Y7 Parent Information Evening8th October 2013

Jersey College for Girls

• Introduction - Mrs S Smith (Head of Key Stage 3)• English – Mr Milner (Teacher of English)• Maths – Mrs K Watkins (Key Stage 3 Co-ordinator)• Science – Miss R Lea (Head of Science Faculty)• French – Mrs M Taylor (Key Stage 3 Co-ordinator)• Challenge Curriculum – Mr S Milner – Co-ordinator• Learner Profile, Subject Reporting, Academic

Mentoring, homework, safeguarding – Mr P Marett (Assistant Headteacher)

Outline of evening

Please note: This presentation will be placed on our website so please don’t feel you need to

make copious notes.

English

Topics Covered• Imaginative Writing• Spelling Strategies• Persuasive speeches• Reading for meaning – a novel or a

play• Writing formal and informal letters• Greek Myths Project

Homework

• The homework will normally be 30mins and usually set by the teacher who has the class for the majority of the time. From time to time your daughter will take longer to complete the task set, if, for example, she is drafting an essay.

• Students will usually have a week to complete the homework unless otherwise agreed with the teacher.

Assessment

• 6 core tasks which all Y7 complete• Variety of other tasks set by

teachers• National Curriculum levels used• Class portfolios help students to

follow progress and set personal targets.

• There will be no setting in KS3 English.

Maths - What the girls study

At Key Stage 3, we develop further all the areas the girls studied at Key Stage 2 and extend our understanding of the maths world by learning about algebra and about more complex calculations and number forms.

• Algebra• Numbers and the number system• Calculating• Using and applying mathematics• Shape, space and measure• Handling Data

Becoming a Mathematician

Learning in Maths is about solving problems and using key processes such as:

• reasoning and developing mathematical arguments.

• looking for patterns and relationships between numbers

• communicating and presenting maths using words and diagrams

Groupings• Split into 2 populations• Grouped by Key Stage 2 levels and Y5

CAT’s results.• Movements between sets can occur and

all classes will have a degree of challenge and consolidation.

Maths Class Targets for end of Y7(+2 sublevels from EOY 6)

7MA1 6a/6b/6c7MA2 6b/6c7MA3 5a/5b/5c

7MA4 6a/6b/6c7MA5 6c/5a/5b/5c

Assessments

• There are 4 assessments points throughout the year:November, January, March and June

• End of year exam will assess a variety of material from the National Curriculum as well as the students ability to apply their knowledge to solving problems.

• Results from the tests well we stuck in the front of your daughters exercise books.

How to help my daughter?

• Encourage your daughter to have a go.• Ensure she re-reads her notes or text book. • Emphasise the need to show workings.• Be prepared – must have a scientific

calculator and geometry set• Attend Maths clinic – Friday 1.20 in R12• www.mymaths.co.uk

logon: jersey password: parallelstudents all have individual logins and password.

The Sciences• Science is taught as separate

Sciences: Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

• One lesson per week of each Science.

• Students are not set.

The Sciences• Taught by subject specialist.• ICT

–Throughout the year plenty of opportunities to use develop ICT skills and be creative.

–eBooks, video, video screen casts, research.

Biology

•Three topics–Cells–Reproduction–Variation and Classification.

Biology

• Assessments– Three levelled tasks, one for each

unit.– Completed in class– Each assessment has a specific task.

•e.g. Reproduction•Produce a diary of foetus development

Chemistry

• Five topics– How to spot a chemical reaction?– The Periodic Table– Atomic Structure – Why do elements

react?– Acids, Alkalis and neutralisation– Fuels

Chemistry

• Assessments–Practical skills levelled assessment (focus on observation and interpretation)

–Levelled Test (focus on application rather than recall).

–Level ladder assessments (independent study task)

Physics

•Four topics–Energy–Space–Forces and Density–Electricity

Physics

• Assessments–Four levelled end of unit tests.–One Investigation ‘Pendulums’

•(research, planning, collecting data, interpretation and evaluation)

Year 7 French

TOPICS COVERED • numbers• introducing myself• my family• the sports and hobbies I like to do in my free time• describing myself – what I look like and what I am like• my school and what subjects I study• where I live• description of my home• the weather• food

Y7 French

HOMEWORK• 30 minutes per week- set on Monday

for Wednesday for Population A and set on Friday for Tuesday for Population B.

