your revision.

• Make pupil notes from booklets provided.

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

Pupils should look over booklets regularly and their mock exam in December will provide a good test of their retrieval learning.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

• Controlled assessment is an ongoing piece of work. It will start in October of Form 5 and should be finished by the start of March.

• It is important that pupils listen to all advice given in controlled assessment to achieve the best mark possible as it is worth 50% of the GCSE.

• The exemplar material is also useful to see what pupils should be aiming towards.

REVISION SESSIONS

• Study support session running for the second term of Form 5 for those pupils who are underperforming.

• Revision will also take place in class if time allows before study leave.

THE FOOD AND NUTRITION DEPARTMENT

Miss Lloyd (Head of Department).

GCSE FRENCH

DATES

Oct/Nov Tuesday L/R workshops in R35 with Mrs Young and Mrs McCrum End of module exam practice

Past Reading/Writing paper (w/b 14 Oct)

F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Mock examination All modules studied to date

January Mock oral examination (Teachers will advise of the date)

February End of Module exam practice

March Revision at home increased Past paper practice

April Easter holiday revision programme set May Unit 2 Speaking – 24 March – Friday 2 May

CCEA SPECIFICATION

CCEA PAST

PAPERS

*Note pre 2018 will contain useful questions but not necessarily within the same unit due to new specification.

SUPPORTING WITH REVISION

• Be specific in your revision. Look at the Contexts for Learning here:

• Do you think you know this topic well?

• If not, make sure you revise the vocabulary.

• Have you completed your oral question preparation for each topic?

• Have you learned your oral preparation?

• Can you write short sentences on each topic in a range of tenses? Could you put these together into an extended writing piece?

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

• End of module writing practice assessments take place at the end of each module.

• We begin past paper practice in class in October. It is vital that pupils familiarise themselves with the exam.

• Retrieval sessions will take place at lunchtimes in the Easter term.

ONLINE REVISION

Past examination papers, revision tips and worksheets on Google Classroom.

RECOMMENDED APPS, WEBSITES

• BBC Bitesize (CCEA section)

• Quizlet

• Language gym

• Google Classroom

• wordreference.com

THE FRENCH DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so including Mrs Young (Head of Department) & Mrs McCrum.

•

GCSE FURTHER MATHS

October Course teaching (Mechanics)

November F5 Parent Consultation (7/11) Pure Matchs/ Mechanics revision material issued.

December Internal exam 1hr 30mins (Pure/ Mech)

January Continue with Unit 2

Feb - March Past papers in Pure/ Mechanics issued

April Unit 3 completed

May Revision, Unit 1 Pure (Mon 12 May 2025- pm)

June Unit 2 Mechanics (Mon 2 June 2025 - am) Unit 3 Statistics (Wed 18 June 2025 - pm)

CCEA SPECIFICATION

CCEA PAST PAPERS

SUPPORTING WITH REVISION

Resources : notebook / jotters / assessments / past papers

Practice of material is essential and will allow confidence to be built. List of topics in each external paper / possible outcomes.

The department will provide practice questions ahead of internal examinations.

Completion of past papers and examination style booklets provide the most effective way of improving outcomes.

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

Regular class testing and reinforcement of concepts. Revision of concepts in longer style questions.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

None

ONLINE REVISION

CCEA website [past papers].

CCEA subject support [guidance].

MCB Maths YouTube channel.

REVISION SESSIONS

Drop-in revision classes after Easter (Mr Lyttle).

Individual staff offer support and guidance outside the classroom.

THE MATHS DEPARTMENT

Mr Lyttle (Head of Department), Mrs Barry, Dr Callachand, Mrs Campton, Mr Johnston, Mr Lindsay, Mr Martin, Mrs E McKay, Mrs S McKay, Miss McKeown, Mrs Morgan, Mrs Neill, Mr Shaw, Mrs Scott & Miss Walker.

• Algebraic fractions

• Algebraic manipulation

• Completing the square

• Simultaneous equations [context]

• Quadratic equations

• Quadratic inequalities

• Trigonometric graphs

• Differentiation

• Bivariate analysis EXAMINATION CONTENT

• Trigonometric equations

• Tangents/normals

• Practical differentiation

• Logarithms

• Matrices

• Kinematics

• Equations of motion

• Vectors

• Resultant force

• Equilibrium

• Newton’s laws of motion

• Car and trailer/pulley

• Moments

• Central tendency and dispersion

• Mean and standard deviation

• Probability

• Binomial distribution

• Normal distribution

GCSE GEOGRAPHY

Pupils

September Unit 3 Fieldwork test

November Geog ur Memory = Population and Migration, F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Mock Examination - Unit 2 Population and Migration & Changing Urban Enviroments (1hr)

January Geog ur Memory = Changing Urban Environments

February Tracking Test, Geog ur Memory = Development

March Geog ur Memory = Managing our Environment

April Revision and PPQ, Preparation of Data Sheet and 100

May Revision, Unit 1 Examination - Wednesday 14th May 9:15am, Unit 2

SUPPORTING WITH REVISION

Revision is vital for all pupils but it can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety. We have included some tips below for parents/carers at the start of this booklet. Subject specific revision tips include:

• Know your case studies well – facts, details and locations – this can lift your grade to A* - if these are done well through extended writing and factual detail..

