Y11/C25: What’s on our plate w/b 17th April

We’ve kicked off the new term with Y11 students heading straight into their Art exam. Next week, Spanish students have their Speaking exam, and we then begin the final countdown to the full GCSE exam window.

We are going to keep you up to date with all our important information/reminders/messages leading up to the exams by publishing our weekly ‘what’s on our plate’ (WOOP) briefing. This is shared with students during Monday’s Crew session.

Year 11 Extended Study Support Sessions

Dear Families of students in Year 11,

Further to the Spring Newsletter which you will have received earlier in the year, please find the attached letter which details some additions to our current offer of Extended Study and study support. This will come into effect fully after next weeks mock exams and leading up to the start of the summer GCSE examinations which begin during the next half term.

Best wishes,

Mr Voltaire

Y11 GCSE Revision Support

We would like to appreciate everyone who came to our GCSE Support evening. We hope you found the information useful and that you and your son/daughter feel more confident about where and how to access revision support for each subject.

We know there was a lot of information to take in on the night so we have attached the presentation for you to go through again in your own time.

As mentioned at the evening, the GCSE Revision Support website is now live with subject specific resources, links to Y11’s 2023 calendar, our current revision timetable and lots more information for students and parents. Please bear in mind that this is a work in progress with new links and information being added as we speak!

If you do have any more questions, here’s a reminder of who to contact (please include your child’s Crew Leader in any emails you send.)

Citizenship[email protected]
Spanish[email protected]
English[email protected]
Maths[email protected]
Science[email protected]
History[email protected]
BTEC Sport[email protected]
Art, Craft and Design[email protected]

If you have any other questions your feel weren’t covered in the presentation, please contact your child’s Crew Leader or Phase Lead: Angella Parker for XP East ([email protected]) and Mel Cocliff for XP ([email protected])

We’d also like to take this opportunity to say a massive ‘well done’ to all the Y11’s who have completed their Student Led Conferences over the past few weeks. This was their opportunity to reflect on their mock exam grades (which most did with honesty and integrity!) and discuss how they are going to keep focussed and motivated during the next few weeks leading up to exams.

Thank you all for your support.

Angella and Mel.

C25 (Y11) Fieldwork to Wabtec Rail

As part of Y11’s History course, we have a wonderful opportunity to visit the site of Wabtec in Doncaster – which was formerly Doncaster Plant Works – a massive part of our heritage! One of the history GCSE papers Y11 will sit is based around this local site and we’re really privileged to be able to visit the birth place of both The Mallard and the record breaking Flying Scotsman – where students will gain a real insight into the site’s significance, both locally and nationally.

ALL of E25 will be attending on Tuesday 24th January 2023. Explorer’s fieldwork will take place in the morning, leaving XP at 9:15am and returning at 11:30am. Explorer will be in sessions as normal in the afternoon.

Pioneer’s fieldwork will take place in the afternoon – leaving XP at 1:15pm and returning back to XPE for around 3:00pm. Pioneer will be in sessions as normal in the morning. 

Lunches should not be affected, but students may wish to bring a packed lunch. We have now secured a coach to transport us from XPE to Wabtec Rail.

If you have any questions/queries, please contact crew leaders, or the following:

Mrs Hannam – History Lead – at [email protected], or Miss Cocliff – X25 Phase Lead – at [email protected].

What a Wonderful Week for Crew Parkinson!

I am absolutely thrilled with the attitude that Crew have got now they’re in year 11 – everyone is 100% focused on the end goal and working really hard in sessions to achieve the best they can! It’s been great to know that many of crew are attending after school revision sessions and I’m hearing really positive things about their conduct from teachers. Keep this momentum going – I’m so pleased with you all and you deserve to do well after all the effort you’re putting in to your education. Everyone has already got at least one praise point so far and here’s just some of the praises for Dylan, Lacey, Bob, Callum and Toby have got since the start of term:

First Week Back: Crew Immersion

As Y7 and Y8 go off on their Outward Bound adventure, Y9, Y10 and Y11 will also spend the first week back with their crews undertaking various activities because, if we get Crew right, we get everything right 🙂

The plan for the week is above, and you will notice that it includes a coastal walk to Flamborough. Details of the coastal walk for each year group have been posted on separate blog posts:

Y9 (C27)

Y10 (C26)

Y11 (C25)

Crew Leaders will go through the kit list with crews before we break up.