• One learning homework focusing on spelling of new words

• One writing or reading homework• How can you help your daughter?

Y7 French

NATIONAL CURRICULUM LEVELS- Slightly different to the other subjects - Students will mainly work towards a level 4 in

Year 7 and the maximum target is level 5C – for which students must be able to use two time frames

- Students will receive explanation sheets on levels and will be informed of the level of each piece of work, together with specific targets.

- Students will have a portfolio of their core tasks and assessments to inform their progress. These will be kept by their French teacher.

Y7 French

GROUPING - Your daughter sat an initial assessment during the first week of term and we have used this as a basis for our groupings for this half-term. The first formal assessment will take place after half-term but in the meantime all students will undertake core tasks which will enable their teachers to track their progress. Following each assessment we will review the groupings to ensure that students are placed appropriately.

Year 7 Challenge Curriculum

Year 7 Challenge Curriculum

Year 7 Challenge Curriculum

Year 7 Challenge Curriculum

What are we doing?• One lesson per week (Monday Period 2) delivered

by a team of 5 staff to teaching groups.• Introducing a framework (BLP) for thinking

about learning. • Planning learning-centered enrichment activities

(or ‘challenges’) which will encourage students to use all of their learning capacities more frequently, more skillfully and in a wider range of contexts.

• Guiding students through these varied challenges, from presenting television programmes and arranging a charity fair to undertaking independent research and reflecting on how learning capacities are being used and developed across all subjects.

Why are we doing it?To cultivate learners who:

• Are confident when facing challenge. • Are willing to take calculated risks. • Understand that ‘spoon-feeding’ does not and

cannot constitute meaningful learning. • Are tolerant of making mistakes.• Are self-conscious about themselves as

learners and understand that they can learn to learn more effectively.

• Are ready for their future as learners.

What have students said about it?

• “It makes our class feel more like a team.”• “We get to plan it, not the teachers.”• “I now see myself as a proper learner.” • “I have found all the learning capacities useful and they have

had a big impact on my learning as now I really understand what I am doing.”

• “I have become more organized and more independent as a result. I also found working with different people useful too.”

• “I think meta-learning has made me more aware of what works for me as a learner.”

• “It has made me more adventurous.”• “I found the most useful thing is learning how I learn so that • I can improve. It helps me learn better.”

‘Every school wants to do the best it can for all its children - to give them the best start in life, equip them with the educational skills to make the most of the learning opportunities available to them, and help them succeed in fulfilling their personal goals.’

(Guidance for Local Authorities on Setting Education Performance Targets - October 2008)

Peter Marett – Learner Profile, Tracking and Reporting,

Academic Mentoring, Safeguarding

What is the Learner Profile?

• It is a statement about your daughter as a learner.

• It tells your daughter and you about her effort, homework and participation.

• There are five Learner Profile statements carrying a score of 1-5.

• You will be able to compare Learner Profile scores in different subjects and work out an average overall.

Why do we have the Learner Profile?

• It is not about academic achievement. It is about what makes a good learner.

• It should be aspirational. Students won’t start with a top score but they should aspire to get there.

• A student with an excellent approach to learning, who does not always achieve top grades, will have her good qualities recognised and valued.

• It will help teachers to talk to each individual about how they can improve as a learner.

• We live in a dynamic, information-rich world where the ability to learn is more important than knowledge itself.

The Learner Profile descriptors …

and what they mean.

•Rarely motivated to learn and rarely completes tasks or meets deadlines. May distract others and may be inattentive. Commitment to learning is a serious cause for concern.

•Lots of room for improvement

5

•Commitment to learning is inconsistent. At times can struggle to meet deadlines. May lack focus and distract others.

•Effort needed to improve approach to learning

4

•Consistent approach to learning, completes tasks and meets deadlines. Attentive and participates when required.

•Approach to learning is very promising and moving in the right direction

3

• Independent and well-motivated learner. Works hard and takes responsibility for own progress. Shows an interest in the subject and involves themselves in lessons. Helpful and considerate towards others and has a positive influence on the learning of the class.

• Responsible learner who works well

2

• An exceptional learner who is enthusiastic, committed, highly motivated and hardworking. An independent, rigorous and imaginative thinker with well developed learning skills. Works extremely well with others and contributes substantially to the progress of the class.