• Practice your Geoskills – mapskills, grid references, drawing graphs, interpreting key geography sources such as choropleth maps or population pyramids and more

• Have the right tools for the exam – colouring pencils, calculator, ruler, black ink pens etc.

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

Classes have option to complete retrieval of content through:

1. GEOG UR MEMORY – monthly revision calendars to prepare revision notes

2. Glossary pages for each topic

3. Kahoot Quizzes on Core Topics

4. Topic on a page summaries for each topic

5. Revision Clock for each topic

ONLINE REVISION

BBC Bitesize

REVISION SESSIONS

Revision sessions will begin after February half term. Each teacher will give information on individual sessions.

THE GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so: Mrs Duckett (Head of Department), Dr Crawford, Mr Welshman, Mr Kirk., Mr Ferguson, Mrs Bedi.

GCSE GERMAN

KEY DATES

Sept to May Provision of weekly Listening and Reading revision materials for revision purposes, F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Mock Examination (2hr)

March Revision at home increased with revision programme distributed

April Easter holiday revision programme set

May Past Paper Practice

June GCSE exams (in order)

Speaking 24th March - 2nd May, Listening: 8th May (pm), Writing 2nd June (am), Reading 12th June (pm)

- for detailed breakdown refer to the specification

1 External written examination with stimulus material in German

There are two tiers of entry:

• Foundation (35 mins approx.); and

• Higher (45 mins approx.).

Students answer 12 questions.

Four of these are the same in both tiers. Responses include:

• selection

• gap-filling;

• answering questions in English; and

• answering questions in German.

2 One teacher-conducted and externally marked speaking examination. There is one tier of entry.

The test lasts 7−12 minutes, plus 10 minutes of supervised preparation time. Each test includes:

• two role-plays, both from the same Context for Learning; and

• a general conversation on two topics, one from each of the other two Contexts for Learning. Each role-play lasts up to 2 minutes and each conversation topic takes up to 4 minutes.

Students prepare the first conversation topic in advance from the Context for Learning prescribed. Examinations are recorded and submitted to CCEA for marking

External written examination with stimulus material in German.

There are two tiers of entry:

• Foundation (50 mins);

• Higher (1 hour).

Students answer 12 questions.

Four of these are the same in both tiers. Responses include:

• selection

• answering questions in English

• gap-filling

• answering questions in German; and

• translating short sentences from German into English.

4 External written examination There are two tiers of entry:

• Foundation (1 hour); and

• Higher (1 hour 15 mins).

Students answer four questions. One of these is the same in both tiers. Responses include:

• a listing and short phrase task in German (Foundation Tier only)

• short phrase/sentence responses in German (both tiers);

• short responses in German to one or more pieces of text (Higher Tier only);

• translation of short sentences from English into German (both tiers); and one structured, extended writing task in German from a choice of three (both tiers).

CCEA SPECIFICATION

PAST PAPERS

A selection of German GCSE papers is available on the CCEA German GCSE website. It would also be beneficial for students to practise reading and listening past papers from the older specification and from other examination boards, such as AQA and Edexcel, as the level of difficulty and content included are of a similar standard. Pupils will be aware of mark schemes from class but are encouraged to re-examine these on the CCEA website, particularly for the speaking and writing units - the mark scheme is the answer!

SUPPORTING WITH REVISION

• Practising translation/comprehension passages from past papers and also the Kerboodle digital textbook.

• Miss Moore is available in R28 before and after school to offer help and support.

