GCSE Briefing
December 2014
English iGCSE
Key Dates
Assignment 1 Descriptive Writing: Deadline 5th November 2014
Assignment 2 Persuasive Writing: deadline 19th December 2014
Exam date: 5 May 2015
What have the GCSE English students been learning this term?
Descriptive writing techniques
including imagery, expanded vocabulary etc
reading and analysing descriptive texts
Argumentative/persuasive texts
including rhetorical question, emotive language etc
reading and analysing newspaper articles and other persuasive text
How to improve sentence structure, tenses, general grammar, punctuation, spelling
Planning and organising written work
How to structure text including paragraphs
How to assess and grade texts to IGCSE standards
Homework this term
Students have had to submit a draft of their persuasive writing. The deadline for this was November 28th. At the end of the course we need to submit a portfolio consisting of three finished pieces of coursework and a sample draft of one of their pieces.
The homework this year has included drafting coursework, students are also expected to do some self study on BBC Skillswise and BBC Bitesize to review topics that they are struggling with.
Homework over the Christmas Break
There will be an optional second assignment set for students over Christmas for students looking to improve their grade
Students will also be expected to complete a test paper so that they are familiar with the exam.
SOL can be found here:
Proposed timetable for next year can be found here:
iGCSE English Google Community
401 learners (including some iGCSE English Staff) have now joined the iGCSE English Google Community. Learners have access to a wealth of resources, via this community, in order to help them continue their learning. Please remind iGCSE English learners to activate their Google+ Profiles (if they haven’t done so already) and join the iGCSE English 2014-2015 Google Community. Learners should be directed to the E-Learning Team in B2 or B100 if they have any issues with this.
iGCSE English Learning Resource Folder (via Google Drive)
This folder has been created in order to complement what the learners learn, during lessons, and also to help iGCSE English learners to catch-up at home. Please, in particular, direct infil learners to this resource bank. They cannot edit any of the resources, inside the folder, but learners can make copies of resources (or download them) if they wish to edit. The link to the folder is as follows: https://drive.google.com/a/i.reading-college.ac.uk/folderview?id=0B1swAtpZWxs2b1JhRVpKOU9DY0E&usp=sharing
Student Handbook
The iGCSE English Student Handbook can be accessed via https://docs.google.com/a/i.reading-college.ac.uk/document/d/1PmHItkDpH_J89QdbtwEfeUGVE079UD_dogc50RMx_sM/edit?usp=sharing and learners are reminded that they should dedicate up to 3 hours study time, per week, to this qualification. This is in addition to the 1.5 hour weekly tuition time, during lessons.
Maths GCSE
Key Dates
Mock exams, midterm assessments and diagnostic
( we are aiming for the specified weeks but depending on groups it might be a week later, please confirm with individual tutors)
w/c 9.02.15 Midterm assessment of Unit 3
w/c 9.03.15 Mock Unit 3
w/c 16.03.15 Diagnostic Unit 1
w/c 13.04.15 Midterm assessment Unit 1
w/c 11.05.15 Mock Unit 1
Exam dates:
04.06.15 Unit 2
08.06.15 Unit 3
11.06.15 Unit 1
Lessons are commencing between exams!
What have the GCSE Maths students been learning this term?
Unit 2 Numbers and Algebra
Number Skills
Multiples,factors, powers and roots
Basic rules of algebra
Fractions
Decimals
Equations and inequalities
Indices and formulae
Percentages
Sequence and proof
Coordinates and linear graphs
Equipment
Students need to bring after Christmas
Calculators - mobile phones are not allowed in the exam! Ideally scientific calculator but any will do
Ruler, protractor, compass, pencil, rubber
Paper and pen
Homework this term
Students have been set homework on my maths, via worksheets,Review exercises after each chapter, flip classroom learning
(apart from mature students it has not been very successful as the students don’t seem to see the necessity)
Homework over the Christmas Break
Proposed timetable for next year can be found here:
GCSE Maths Google Community
Learners have access to a wealth of resources, via this community, in order to help them continue their learning. Please remind GCSE Maths learners to activate their Google+ Profiles (if they haven’t done so already) and join the GCSE Maths 2014-2015 Google Community. Learners should be directed to the E-Learning Team in B2 or B100 if they have any issues with this.
My Maths
My Maths is used for homework and additional independent study.
www.mymaths.co.uk/
GCSE Maths google site
All students are expected to access this site which contains the course handbook and resources.
https://sites.google.com/a/i.reading-college.ac.uk/gcse-maths-foundation/home.
GCSE Maths Learning Resource Folder (via Google Drive)
This folder has been created in order to complement what the learners learn, during lessons, and also to help GCSE Maths learners to catch-up at home.
All learners are expected to spend up to 3 hours study time, per week, to this qualification. This is in addition to the 3 hour weekly tuition time during lessons.