• Notably outstanding approach to learning

1

Overview

• Learner Profiles scores are not about ability or achievement in a subject.

• We expect few Learner Profile Scores of 1 or 5.

• We expect many of our students to receive a Learner Profile 3 but would hope that they aspire to improve and that they actively find out how to do so.

What now?• Your daughter should learn about

the Learner Profile in an assembly and from her tutor in due course

• Please talk about the Learner Profile descriptors with your daughter and refer to them when you receive subject reports.

• Help her to aspire to be an excellent learner.

Tracking and reporting

We must:• ensure that students make the best

progress possible.• track student progress throughout their

time at JCG.• supply information obtained to students,

parents and colleagues.• Take action and give support to students in

order for them to further their learning.

Main tracking and reporting moments

• Periodic Report• Periodic Report and Parent Evening• Full Report

Terminology we use

• Target Level (National Curriculum) (NC)

Targets are set using baseline testing like CATS, baseline levels provided by primary schools, performance so far and professional judgement. We encourage colleagues to be optimistic but realistic.

• Current level (where the student is now)

• Performance +-O (are they on track to exceed target, achieve

target or not meet target grade/level)

• Learner Profile score

Periodic Reports

• Target Level*• Current Level• Performance +-0• Learner Profile Score

• *Please ensure you have the handout explaining National Curriculum Levels

• *Note – variation in levels and some subjects or skills within subjects are quite new in Year 7 and this can affect the level at this stage

Parent Evenings

• Appointment with subject teacher• Parent Evening Booking System

Full Reports

• Target Level• Current Level• Performance+-0• Learner Profile Score• Teacher Comment

Year 7 dates

• 4th or 11th November - Meet the tutor – progress so far. Mostly about settling. A letter of invitation will be posted shortly with the CATS results

• 10th January – Periodic reports posted• 3rd February - Parent Evening• 4th April – Periodic reports posted

• 4th July – Full reports posted

CATs Results

• These will be posted shortly and should be with you early next week

• The accompanying letter does explain what they mean

• CATs = Cognative Abilities Tests. Your daughters have taken test split into three batteries:

1. Verbal reasoning (thinking with words)2. Quantitative (thinking with numbers)3. Non-verbal (thinking with shapes and space)

CATs and our approach• We use CATs as just one indicator, together with Key

Stage 2 levels, and other internal assessments and class performance to help us to set individual targets

• From CATs results, we may identify some areas where students need help and we would let you know if that were the case

• We are aware that there is often a dip in CATs results in Year 7. This may be due to a change of environment and students feeling less confident at the beginning of Year 7. We do not worry about this and we ask that you do not either.

• There is a tolerance so the marks can vary from Year 5 to Year 7 and Year 9.

• In our current Year 12 some students with lower CATs scores have achieved all A* and A in their GCSEs so it is

important to bear this in mind.

Academic Mentoring• Each student receives individual help,

support and guidance to fulfil the aim of the College to create an environment which enables everyone to perform at their best.

• It is an opportunity to have a focused conversation about learning with teachers.

Academic Mentoring

Why do it?

• Students to have high expectations and be empowered to achieve successful learning outcomes.

• Students to feel valued and realise that there is somebody available whose role it is to know them well and support them in their learning.

• Students to be self-confident and take on more responsibility for their own learning.

Academic Mentoring

What should you expect?

• Student to have two formal academic mentoring sessions with her tutor. These take place at appropriate times – Y7 – October and June

• 1 session with their buddy in January• Conversation - progress with her learning

and areas for improvement. • Setting of specific and achievable targets.• Similar discussions with her subject

teachers and setting of subject-specific targets.

What is your role?

• As a parent you should ask your daughter about her learning and ask her to share the targets that she has noted in her planner.

• Review targets set and encourage and support her to achieve them.

Homework

• Expectations• Limits• Your support

Safeguarding•I am the designated teacher for Child Protection but …

•Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility

•I work with the Education Welfare Officer

•Any intervention is supportive and non-threatening

•If your daughter is unwell and needs to be collected from school …

Jersey College for Girls

• Aspire… to be the best learner possible by using the

Learner Profile.• Inquire… by asking questions and engaging in

learning• Excel… by achieving the best grades they can• Belong…by being known through academic

mentoring sessions

Any queries, please feel free to contact me:

p.marett@jcg.sch.je