RECOMMENDED APPS

• Memrise (for vocabulary and grammar)

• Duolingo

• FluentU

• Leo

ONLINE REVISION

GCSE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

November Start revising at home, F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Mock Examination Unit 2 (1 hour 30mins)

January

February After school revision programme starts March Increase home revision April

EXAMINATION CONTENT

1 Democracy in Action

• Political Ideas and Concepts

• Decision-making in a Democracy

• Elections and Voting in a Democracy

• Political Parties in a Democracy

• Political Information in a Democracy

• Taking Action in a Democracy

2 International Politics in Action

• Interdependence

• The European Union

• Conflict and its Resolution

• Conflict Resolution in Practice –Northern Ireland

• Migration

CCEA SPECIFICATION

SUPPORTING WITH REVISION

Subject specific revision advice

• Make detailed revision notes for each unit

• Ensure you know the glossary of terms for each unit (links are on google classroom)

• Make a list of examples to provide supporting evidence in your exam answers

• Watch the news, read newspapers or online political blogs. Politics appears every day on TV, radio and in the papers. Paying attention to the news will not only increase your understanding but give you examples you can use in your examination.

• The Form 5 GCSE Politics google classroom page has copies of work that has been set, handouts (including examination advice), videos, powerpoints, past paper questions and other resources.

REVISION SESSIONS

Revision sessions will begin after the mock exams and will be after school from 3.15-4.00. We will cover Unit 1 work. The day will be arranged after the mock examinations.

THE POLITICS DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so. See the individual teacher in their room or K5 1/2:

Mr Lynas (Head of Department), Miss Bleakley, Miss Fleck.

CCEA SUBJECT

GCSE HISTORY

September Continue work on International Relations course

October International Relations Practice Tracking Test. This will be a sourcework test

November International Relations, F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Mock examination USA & International Relations

January Start Ireland course

February

March Northern Ireland tracking test. Drop in clinics begin for F5 April Easter holiday revision programme set, Revision sessions after school

CCEA

SUPPORTING WITH REVISION

• Revision is vital for all pupils but it can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety. We have included some tips below for parents/carers at the start of this booklet. Subject specific revision tips include :

• Make revision notes as you reach the end of being taught each topic

• Use past paper questions

• Include facts, figures, dates and statistics

ADDITONAL SUPPORT MATERIAL

GCSE BBC Bitesize History is a great resource and designed to reflect the CCEA course. This includes relevant information for every topic studied at GCSE. It supports pupils notes and the textbook.

ONLINE REVISION

The History team has put past examination papers, revision guides, powerpoints and worksheets on Padlet. All pupils have been given the Padlet codes. There is also key information and articles for further reading. Each class will also have a google classroom specific to their class.

REVISION SESSIONS

After school revision sessions will begin in March. All pupils will be informed of these dates. These will be organised by topic with some practice exam technique as well.

THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT

Pupils should approach their individual teacher for help in the first instance, or the Head of Department. Different staff may run revision classes and can also be asked for help. Staff will usually be found in their room or in K5.5/ Central staff room:

Mrs Maguire (Head of Department), Miss Leitch, Miss Reaney, Miss Fleck/Mrs McGlinchey (maternity)

1 Section A Option 2: Life in the United States of America, 1920-33

• Life for Minority Groups

• Prohibition

• Social Change and Popular Entertainment

• The ‘Roaring Twenties’

• Economic Problems in the 1920’s

• The Wall Street Crash, 1929

• The Great Depression, 1929-33

2 Section B Option 1: Changing Relations: Northern Ireland and its Neighbours, 1965-98

• The O’Neill Years

• The campaign for civil rights

• A deteriorating situation, 1969-72

• The search for a political solution – attempt at power sharing 1973-74

• Changing Republican Strategy

• Changing relations – towards closer co-operation

• The Downing Street Declaration, 1993

• The Good Friday Agreement, 1998

3 International Relations, 1945-2003

• Co-operation ends and the Cold War begins

• Emerging superpower rivalry and its consequences 1945-49

• Flashpoints in Europe and the impact on international relations

• Flashpoints outside Europe and the impact on international relations

• The end of the Cold War, 1985-91

• New tensions emerge, 1991-2003

GCSE LATIN

October Start revising at home, component 2 examination

November Revision at home, Component 3A examination, F5 Parent Consulation (7/11)

December Winter Examination- Component 1 (1 Hour 30 mins)

February Latin Revision Luncthime Slots, Ongoing revision, Past Papers started

March Revision at home increased

April Easter holiday revision programme set

May 09.05.25 - Component 1 Latin Language external examination 16.05.25 - Component 2 Latin ‘Love and Marriage’ external examination

June 03.06.25 - Component 3A ‘Suetonius Nero’ external examination

EXAMINATION CONTENT

UNIT AREAS OF STUDY

• GCSE Defined Vocabulary List

• GCSE Grammar and Syntax

• GCSE English/Latin Vocabulary List (if required)

2 • General ‘Love and Marriage’ information

• Passages in Latin from the set writers

• ‘Seutonius Nero’ passages in Latin and English.

