Entry to Year 7 - Information for Parents Key Names: Mrs Elizabeth Batchelor - Head of the Secondary School Mr Darren Roth - Head of Key Stage Three Miss Karen Britcliffe - Head of Pastoral Care Groupings Students will be placed into four tutor groups in Year 7. These groups will be mixed ability. When forming groups, the Head of Key Stage Three will consult with the Headteacher of the Primary school and Year 6 tutors to be informed of any friendship issues. Registration, in form groups, begins at 09:00 daily. Punctuality is extremely important. Registration is compulsory and an essential time for providing students with information. Students will be taught PSHE, Drama, Art and Humanities in tutor groups. In all other subjects, excluding PE, students will be grouped according to ability. Data such as SATs results, reading and spelling ages and INCAS tests will be used to form initial groups. A review of groups will take place in the December of Year 7. Parents will be notified of any movements. Monitoring Students are tested regularly throughout the year to ensure that they stay on course to meet end-of-year targets. Half-termly Progress Check Tests take place in English, Mathematics, Science and Spanish, and termly tests in all other subjects. This information is shared termly via the parent portal. The Head of KS3 speaks to parents if there are serious concerns regarding achievement. If necessary, Individual Education Plans are established in Numeracy and Literacy. In October, Year 7 students sit Midyis tests online. Through the University of Durham, students verbal and non-verbal skills are assessed. This, along with the data mentioned above, enables the Secondary School to set end-of-year and end-of-key Stage targets for all students. Targets are made available to parents via the parent portal. Students are tested in all subjects at the end of each academic year through end-of-year examinations.
Assessment Students are assessed according to National Curriculum Levels. Further information regarding this can be found at the end of this document. Behaviour The Secondary School has a strict code of conduct which all students are expected to follow. This can be found in homework diaries. Behaviour issues are addressed by the Head of Pastoral Care (Miss Britcliffe) and, if necessary, the Headteacher. Homework In Year 7 students are set two pieces of homework a day. On average, students are expected to spend 25 minutes per piece of homework. Further guidance can be found in the homework diary. Homework Diary This is an essential tool for students, parents and teachers. All homework should be recorded in the diary and checked daily by parents. Form tutors will also monitor the diary. Parents and teachers should use the diary as a means of communication. Absences, concerns etc. should be written in the diary and shown to the form tutor, who will organise the necessary response or action. Students will be issued with lockers to avoid having to carry all books around at all times. However, they must ensure that all necessary books for homework, study etc, are taken home. Parents should encourage students, using the timetable in the diary, to organise and pack bags the night before school. Transition To support the transition from Year 6 to Year 7, students are supported in a variety of ways: A student consultation group is set up to explore any worries or concerns A transition week takes place in the summer term. This enables students to get to know the new building, times of day, subjects and staff of the Secondary School. The aim is to make sure that students feel excited about the prospect of moving into the Secondary School in September. On the first day of school in September, the Head of Key Stage Three, Mr Roth, meets with all Year 7 students to remind them of expectations and to support them as they enter the Secondary School. Students will then spend time with their new Form Tutors who give out timetables, homework diaries etc. Students have to choose between French and German. To support them in this choice, members of the language department teach lessons in both languages for a period of four weeks to Year 6 students in the summer term. Choices are made following the transition week.
Parental Concerns General concerns should be expressed through the homework diaries to the form tutor. More serious behavioural concerns should be made to Miss Britcliffe, Head of Pastoral Care, and academic to Mr Roth. Attendance Research shows that attendance has a significant impact on achievement. The school will write to parents if attendance falls below an acceptable level. Absence for medical reasons can be authorised by form tutors. A note should be provided in homework diaries. For non-medical absence, permission must be sought from the Head teacher of the Secondary School. Assessment and the National Curriculum The National Curriculum sets out the stages and core subjects your child will be taught during their time at school. Children aged five to 16 in British International Schools should be taught the National Curriculum. The National Curriculum is a framework used by schools to ensure that teaching and learning is balanced and consistent. It sets out: the subjects taught the knowledge, skills and understanding required in each subject standards or attainment targets in each subject - teachers can use these to measure your child's progress and plan the next steps in their learning how your child's progress is assessed and reported Within the framework of the National Curriculum, schools are free to plan and organise teaching and learning in the way that best meets the needs of their pupils. Programmes of study For each National Curriculum subject, there is a programme of study. The programmes of study describe the subject knowledge, skills and understanding pupils are expected to develop during each key stage. Assessing Progress The table below shows which level average children should be achieving in each year group. With the exception of Years 2, 6 and 9, these are general expectations because few children develop at an even pace. The letter beside the number is used to split each whole level up into three smaller sections to tell you exactly whereabouts your child attained within the whole level. For example Level 3a is a high level three, 3b is a mid-level three and 3c is just in level three.
Year Group Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Average Level 1b 2b 2a/3c 3b 3a/4c 4b 4a/5c 5b 5a/6c
Evaluación en el Currículum del Reino Unido El currículo Británico establece los niveles y asignaturas fundamentales que su hijo/a estudiará durante su etapa escolar. Los niños entre 5 y 16 años de Centros Internacionales Británicos deben seguir este currículum que es el marco de referencia que utilizan los colegios para asegurarse que la enseñanza y el aprendizaje es equilibrado y consistente. Dicho marco establece lo siguiente: Asignaturas. El conocimiento, habilidades y estrategias requeridas en cada asignatura. Niveles de evaluación para cada asignatura, que los profesores usarán para evaluar el progreso de los alumnos y planificar los pasos a seguir. Cómo evaluar e informar el progreso de su hijo. Dentro de estas líneas generales el colegio dispone de la libertad para organizar la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de la forma que estime más conveniente. Programas de la asignatura Cada asignatura del Currículo Británico tiene sus correspondientes contenidos, habilidades y herramientas que deben adquirir durante este ciclo. Evaluación del progreso La tabla que se encuentra a continuación muestra el nivel medio que un niño debería alcanzar al final de cada curso. A excepción de los Year 2, 6, y 9, éstas son expectativas genéricas pues pocos niños progresan al ritmo de la media. La letra que acompaña a cada número establece sus niveles dentro del nivel general. Por ejemplo el nivel 3a es nivel 3 superior al 3b y al 3c. Curso Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Nivel medio 1b 2b 2a/3c 3b 3a/4c 4b 4a/5c 5b 5a/6c
KS3 Assessment Year 7 National Curriculum Levels to Grades National Curriculum Level Probable IGCSE Grade 2a E 3c D/E 3b D 3a D 4c C 4b C 4a C 5c B 5b B 5a B 6c A 6b A* 6a A*