There are some very important pieces of information included in this mailing which I ask you to read very carefully.
These include:
- Information about your child’s Year 11 Progress Report
- Information about study leave, revision and the lead up to the GCSE Examinations
Your child’s Year 11 Progress Report
Throughout Year 11, your child has been attached to a Learning Mentor to review the progress being made across all subjects and to set targets. All subject teachers have provided the Learning Mentor with up to date assessment information, a target grade and an effort grade. To date, five meetings have taken place and the Learning Mentor has written a report summarising their thoughts about your child’s performance so far. The report is included with this letter.
Whilst the Mentoring programme has been time consuming, we are optimistic that it will have a significantly positive impact upon performance and will secure improved GCSE Examination results for all students.
All years in your child’s education are important but particularly so for Year 11 as it is the final year of study for GCSE qualifications.
It is extremely important that both you and your child read the comments made by the Mentor and act upon the advice given. Naturally, in the lead up to the final GCSE examinations, it is essential that all students work hard and meet the assigned deadlines for any work that is set, particularly coursework or controlled assessment, and that it is of the highest quality.
Parents can help in a number of ways, even at this stage, by:
- Ensuring good attendance and punctuality at the college.
- Ensuring that homework and any coursework done meets the appropriate deadlines.
- Ensuring that a high level of revision is being carried out in the lead up to any examination being taken.
- Ensuring that study leave is used for that purpose (further information on dates is outlined later in my letter).
- Encouraging your child to work hard and do well in all of their subjects.
Revision for Examinations and Study Leave
In the weeks before the GCSE examinations, all subjects will be revising work in preparation for the individual subject examinations; this will be done in a systematic way covering the required material and subject topics.
It is however, absolutely essential that students spend their own time at home carrying out individual revision and answering past examination questions to give them essential practice and the best possible preparation for the actual examination. Please encourage this, it is essential that some revision is done every evening, between one and two hours is appropriate.
Classes will carry on in all subjects until most core examinations have taken place. Study leave will commence on Monday 5th June 2017. From this date there is no compulsion to attend lessons. Up to this date we expect all students to attend all lessons to give them the best possible chance of success. Where lessons take place in subjects which have finished the examinations, then quiet revision for other subjects will take place.
It is essential that once study leave commences, and also during half term, students continue to revise for the subjects with examinations yet to take place, it is not an extended holiday. This is an important time for the students and it is essential that they make best use of the time leading to their final GCSE examinations and we ask for your help and support in this matter.
During study leave, it is important that once an examination has been completed the students leave the College site, no Year 11 students will be permitted to roam around the site between examinations as this is a distraction for other students who will remain in lessons. If students require a place to study, a room will be made available but it will be a quiet room specifically for revision purposes. Any Year 11 student causing a disruption or preventing other students from revising, will be asked to leave the premises.
Students who wish to see one of their teachers about revision material or to ask questions can do so; this can be arranged through the Key Stage 3/4 Office.
Disruptive Students
Some students, as I am sure you are well aware, do not take their studies seriously and can disrupt the learning of others. We will be writing to the parents of these students giving them an early study leave date so as to prevent this from happening. We want the lead up to examinations to be as smooth and positive as possible.
Support with Revision
To aid revision, we have published on our website a list of strategies available to students to support them. These include the PiXL Maths App and PiXL English Lit App along with information about revision plans, maintaining motivation and presentations previously shared with parents about the role they can play in supporting their child. The website also contains a revision schedule by department. http://www.clcc.college/curriculum/revision/
During the Examinations
It is imperative that students come to examinations properly equipped and with the correct uniform and attitude. Students will be asked to write in black ink for all examinations so should bring to each examination a black pen, pencil and ruler. Some Maths and Science examinations allow the use of a calculator; students will be told which examinations this applies to, so they should come prepared. Anyone violating examination procedure will be removed from the examination and reported to the examination board. Mobile telephones, smart watches and iPods, in particular, are causing concern. A mobile phone or other digital device sounding during an examination is deemed to be malpractice and the student responsible will be given zero marks for that particular examination. These are the rules stipulated by the examination board which we have to enforce. A copy of the exam regulations has been shared with students.
I want to make it clear that we cannot accept responsibility for mobile telephones. It will make life much easier if students do not bring them to college during the examination period.
I apologise for the formal tone of my letter but it is important that I put over the expectations of the examination board and the College.
Finally, it is essential during the next few months and following study leave, that students prepare well for each examination and I ask for your continued support in ensuring that good use is made of this time in preparing for examinations. I do wish all our students the very best of luck during this stressful period. The GCSE results will be available from the College site on Thursday 24th August from 9am. The results can only be issued to the students themselves; anyone collecting results on behalf of a student must have a letter signed by that student.
I would like to wish all students well for the next few months in their preparation for the GCSE examinations. This is a very important time for all and it should be used well in order for every student of the college to achieve their best.
Thank you for your co-operation and support.
With very best wishes.
Yours sincerely,
Mr J Sleath
Principal