This week:
Meeting on Tues
3.15 – 4.15
C26
Agenda:
- Department Review feedback (TBO / AW)
- SIP / SEF
- Year 11 2010
- AOB
Year 11 Mock Exams on Mon and Weds (period 3 and 4).
Year 11 Issues
Thanks to Pat for the feedback on the standardising process on Friday. I have the booklets and will distribute them this week. I have also used the AQA Enhanced Results Analysis service to gather more data on the performance of our students from last year; it’s not quite finished as I need some FFT data, but it’s more or less done. Could year 11 teachers please have a look at the document, which has some interesting data relating to our students’ performance on specific questions and parts of the paper. Some points in particular:
- Higher Tier performance was considerably stronger than Foundation, when compared with similar schools nationally
- Boys performed similarly to girls in Paper 2, but significantly worse in Paper 2
- Our coursework received lower grades than similar schools nationally
- The two AOs for writing which achieved lower marks were:
o AO3 (i) communicate clearly and imaginatively, using and adapting forms for different readers and purposes
o AO3 (ii) organise ideas into sentences, paragraphs and whole texts using a variety of linguistic and structural features
If you would like to know how to complete this detailed, question by question analysis for your own class, see me and I’ll show you how.
I have sent around some resources on this – a document from the QCDA which has some really useful practical approaches to teaching writing for GCSE, and an AO grid for the writing sections of the exam.
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Sunday, 15 November 2009
Bulletin 16th November
This week:
Year 12 PCE on Thurs
Year 13 Reports to be completed this week (see guidance from TLa)
PTo out on Friday at GCSE meeting
GCSE Issues
You may have noticed that we are not asked to complete the marking of the standardising booklet this year - instead, Pat will attend the meeting and report back.
I attended the HODs training on the new GCSEs on Thursday, and saw presentations from each of the exam boards. I will collate this information and summarise for the department in a meeting early next year, at which point we will have to make a decision as to which specification we prefer and start planning!
Year 9 Work Scrutiny
Thanks to all for providing work for the work scrutiny of year 9. It was a heart-warming experience to look through and see such excellent work from students and from staff - I'll get the overview back to you this week.
Have a good one!
Tom
Year 12 PCE on Thurs
Year 13 Reports to be completed this week (see guidance from TLa)
PTo out on Friday at GCSE meeting
GCSE Issues
You may have noticed that we are not asked to complete the marking of the standardising booklet this year - instead, Pat will attend the meeting and report back.
I attended the HODs training on the new GCSEs on Thursday, and saw presentations from each of the exam boards. I will collate this information and summarise for the department in a meeting early next year, at which point we will have to make a decision as to which specification we prefer and start planning!
Year 9 Work Scrutiny
Thanks to all for providing work for the work scrutiny of year 9. It was a heart-warming experience to look through and see such excellent work from students and from staff - I'll get the overview back to you this week.
Have a good one!
Tom
Friday, 6 November 2009
Bulletin - 9th November
This week - reports for Year 13 and year 8 are available on SERCO.
TBo out on Thurs at HODs conference (finding out about the new GCSE syllabi)
Department Review
Sincere thanks to all for the efforts that went into review week. I hope that colleagues found the opportunity to reflect on and discuss lessons useful. Two things are happening this week:
- We will conduct a work scrutiny of year 9 books and folders. Therefore, could I ask year 9 teachers to provide me with the books and work folders for three students from your class - one should be high ability, one middle and one low. I need to collect these on Wednesday please.
- AW and I will meet this week to put together the formal feedback
Finally, there will be feedback to the department at the next meeting, at which point staff will have the opportunity to discuss how we found the process and how it could be improved.
Year 11 Mocks
Mocks are on the 23rd and 25th November. Could I ask year 11 teachers to send me confirmation of which tier they'd like their classes to do. If there are different tiers within the class, could you let me know who entered for which tier. Thanks.
Serco Bulletin
Just a reminder to keep checking the SERCO bulletin as the main source of whole-school communication.
KS3 Assessment
I'll email a copy of the success criteria for KS3 around this week. They are very much a first draft, but please be explicit with your KS3 classes in terms of the skills that are being addressed in each unit, and how they show progress / success.
Have a great week everyone,
Tom
TBo out on Thurs at HODs conference (finding out about the new GCSE syllabi)
Department Review
Sincere thanks to all for the efforts that went into review week. I hope that colleagues found the opportunity to reflect on and discuss lessons useful. Two things are happening this week:
- We will conduct a work scrutiny of year 9 books and folders. Therefore, could I ask year 9 teachers to provide me with the books and work folders for three students from your class - one should be high ability, one middle and one low. I need to collect these on Wednesday please.
- AW and I will meet this week to put together the formal feedback
Finally, there will be feedback to the department at the next meeting, at which point staff will have the opportunity to discuss how we found the process and how it could be improved.
Year 11 Mocks
Mocks are on the 23rd and 25th November. Could I ask year 11 teachers to send me confirmation of which tier they'd like their classes to do. If there are different tiers within the class, could you let me know who entered for which tier. Thanks.
Serco Bulletin
Just a reminder to keep checking the SERCO bulletin as the main source of whole-school communication.
KS3 Assessment
I'll email a copy of the success criteria for KS3 around this week. They are very much a first draft, but please be explicit with your KS3 classes in terms of the skills that are being addressed in each unit, and how they show progress / success.
Have a great week everyone,
Tom
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Bulletin - 2nd November
This week:
Welcome back everyone and I hope you've enjoyed the break. Loads going on this term, notably the department review, year 11 mocks, Secret Santa etc... have a good one!
Department Review 2009/10
I hope that the procedures for the department review are clear to everyone. I have updated the overview sheet from last year and emailed it around to staff, but please get in touch if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks to Pat for emailing the lesson planning sheet around.
Meeting: although this is a calendered HODs' meeting, it is expected (and factored into our directed time) that the rest of the department will meet during these slots. Therefore, there will be a meeting on Tuesday after school in Liz's room. On this occasion, Hugh has asked that all staff discuss and feedback on the questions listed in the agenda, in order to contribute towards the development of a whole school learning policy.
Department meeting this week:
C26
3.15 - 4.15
Agenda:
Welcome back everyone and I hope you've enjoyed the break. Loads going on this term, notably the department review, year 11 mocks, Secret Santa etc... have a good one!
Department Review 2009/10
I hope that the procedures for the department review are clear to everyone. I have updated the overview sheet from last year and emailed it around to staff, but please get in touch if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks to Pat for emailing the lesson planning sheet around.
Meeting: although this is a calendered HODs' meeting, it is expected (and factored into our directed time) that the rest of the department will meet during these slots. Therefore, there will be a meeting on Tuesday after school in Liz's room. On this occasion, Hugh has asked that all staff discuss and feedback on the questions listed in the agenda, in order to contribute towards the development of a whole school learning policy.
Department meeting this week:
C26
3.15 - 4.15
Agenda:
1) Creating a Language of Learning
3 Key Questions:
What does a good lesson look like?
What expectations do we want from our teachers?
What expectations do we want from our students?
2) AFL - monitoring and development
Have a wonderful week everyone!
Tom
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