If you have any questions, please contact your child’s Crew Leader.

#wearecrew

C25: Coastal Walk on 30th August

As ever, we will be kicking off our first week back at school by regrouping and rebooting Crew.

On the very first day back – Tuesday 30th August – our C25 (new Y11) students will be going on a coastal walk to Flamborough.

Students should arrive at school between 8am-8.15am so that we can leave at 8.30am.  We are aiming to be back at school by 3.30pm, but will keep you updated on the day.

All students will be expected to bring the Outdoor Kit listed below:

  • Appropriate rucksack for walking.
  • Packed lunch (those on FSM will be provided with a school pack lunch.)
  • Water bottle: approx 2 litres (no energy drinks, milkshakes or fizzy pop)
  • Waterproof jacket
  • Appropriate walking trousers/shorts/leggings for the weather.
  • Walking top/base layer; made from synthetic, man made material (polyester, nylon etc). This type of material removes sweat away from your skin keeping you cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather
  • Appropriate outdoor shoes (sturdy trainers, walking shoes or walking boots are compulsory – no open toe sandals, canvas shoes or sliders)
  • Sun hat/Sun cream
  • Medication

For further information or questions please email your child’s crew leader.

Thanks!

Year 10 History Revision

Just a quick notice to let all Y10 students and parents/carers know that History revision sessions will be resuming after the holidays, starting this Monday. 

We will be offering two nights of History revision: 

  • Monday 3.30 – 4.30pm in A06 (XP EAST) with Mrs Elliott & Miss Hickson
  • Tuesday 3.30 – 4.30pm in X11 (XP) with Mrs Elliott 

This is an excellent opportunity for students to embed their learning, to gain support, to practice exam technique and to push themselves further. It really is important that students are revising outside of lessons and this is perfect space to be able to do this successfully. 

Students are welcome to come to both sessions or just one. In these sessions we will be recapping GCSE content and applying this to exam questions as well as giving students time to self study areas which they feel they need further development. 

Y10 have made a fantastic start to their History GCSE and are working really hard in sessions. We now need to continue this hard work outside of the classroom, there is an expectation that students should now begin revising in their own time to embed the content already covered and prepare themselves for their GCSE exams. 

If you have any questions regarding extended study, please don’t hesitate to email Mrs Elliott ([email protected])

Looking forward to seeing you this week! 

Mrs Elliott / Miss Hickson 

Marvellous Mocks!

It seems like a lifetime ago when we first started to prepare for the Year 10 History mock exams and finally now the whole process is complete and I am really proud of how the students conducted themselves through the process. It all started after October half term with weekly revision being set and the start of after school revision classes – it was great to see so many students taking responsibility for their learning and putting in the effort to prepare for their exams. In our lessons we spent time going through exam technique and what to expect from each style of question and it was clear to see that this advice had been absorbed and acted upon. After the mocks had been marked, students spent their time FIXing the assessments, responding to feedback to improve their answers to the questions and I am confident that they will do themselves proud if they continue. It also highlighted the importance of revision, with some students who maybe didn’t put enough work in being disappointed by their result, I hope this acts as a lesson to learn from and not make these same mistakes as we continue through their GCSE content – as we keep saying, if you don’t know the content you can’t write an answer!

A massive well done to all students who achieved their target grade and a special mention to students who did exceptionally well: Lewis, Zach H, Harvey, Rosie, Mollie and Ava – we are so proud of you and all your hard work has paid off! Keep going and you’ll smash your final exams in year 11.

A reminder as well to keep revising using both the Nazi and Vikings textbooks and to attend the after school revision sessions on Monday and Tuesday with myself and Mrs Elliott.