EDUQAS SPECIFICATION

PAST PAPERS

• Specimen Eduqas questions and mark schemes will be added to Google Classroom as the year progresses.

SUPPORTING WITH REVISION

• Revising vocabulary and grammar frequently for short periods of time. A useful tool is the vocabulary tester Making sure that the set texts are revised on a regular basis. Use the tool

• Practising translation/comprehension passages from past papers and also the Latin Momentum Tests for GCSE textbook (answers are at the back).

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

• From September 2022 onwards each class has been involved in spaced revision of vocabulary and grammar.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

There are no controlled assessment activities.

ONLINE REVISION

Google Classroom has all vocabulary and grammar elements as well as set text notes. There is also a quick guide to GCSE grammar and syntax.

RECOMMENDED APPS

Memrise (for vocabulary and grammar)

REVISION SESSIONS

Revision sessions will run from February until April. Attendance is encouraged.

THE CLASSICS DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so: Dr Dempsie (Head of Department) & Miss Williamson.

GCSE LLW (FORM 4)

REVISION ADVICE

Revision is vital for all pupils but it can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety. Subject specific revision tips include:

• Read the notes carefully, using spidergrams, bullet points or other methods to focus attention.

• Use the questions in the workbook to help learn material and also to apply course content to exam style questions.

• Practice answering past papers.

ADDITIONAL REVISION MATERIALS

• Past papers - These are available on CCEA’s website.

• BBC Bitesize - This online revision site has been up-dated to cover the CCEA LLW specification. Bitesize notes and quizzes can be a helpful way to learn, but they do not replace learning the notes in the booklets.

HELP IN SCHOOL

Please contact Mr Ferguson or Mrs Wright if you need any further help or advice.

EXAMINATION CONTENT

The examination content is covered by 2 booklets of notes, one for each module. These notes cover all content required by the CCEA specification. The notes are supported by workbooks, to help apply information to exam style questions.

PAST PAPERS

• Follow this link then choose ‘GCSE Revised (Sept 2017), past papers.

• These are the only papers available for the revised specification.

Note: These papers are for a previous specification.They are useful for examination practice, but be aware that some topics have changed or been replaced.

GCSE LLW (FORM 5)

REVISION ADVICE

Revision is vital for all pupils but it can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety. Subject specific revision tips include:

• Read the notes carefully, using spidergrams, bullet points or other methods to focus attention.

• Use the questions in the workbook to help learn material and also to apply course content to exam style questions.

• Practice answering past papers.

ADDITIONAL REVISION MATERIALS

• Past papers - These are available on CCEA’s website.

HELP IN SCHOOL

Please contact Mr McComiskey or Mr Ferguson if you need any further help or advice.

November F5 Parent Consulation (7/11)

December Winter Examinations

March Revision at home, Class tests on recent topics, Complete Controlled Assessment External examination - Citizenship External examination - Personal Development

EXAMINATION CONTENT

The examination content is covered in a booklet of notes. These notes cover all content required by the CCEA specification. The notes are supported by a workbook, to help apply information to exam style questions. Pupils also have access to the Learning for Life and Work textbook. Additional resources are available on Google Classroom.

TOPICS FOR EMPLOYABILITY

• The impact of Globalisation on Employment

• Preparing for Employment: Recruitment and selection

• Rights and responsibilities of employers and employees

• Social responsibility of businesses

• Exploring self-employment

• Personal Career management

CCEA SPECIFICATION

PAST PAPERS

• Follow this link then choose ‘GCSE Revised (Sept 2017), past papers.

• These are the only papers available for the revised specification.

Note: These papers are for a previous specification.They are useful for examination practice, but be aware that some topics have changed or been replaced.

GCSE MATHEMATICS

KEY DATES

November Revision booklets issued, F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Internal Exam 2 hours (Calculator)

January M7 M8 topics studied

February Past Papers issued

March tier of entry finalised

April Course completed

Feb - March

EXAMINATION CONTENT

• Number [%/bounds]

• Algebra [factorising/algebraic fractions]

• Coordinate geometry

• Compound measures/mensuration/trig

• Statistics [box plots/cumulative frequency]

• Bounds in calculations

• Algebraic denominators/harder factorising

• Forming and solving quadratics

• Perpendicular lines

• Advanced mensuration/circle theorems

• Sampling/histograms

• Surds/indices

• Graphical inequalities

• Changing the subject [multi-step]

• nth term [non-linear sequences]

• Standard graphs/direct proportion

• Transformations/similar shapes [area]

• Probability

• Rational/irrational numbers/negative and fractional powers

• Growth and decay/rationalising the denominator

• Simultaneous equations [linear/non-linear]

• Exponential graphs/graphical solutions

• Gradient as rate of change/equation of circle

• Indirect proportion

• Sine and cosine rules/area of triangle

• 3D [Pythagoras/trigonometry]

• Similar shapes [length/area/volume]

• Probability [non-independent events]

CCEA SPECIFICATION

CCEA PAST PAPERS

Resources : notebook / jotters / assessments / past papers

Practice of material is essential and will allow confidence to be built. List of topics in each external paper / possible outcomes. The department will provide practice questions ahead of internal examinations. Completion of past papers and examination style booklets provide the most effective way of improving outcomes.

