Year 10

Year Leader: Mr C Damant

 Year 10 marks the start of GCSE courses across all subjects and therefore a change in emphasis in indiviual study. Pupils will be expected to make a greater effort to manage their own learning and the demands upon them are therefore much increased. The Year Leader's additional role in  year 10 is to support pupils through this transition, maintain an overview to monitor their academic progress and put in place intervention strategies eg daily pupil report, as necessary. The recognition of achievements continues to play an important part of the Year Leader's role as does maintaining a positive and mutually supportive relationship with the parents of the year group.

 

Following the curriculum evening held before half term the following documents and powerpoints which will hopefully be helpful to all year 10 parents are being made available to you. There is a year 10 controlled assessment calendar. This is, by the nature of controlled assessments, as accurate as we can currently make it, but there might be some movement, particularly with the English controlled assessments, but only by days, or a week at most, according to individual teacher circumstances. There is also the powerpoint I delivered to parents, and two powerpoints that Mrs Mellor delivered to parents which help explain my approach for the following two years and gives you some more detailed information on controlled assessments and pathways for the pupils beyond GCSEs. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to email me at cdamant@westgate.hants.sch.uk .

What are they going to study?

For the first time in their school career they will be studying subjects that they will have chosen, through the options programme in year 9, alongside a core curriculum of English, Maths, Science and PSHE. This means that most pupils will have the opportunity to sit examinations in at least 8 GCSEs in Year 11 –  even more for some depending upon the courses selected.  

What will be the challenges for the year?

The major difference, and the greatest challenge for many of them, is that coursework and home learning may extend over weeks rather than days.

  • This means that they will have to plan carefully to meet deadlines which, in many cases, will have been set by the exam board and are therefore not negotiable!
  • If they assume that all work set in year 10 counts towards your GCSE final grade you will not go far wrong.
  • Some subjects have GCSE examinations in year 10 as well as year 11 eg Applied Science and Modular Maths so, remind their parents that holidays during term time in year 10 are not a good idea at all:  a lesson missed is unlikely to be repeated!
  • If they do miss a lesson through illness they will now be expected to catch up the work without reminders – they are now expected to take responsibility for their own learning  

So – work as hard as they can from the start of year 10 and they will achieve their targets – leave it to year 11 to start making an effort and they won’t; it’s as simple as that!   If they have any problems tell their tutor early so help can be given – good luck!

College Information

Peter Symonds College Open Evening 12th July, 6.00 - 9.00 pm

 

Basingstoke College Of Technology Information Evening  Thursday 12th May,  6.00-8.00pm