Year 11 Steps to Success

This video takes you through what each student needs to do in order to fully prepare themselves for theit first set of Mock Exams starting on Tuesday 1st December.

In the run up to all mock and final exams, students are expected to be revising at home. The video at the top of the page takes you through revision strategies. Students are expected to join a Year 11 Steps-to Success Google Classroom class in which they are to submit their Revision Planner.

The code to join the class is:

rpwmlbu

Within the class stream, there is the mock exam timetable, messages from teachers and other key information students need to know.

The Revision Planner can be download directly below…

Revision Programme and Calendar GCSE 2020

The first set of mock exams for Year 11 start on Tuesday 1st December. There can be up to two exam sessions per day. Due to the length of papers, some Session 3 afternoon exams may run beyond the normal finishing time of the school day. The longest Session 3 exam (history) would finish at 3.45pm.

Students receive their own mock exam timetable with the specific papers, start/finish times and seat number for the exams they will be sitting.

Click this link to view and download the Mock Exam overview;

Year 11 December Mock Exam Timetable

Mock exams are organised and run as close to the real thing as possible. Students must strictly adhere to the exam regulations. This video guides you through the entry procedures all students must follow, both for their own safety in the current COVID climate and to ensure they are abiding by the exam conduct rules.

If any student has to self-isolate due to another student/member of staff testing positive and they have no symptoms themselves, the school will arrange for them to sit any mock exam they have missed at the first opportunity possible on their return to school. Whilst the student is self-isolating, we recommend they continue with their home study / revision programme so they are ready to sit their exams immediately on their return to school.

If any student misses exams due to being ill with COVID symptoms, we will allow a two week window on their return to school before we arrange times to sit the exams they have missed.

Many of us have very busy work and home lives, and it is increasingly difficult for families to have quiet areas where students can study and revise without distractions. Our ‘Nightclub’ is an after-school club which provides an IT equipped classroom for students to study, revise or catch-up work missed due to absence in a quiet, calm and focused environment.

Due to COVID restrictions we are only able to offer this to Year 11 at the moment.

It runs on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday, 3.05pm until 5pm in A2. Senior staff run each session and are there to help students revise effectively or support them with catching-up on learning missed due to self-isolation or extended absence. They can communcate directly with their subject teachers if students need specific advice whilst Nightclub is on.

Registers are taken and reward points are given for those who attend, with half termly prizes for those who regularly attend.

Subject teams provide an additional lesson after school called ‘Period 7’. Students are selected and directed to attend these sessions, which provide additional support to students whom their teachers feel need further help in their learning or require some catch-up time due to absence.

Period 7s are added to the student’s timetable and can be seen on the SIMS Parent App. They start at 3.05pm and finish at 4pm.

Period 7s operate on a two weekly rota:

• Week 1 Option Subjects
• Week 2 Core Subjects (English, maths and science)

Current Week 1 Option Subject Timetable

Current Week 2 Core Subject Timetable

There are also some 8am classes scheduled, called Period 0s.

Every Wednesday:

Maths, Ms Costello in M4

Science, Ms Craven in S8

Every Monday:

Maths, Ms Stubbs in M3

In addition to Period 7s, subject teams also provide extended after-school intervention sessions aimed at teaching a particular topic/s in greater depth or go over particular aspects of the syllabus which students need further support on. All-Inclusives run from 3.05pm – 5pm. Students are provided with food and drink during the session.

Students, parents and carers will be informed by their teacher if they are required to attend and registers are taken. Reward points are given to those students who attend.

Current All-Inclusives

There will be times during the year where subject teams will collapse their timetable for the day and deliver an extended session focusing on particular exam question techniques, a deep-dive into a particular topic or conduct a walking, talking mock. These are called Camps, e.g. Camp Maths, Camp Geography, etc.

Camps run during the school day and often occur in the lead up to a particular assessment, coursework component deadline or mock exam.

These will be published below when they have been organised…

To further support students with their Core Subject (English, maths and science) learning, their Edge forms (morning registration periods) provide an additional 20 minute lesson focusing on key aspects of the curriculum which students find the most challenging.

Edge Tutors are made up of English, maths and science leaders and teachers. Students are allocated a particular Edge form, e.g. science Edge form, based on the Leader of each core subject’s assessment of where that student needs the most support.

The Edge forms are reviewed each week by the core subject leads and senior leaders and students may be moved to different subject Edge forms as the year progresses and their needs change.

Current Year 11 Subject Edge Forms

The Year 11 timetable has been designed to allow for an additional 3 sessions of English, maths or science to be added to individual student’s timetable, dependent on their strengths and areas to improve across the three core subjects.

Boost timetables are reviewed weekly by the leaders of the core subjects and senior staff, particularly after mock exam results or step assessment point. Students may be given a different Boost subject to attend if it is felt they require additional support in that particular subject for a period of time.

Timetables are changed the following day and the student is informed and provided with a new timetable to follow.