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

Regular class testing and reinforcement of concepts. Revision of concepts in longer style questions.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

None

ONLINE REVISION

CCEA website [past papers]. CCEA subject support [guidance]. MCB Maths YouTube channel. www.corbettmaths.com [revision material and videos by topic].

REVISION SESSIONS

Drop-in revision classes after Easter (Mr Lyttle). Individual staff offer support and guidance outside the classroom.

THE MATHS DEPARTMENT

GCSE MOVING IMAGE ARTS

KEY DATES

August - Sept Choose the genre and scenario for film from the CCEA stimulus paper. LOGLINE, SYNOPSIS, PLOT planning.

October Begin planning and experimenting. Write and hand in a research analysis (1st draft) 1200 words.

November Pitch presentation (present to class) – PowerPoint including influences (genre) ideas for actors, locations, shot types, costumes – edited film experiments relevant to own intentions

December Experiment with film techniques to be used in your film (including photographs and clips –complete director’s notebook.) Winter exam prep Before Christmas Shooting raw footage

Holidays

Jan/Feb Editing in class, Titles and sound in class.

March Final film hand in. Screenings in class. Writing evaluation April Preparation for online examination

• Genre

• Practices, techniques and contexts

• Creative and technical knowledge and skills

• Analysis and evaluation of unseen clips demonstrating awareness of technical purpose and audience response.

SUPPORT WITH ORGANISATION FOR COURSEWORK

All pupils are expected to be ready to shoot their footage by the end of December. Pupils have been given a list of all of the important coursework components needed to reach the top band of marks in the coursework unit. This is available on Google Classroom. Here you will also find a full pre-production guidelines booklet and examples of top level portfolios.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

All work produced by pupils over the two years of the GCSE course is presented for assessment. Component 3 (planning and making a film), is worth 40% of the overall marks.

The online exam at the end of 5th form is worth 40% of the overall grade. It is important to use the revision guide booklets. Pupils will be tested on their knowledge and understanding and ability to analyse the filmmaking techniques used in unseen clips.

RECOMMENDED APPS

Padlet is used to share documents with pupils. All of the guideline documents for each component can be found on the form 5 Padlet page.

The BBC bitesize website has useful revision guidelines.

CCEA SPECIFICATION

SUPPORT SESSIONS

Weekly support is available at lunch time or after school for any pupil who wishes to avail of it. Please speak to Mrs Steadman or Mrs Irvine. You may also speak to Dr Moore (Head of Art and MIA Department).

GCSE MUSIC

REVISION

In order to get the best mark/grade in this subject, pupils should do the following:

• Practise on a daily basis for the solo performances. Ensemble performances should be practised at least twice per week.

• Ensure that they have pre-prepared answers to the questions for the discussion.

• Make sure that their accompanist has the accompaniment and that they make an appointment for a rehearsal.

• Make sure they are up to date with composition work and adhere to all deadlines.

• Make sure any scores for Set Works are fully marked up and listen to the Set Work whilst reading the score.

• Revise the Set Works which do not have scores in conjunction with the relevant track timings/tables which can be found in the CCEA Fact Files.

• Learn the ‘Glossary of Terms’ list which was prepared in class.

QUESTIONS TO BE PREPARED FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE EXAMINER:

1. Please tell me the title(s) and composer(s) of the piece(s) you performed.

2. Identify the style of the piece(s) or period in which it was written.

3. How does the music reflect the period or style in which it was written?

4. What challenges did you encounter in the music?

5. How did you overcome these challenges?

6. Is there anything else about your performance that you would still like to mention?

THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so: Mrs Rolston (Head of Department), Miss Orr, Mr Parton or Ms Houghton.

