Yr 10 GCSE Evening

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Yr 10 GCSE Evening

• SCIENCE
• 11th October 2007

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What courses do we offer?

• Most Year 10 students follow a one year GCSE Core
  Science course (AQA 4461)
• This is followed in Year 11 by a choice of
  either GCSE Additional Science (AQA4463) or GCSE
  Additional Applied Science (AQA4863).
• Some Year 10 students choose Extra Science in the
  option blocks and take GCSE Biology (AQA 4411),
  GCSE Chemistry (AQA 4421) GCSE Physics (AQA
  4451) as separate subjects over a two year
  course.

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How is Core Science assessed?

• Students take 6 Modular Exams, each lasting
  30mins. Two are taken in November, two are taken
  in March two are taken in June. These exams
  have objective questions (a form of
  multiple-choice) and make up 75 of the marks
• Students will carry out an Individual Skills
  Assessment (ISA). This is completed in normal
  lessons and accounts for 25 of the marks.
• After completing the course at the end of year
  10, students will have the opportunity of
  improving their marks by re-sitting modules and
  doing additional ISAs in Year 11. At the end of
  Year 11 the best marks from both components will
  be cashed in to produce a final GCSE grade.

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How are Biology, Physics Chemistry GCSE
assessed?

• In Year 10 students take 6 modular exams, two in
  each subject, each lasting 30mins. Three exams
  are taken in November and three exams are taken
  in March. These exams make up 25 of the final
  marks.
• In January of Year 11, students take three 45min
  exams, one in each subject. These exams also make
  up 25 of the final marks.
• In June of Year 11, students take three more
  45min exams, again one in each subject. These
  exams again make up 25 of the final marks.
• Throughout the course students do Individual
  Skills Assessments (ISAs) in normal lessons. The
  best ISA result in each science subject is
  selected and that makes up the final 25 of the
  marks.

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Important Dates for your Diary!

• Exam dates for Core Science Students
• 22nd November 2007 (2 exams)
• 5th March 2008 (2 exams)
• 23rd June 2008 (2 exams)
• Exam Dates for Individual Science Students
• 22nd November 2007 (3 exams)
• 5th March 2007 (3 exams)
• All students will have the opportunity to re-sit
  modular exams later in the course (subject to
  paying an entry fee), if they wish to improve
  their marks. Where a re-sit is taken, the better
  mark is the one that will count.

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Individual Skills Assessments (ISAs)

• All courses will do ISAs in normal lessons. An
  ISA is an externally set skills paper which
  students sit after investigating a problem
  experimentally. They are asked questions on data
  interpretation from the investigation and on
  their knowledge of good scientific practice.
• Over the course students will do several ISAs
  and the best mark obtained will count. For
  individual Sciences GCSEs it is the best mark
  for each subject that counts.
• ISAs count for 25 of final marks.

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What support do we give?

• We provide revision guides for all students
• We communicate , by letter, the results of module
  exams to parents. This puts parents and pupils in
  the picture.
• We offer the chance to resit Yr 10 modules at the
  end of Yr 11.
• We put on revision classes.
• We give written feedback in exercise books and go
  through past papers in class.

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What support can you give?

• Encourage your sons/daughters to do their best
  with their homework. Ask if you can help.
• Ask your sons/daughters about their work. You
  could help with presentation, spelling and by
  checking it is complete.
• Talk to your sons/daughters about revision for
  exams. You can help them to
• a) plan their exam revision
• b) manage study time better
• c) stay focused.

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What can students do?

• Read through the revision guides.
• Ask if they are unsure.
• Use the school library/ internet facilities.
• Attend revision classes
• Visit the SAM learning website or school website
  or AQA website (www.aqa.org.uk) This latter
  resource has lots of past papers and mark
  schemes.