Year 11 Steps to Success 2023/24

Students receive an additional three 95-minute lessons of English, Maths, Science, Geography, History, Spanish & Computer Science each week based on the which subject they need more time and support in. These are reviewed on a regular basis in RAG Meetings by the Leaders of these subjects, Pastoral staff and Senior Leaders. Students can move Boost classes if we feel they have made good progress and need further support in another subject.

For example, a student may be in English Boost and have three lessons of that each week. At a RAG meeting, if feedback and data is showing improvements in English but may need support in Science, their Boost lessons will switch the next day to Science and a new timetable will be issued to the student that morning.

Parents/carers can view on their SIM Parent app which Boost class their child currently attends.

Students are also placed in morning form classes which are led by English, Maths and Science Form Tutors. Year 11 start school early at 8.30am and have a 45-minute PREP time to study our Life Chances curriculum and also receive additional teaching time and learning in the Core Subjects. Subject Forms are also reviewed in the English, Maths and Science RAG meeting and students can move forms after a certain time, so they receive additional time with an English, Maths and Science teacher each morning.

In a similar way to the English, Maths and Science Boost, Option Subjects also have Boost sessions which take place on Tuesdays each week, starting at 2.45pm to 3.30pm. Each half term, Option Subject Leaders, Pastoral staff and Senior Leaders and a Progress RAG meeting looking at feedback and data on which students need support in one of their three option subjects.

These are compulsory and part of their extended timetabled day.

For example, a student who studies Geography, Art and Media may attend Media Tuesday Boost sessions for half a term as they require additional time and support there and then switch to Art Boost sessions in the next half term as they have made good progress in Media.

There are also some English, Maths and Science Tuesday Boost classes for those students who are performing exceptional in all their Option subjects.

Students have already sat and experienced a set of maths mock exams in the Summer Term of Year 10 and will sit another set of Mock Exams on the weeks either side of the October Half Term Holiday in a wider range of their subjects. The results of these mock are used to inform what areas need to be revisited in lessons and which subjects they should attend in Boost and Subject Forms.

Students will recieve their mock exam results in an assembly structured to give them a taste of what Results Day feels like. Senior staff and their form tutors were on hand to provide guidance on what to do next when they opened their results.

Below is the calendar for when those mock exams take place. Students will be issued with their own individual mock exam timetable detailing paper, start time, room and seat number.

In the Spring term, subject teams will be offering additional intervention classes to support students on specific topics or areas which require greater depth and time.

Pre-Exam Classes

These run before a mock exam (8am for morning exams) and go through the essential exam techniques needed to be successful. These are not a replacement for last minute revision (see our Spaced Learning section below).

All-Inclusives

These run for 2 hours after school and are used to dive further into topics and knowledge with all students taking that subject. They are held in our large study spaces and drink and food is provided for free.

Walking Talking Mocks

These sessions take place in an exam room with exam desks and a past paper. Teacher walk them through the paper provided key advice and tips on how to maximise marks for each question. The fact that this is done in the exam rooms allows students to visualise their exam and remember the guidance they have been taught.

On Mondays every week there is a dedicated study space in the library called the Revision Room for Year 11 students to deliberately practice exam past papers from a full range of subjects and courses or complete one of their two 45-minute revision session which they have written in their Revision Planner.

Students are be able to pick up a printed past paper and complete it in Perfect Climate 1 under the supervision of Senior Leadership Team staff members. Mark sheets are available for students to check their answers or their papers will be sent to the relevant subject leads to check.