KEY DATES

November F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

March/April/ May GCSE Practical Date TBC (Music Performance Visiting Examination Period: (24 March –06 May 2025) Final deadline for compositions: February Half-Term June GCSE

TOPIC SET WORKS

Western Classical Music 1600-1910

Film Music

1.1 Handel: For Unto Us a Child is Born from Messiah

1.2 Mozart: Horn Concerto No.4, third movement

1.3 Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, fourth movement

2.1 Coates: March (The Dam Busters) from The Dam Busters

2.2 Williams: Superman Theme from Superman

2.3 Horner: Young Peter from The Amazing Spider-Man Musical Traditions in Ireland 3.1 Beoga: Prelude Polkas: Prelude Polka, Paddy’s Polka No.2 and Millstream Reel

3.2 Stonewall: Fife Medley: Boys of Belfast and The Girl I Left Behind Popular Music 1980Present Day

4.1 Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams

4.2 Ash: Burn Baby Burn

4.3 Florence and the Machine: Cosmic Love

CCEA MICROSITE

One examination lasting 1 hour 30 minutes. The examination has 3 sections.

Section A: questions based on set works.

Section B: question based on unfamiliar music from within the areas of study.

Section C: One extended writing, listening question based on a set work. The total available for the examination is 70 marks.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

November Start revising at home, F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Video evidence for sports completed outside of school must be submitted, Mock examination Unit 1 and 2 (1hr 30mins)

January

February Finalising of practical marks INCLUDING ANALYSIS

March Revision at home increased, Practical moderation day (Date TBC)

April Easter holiday revision programme set

May 19.05.25 Unit 1 External Exam (1hr 15min)

June 02.06.25 Unit 2 External Exam (1hr 15min)

1 3.1.1 The Body at Work

3.1.2 Health and Lifestyle Decisions

3.2.2

3 Assessment of 3 sports Tactical and Technical Analysis of own performance in one of these sports

*Note - pre 2018 papers will contain useful questions but not necessarily within the same unit due to new specification.

SUPPORTING WITH REVISION

Revision is vital for all pupils but it can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety. Subject specific revision tips include:

• Ensure glossary terms are memorised

• Don’t confuse one bout of exercise with a period of training

• Look out for ‘explain’ and ‘interpret’ questions

• Ensure RELEVANT sporting examples are given when asked for

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

Every pupil has been learning how to self-test. Pupils have access to a set of ‘recall questions’ for each topic. Revision preparation - they should revise the topic by completing flash cards; questions on one side, answers on the other.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

Practical assessment has been ongoing since the start of the course. Pupils who compete in sports outside of school, must provide video evidence for assessment e.g. skiing

ONLINE REVISION

Teaching resources have been shared with pupils on Google Classroom.

RECOMMENDED APPS

Coaches Eye for self-analysis of practical technique.

REVISION SESSIONS

Revision sessions will take place when necessary. They will also be held during study leave at the times when the pupils would have had GCSE PE class. Attendance is encouraged to do well in GCSE PE.

THE PE DEPARTMENT

PE staff are willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so.

GCSE PHYSICS

3 Practical skills

Booklet A Practical Skills assessment

Booklet B External written examination

20th March (2 hours)

November Start revising at home, F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Mock examination Units 1 (full) and 2 (completed so far) (1hr 30min)

January

February Drop-in clinic available to all students

March In school lunchtime and before school support class available to all students. Personal revision at home increased. 3A Practical assessment 12th March, for all MCB pupils. April Completion of Unit 2, Easter holiday revision programme set May Study leave/ other GCSE examinations Unit1: Thursday 22nd May June 16.06.25 Unit 2, 23.06.25 Unit 3B

CCEA SPECIFICATION

CCEA PAST PAPERS

*NOTE “The first Past papers from the current specification are from 2017. There are additional past paper resources on the site (Legacy). It would be advisable to also attempt these. There will be only a few parts of some questions which might not be accessible due some changes in the ‘2017’.

SUPPORTING WITH REVISION

Revision is vital for all pupils, but it can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety. Regular revision makes final examination preparation easier to complete. Subject specific revision tips include:

• Construct tables listing all Physical quantities covered with appropriate units.

• Write out formulae and formal definitions on a regular basis.

• Take completed mathematical questions and re- try with different input values and well as changing the subject of the equation.

The following textbooks are available via Amazon:

• CCEA GCSE Physics Workbook Paperback – 27 April 2018

• My Revision Notes: CCEA GCSE Physics Paperback – 24 Nov. 2017 (Both books have an image of an astronaut on the front cover).

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

On completion of each booklet revisit the information at the front to check precisely what should now be known. This is a link to 88 videos covering almost all the topics for unit 1 and 2. Retrieval learning at any time is a good move!

ONLINE REVISION

To assist with revision during any time of the year - Completed Pupil booklets are added to Google classroom by each teacher. These should be accessed to ensure no pupil copy has blanks.

