Court Fields School Achieve | Belong | Participate Mantle Street WELLINGTON Somerset TA21 8SW
Tel: 01823 664201 Fax: 01823 660812
[email protected] www.courtfields.net https://twitter.com/CourtFieldsSch
Headteacher: Ms R Bennett
Executive Head: Mrs TWITTER S Watson
20 March 2015
Dear Parent/Carer As you will know from reports in the media, there have been very many significant changes announced in the last year or so in the way students are to be assessed at GCSE in the future. The first of these significant changes affects the students currently in Year 10 but this will continue for the next three years until all the changes are in place for the current Year 8. It is important that you are aware of how these will affect your child. The changes are these:
Current Year 10 students: progress will be measured across 8 subjects, instead of the current situation which has a focus on 5 GCSEs at grades A*-C including English and Maths. There is a national expectation that all students will take English Language and English Literature, Maths, Science, then at least one subject from a Language to History or Geography or Computing.
Current Year 9 students will sit the new GCSE specifications in English and Maths. These GCSEs will be graded 1 – 9 instead of the current A* to G. Grade 9 is going to be more difficult than the current A*, so it is important that teachers understand the increased requirements to ensure that those students who have the potential, achieve the new Grade 9. o
In Maths the content is considerably more demanding for all students.
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English will not have tiers of entry so there will no longer be a Foundation and Higher paper, but the same paper will be taken by all students regardless of ability in English. All students will sit the exams at the end of Year 11. Teaching for these new specifications must begin in September 2015.
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The grading system, 1-9 changes from the existing G-A*. Currently the benchmark for progressing onto A levels is usually a grade C and in some subjects and colleges, a grade B is required. There is no clear equivalent. A current C+/B- seems to equate with a grade 5 and we think this will be the new benchmark but all exams are increasing in difficulty so, whilst the numerical value may be equivalent, we think it will be harder to achieve. Our intention is obviously to work with as many students as we can to secure the new grade 5. We are working closely with Richard Huish College (RHC) to ensure that students are prepared for this transition.
The Castle Partnership Trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales number 07657731. An exempt charity. Registered office: Wellington Rd, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 5AU.
Current Year 8 students - and younger: o
There will be new specifications in all subjects, with the exception of Design Technology which has been postponed to allow the government more time to consult. These will all be graded 1 – 9. There will be no early entry opportunities and no tiered papers unlike now where we can enter students for foundation and higher papers. There will be reduced coursework or controlled conditions and all exams will be at the end of Year 11 only.
As you can imagine, each subject needs to work out how the changes are going to affect your son/daughter and to amend their schemes of work so that we begin preparing students from Year 7. Of course there are also changes in the primary phase and a new commission has just been set up to establish exactly how progress will be measured for Year 5 students. We will be working with our primary partners to agree a way of ensuring that students make a good transfer from primary to secondary. We have been very concerned about how to manage this and to ensure that teachers are fully immersed in the changes to the GCSEs. As a result of considerable discussion, governors have decided that the school will have an additional INSET day this year to give teachers time to work together and design the new curriculum, schemes of learning and create resources for our students so that they continue to achieve well and are successful. This not a decision lightly taken as we know some parents may have to take a day off work and the impact this can have on families. Therefore, I will make sure that we have supervision available for families who would find that difficult. If this is something you would like to take advantage of, please do get in touch with the school office so we can ensure we have sufficient staff supervising. We have decided to use Monday 29 June 2015 for the additional INSET day, as this may enable families to enjoy a longer weekend and take advantage of that to go away. I would also like to take this opportunity to inform you of our revised Behaviour Policy. This is available on our website. Students have been informed of the changes this week during assembly. The key change is that students who persist in disrupting teaching and learning and/or persist with inappropriate behaviour may receive a fixed term exclusion. Finally, on 27th March we will be launching our ‘Parent Bulletin’ which will provide you with weekly dates and key messages which will be on our website and emailed to you so that you can keep up to date at a glance. Thank you to our Parent Forum who made this suggestion. Please do read our half termly Newsletter which will be on our website by Monday 23rd March. Yours sincerely
MS R BENNETT Headteacher
MRS S NAYLOR Chair of Governors