The single most requested training I get from MFL teachers relates to listening skills. Colleagues often feel this is the most difficult skill to prepare pupils for, possibly because it is easy to misunderstand the myriad of micro-skills that make up “listening”. For pupils it is also difficult: it often triggers anxiety and leads to […]
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What to expect during the GCSE years and how to support your child If you have a child about to embark on their ‘GCSE journey’, there are probably any number of questions spinning around your mind. Aside from the obvious one (which is “where has all the time gone? It only seems like yesterday they […]
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This summer saw the first sitting of the new-style GCSE Science courses. When results day rolled round, many teachers were surprised when Ofqual stepped in to ensure that higher tier students who weren’t able to achieve a 4-3, the lowest grade expected to be awarded for the tier, could be awarded a 3-3 rather than […]
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As we begin the second year of new specifications, it feels as though the attention of many geography departments is once again focused on Key Stage 3, reflecting upon the change required here in order to best prepare our students for what we now know lies ahead. One of the biggest challenges I have found […]
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During the spring term we decided as a department to develop a Scheme of Work that would prepare our Year 9 students more effectively for the demands of the new GCSE course. We delivered the lessons around the time of options choices to give the students a realistic idea of what GCSE geography would be […]
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I often wonder how geography students in Years 7, 8 and 9 are able to grasp different scales let alone the interplay between geographical themes which they will explore further at GCSE and A level. In my attempts to support learning and, in particular, written work at Key Stage 3, I am acutely aware of […]
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