RECOMMENDED APPS

Gojjmo

REVISION SESSIONS

Drop-in clinics are available this term and will continue in the Spring term. (Monday lunchtime and Tuesday before school session per week- information sent via Google GCSE Revision classroom). Classroom code fpp4xc5. (80% of the year group are already enrolled in this class so if not yet joined up join today!)

THE PHYSICS DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so: Mr Harkness (Head of Department), Mrs Corrigan, Miss Neale, Ms McManus, Mrs Stott & Dr Triguero.

GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES (FORM 5)

GRE61 An Introduction to Christian Ethics 1 hr 30mins 50% of GCSE grade

Pupils have already completed the ‘Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion’ module at the end of Form 4 accounting for the remaining 50% of their grade

KEY DATES

November F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Mock Examination

Feb/March Revision at home, Class test on recent topics, revision booklet provided. April Easter holiday revision programme set May Unit 6 External Examination

EXAMINATION CONTENT

The examination content is covered in 3 booklets of notes produced by the RE Department. These notes cover all the content required by the CCEA specification.

SELECT ‘AN INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIAN ETHICS’ (UNIT 6)

These are the only papers available for the revised specification

Please note: These papers are for a previous specification. They are useful for examination practice, but be aware that some topics have changed or been replaced and questions are worded differently. The paper also follows a different layout.

REVISION ADVICE

Revision is vital for all pupils but it can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety. Subject specific revision tips include:

• Read the notes carefully, using spidergrams, bullet points or other methods to focus attention.

• Use the questions in the Revision booklet to help learn material and also to apply course content to exam style questions.

• Pay careful attention to learning at least 2-3 key Bible verses and/or Church teachings for every topic in the Christian Ethic exam.

• Regularly practice written answers.

ADDITIONAL REVISION MATERIALS

• Past papers – These are available on CCEA’s website.

• BBC Bitesize – This online revision site has recently been up-dated to cover the CCEA Religious Studies specification. Bitesize notes and quizzes can be a helpful additional way to learn, but they do not replace learning the notes in the booklets.

THE RE DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so: Mrs Macartney (Head of Department), Mr McComiskey, Mr Gibson & Mrs Harris.

In addition to the booklets of notes, the RE Department has produced a Revision Guide which will be issued to pupils before the Easter break. Regular examination practice, outside of work done in class, is necessary.

CCEA SPECIFICATION

The CCEA Learning outcomes are included in each booklet of notes, at the start of each section. Pupils can download their own copy of the specification from the Religious Studies section on the CCEA website.

Past Papers

GCSE RUSSIAN

November

SUPPORTING WITH REVISION

• Revise Core Vocabulary form the Core Vocabulary booklet handed out at the start of the year and posted on Google Classroom

• Decide if you know the topic thoroughly and if there are any weak areas: note them and look for ways to improve them in the next topic, e.g. use of adjectives, use of the past tense.

• 3 ALWAYS read the question first carefully and highlight the question word so that you know the information that you are listening for. Use any visuals to help you to predict what you might hear.

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

From January 2024 every class will begin revision booklets on Listening, Reading, Writing and Translation covering all topics covered in the last two years. For homework they must revise the topics by completing their workbooks in all the skill areas.

ONLINE REVISION

Past examination papers, revision tips and worksheets on Google Classroom

RECOMMENDED APPS, WEBSITES

Gojimo, languages online, Quizlet

REVISION SESSIONS

Revision sessions will begin 27/01/25 and will be every week until the exam. Attendance is encouraged to do well in GCSE Russian.

HELP IN SCHOOL

Please contact Mrs McCrum and Mrs Kennedy if you need any further help or advice.

CCEA SPECIFICATION

Appendix 5 is particularly important – this is the minimum core vocabulary list (ostensibly, all the vocabulary that could appear on the listening, reading and writing papers).

PAST PAPERS:

GCSE SPANISH

KEY DATES

Sept - Oct Start revising at home, Practice tests - end of September/ October

Nov/Dec Revision at home, with a specific focus on the writing element of the examination.F5 Parent Consultation (7/11) Winter Examination

February Drop in sessions with teachers

March Practice tests- beginning of March, Revision at home increased.

April Practise Spanish writing, reading and listening papers in class under exam conditions, Easter holiday revision programme set

June GCSE exams (in order) Paper 2 Speaking (tbc April/ May) Paper 1 Listening (21 May) Paper 4 Writing (27 May) Paper 3 Reading (5 June)

External written examination with stimulus material in Spanish There are two tiers of entry: Foundation (35 mins approx.); and Higher (45 mins approx.). Students answer 12 questions. Four of these are the same in both tiers. Responses include: selection; gap-filling; answering questions in English; and answering questions in Spanish

2. One teacher-conducted and externally marked speaking examination. There is one tier of entry. The test lasts 7−12 minutes, plus 10 minutes of supervised preparation time. Each test includes: two role-plays, both from the same Context for Learning; and a general conversation on two topics, one from each of the other two Contexts for Learning. Each role- play lasts up to 2 minutes and each conversation topic takes up to 4 minutes.

Students prepare the first conversation topic in advance from the Context for Learning that we prescribe. Teachers must record and authenticate all evidence and submit it to CCEA for marking.

3. External written examination with stimulus material in Spanish There are two tiers of entry: Foundation (50 mins); and Higher (1 hour).

Students answer 12 questions. Four of these are the same in both tiers. Responses include: selection; gap-filling; answering questions in English; answering questions in Spanish; and translating short sentences from Spanish into English.

4. External written examination There are two tiers of entry: Foundation (1 hour); and Higher (1 hour 15 mins). Students answer four questions. One of these is the same in both tiers. Responses include: a listing and short phrase task in Spanish (Foundation Tier only); short phrase/sentence responses in Spanish (both tiers); short responses in Spanish to one or more pieces of text (Higher Tier only); translation of short sentences from English into Spanish (both tiers); and one structured, extended writing task in Spanish from a choice of three (both tiers).

A selection of Spanish GCSE papers is available on the CCEA Spanish GCSE website. It would also be beneficial for students to practise reading and listening past papers from the older specification and from Edexcel & AQA, as the level of difficulty and content included are of a similar standard. Pupils will be aware of markschemes from class but are encouraged to re-examine these on the CCEA website, particularly for the writing unit – the markscheme is the answer!

SUPPORTING WITH REVISION

• Practising translation/comprehension passages from past papers and also the VIVA GCSE textbook

• Pupils are encouraged to acquire a copy of revision booklets:

• Resources are also available on Google Classroom

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

• Appendix 5 is particularly important – this is the minimum core vocabulary list (ostensibly, all the vocabulary that could appear on the listening, reading and writing papers).

• Pupils should be aiming to acquire five new words every day from this vocabulary list in preparation for the examinations.

• Pupils should also look back on all teacher feedback of their written work (whether on Google Classroom or in their books) in preparation for the written examination.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

There are no controlled assessment activties.

ONLINE REVISION

The CCEA website has past papers, examiner reports, sample responses (from all units), as well as the specification which includes an extensive vocabulary list.

RECOMMENDED APPS

• Quizlet

• Duolingo

• Language Gym

• BBC Bitesize

REVISION SESSIONS

Drop in sessions will begin in February, as well as mentoring sessions before Christmas for certain pupils.

THE SPANISH DEPARTMENT

Any member of the department is willing to help any pupil if they have free time to do so.

Component Areas of Study

EXAMINATION

GCSE TECHNOLOGY & DESIGN

RETRIEVAL LEARNING

Pupils should look over booklets regularly and their mock exam in December provided a good test of their retrieval learning.

Create recall questions for each topic area in Unit 2.

Recall past paper questions from your booklet’s and complete past papers provided on CCEA Website. For homework they must revise the topic by completing their workbook and class notes.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

Controlled assessment is an ongoing piece of work. It starts in January of Fourth form and is finished by February of 5th Form.

Pupils are required to work independently on design and making an electronic system and a product. This product should solve the problem provided by CCEA.

ONLINE REVISION

All booklets can be accessed from subject teacher if misplaced. Pupils should also make use of the following websites.

October Controlled Assessment/ Unit 2 Theory

November Unit 2 Theory/ F5 Parent Consultation (7/11)

December Controlled Assessment pages 1-5. Mocj examination (1st - 12th

January Controlled Assessment & Theory

February

March

EXAMINATION CONTENT

CCEA PAST PAPERS

(GCSE revised from 2017) Past papers also available from legacy specification SUPPORTING WITH REVISION

• Go over past paper questions available on Showbie & CCEA website

• Use mark schemes available on website for your revision

• Make pupil notes from booklets provided

• Address any knowledge gaps by reading relevant booklets provided on Showbie & answering exam style questions on CCEA website

• Attend extra revision classes – dates TBC

STUDY TIMETABLE

It is recommended that you study for 2 hours on any 5 days. Use the timetable as a template to create 25 minute study periods. A short break of 5 minutes is needed between each study. If you are studying 10 GCSEs, use two study periods per subject. Regular revision will reap reward. There is also space to enter planned content areas of study within the subject. Printing a weekly timetable can help space your revision. This helps interleave subject material. Note: During study leave, the number of study periods need to increase.

Supporting your child's learning for GCSE