Step Up to GCSE
As a GCSE student at Smithdon High School, your Key Stage 4 curriculum will begin in Year 10 and build on the prior foundations of a Knowledge Rich Curriculum begun in Key Stage 3.
Year 10 will end with a series of examinations to check where you are in relation to your academic potential. This is the first of three series of examinations that take place to inform and guide you leading up to your final GCSE exams. The feedback from each of these will allow your subject teachers to personalise your Year 11 curriculum. This means we will be able to use tutor time better to meet the needs of each and every one of you in preparation for your final GCSE examinations.
Included below are a range of resources that will support your revision during Years 10 and 11.
Timeline for years 10 and 11
This includes key dates for health checks, examination, reports and parents’ evenings. Please be aware that this document is subject to change.
Year 10
|
Term |
Date |
What is going on? |
|
Autumn Term |
9 October 2024 17 October 2024
3 December 2024 17 December 2024 |
GCSE Geography Urban Field Trip Yr10 Step Up to Success and Settling-in Tutor Evening |
|
Spring Term |
w/c 24 March 2025 26 March 2025 |
Year 10 PPE exams
|
|
Summer Term |
22 May 2025 22 May 2025 19 June 2025 30 June 2025 w/c 14 July 2025 21 July 2025 |
Year 10 Parents evening Year 10 Reports to parents GCSE Coastal Field Trip Yr10 Intervention Evening (SLT) Work Experience Year 10 Awards Assembly |
Year 11
|
Term |
Date |
What is going on? |
|
|
Autumn Term |
|
Yr11 Revision/Applications and Tutor evening.
Year 11 Progress Reports and Feedback Forms to Parents Rewards Assembly |
|
|
Spring Term |
16 January 2025 w/c 27 January 2025 31 March 2025 25 March 2025
04 April 2025 |
Year 11 Parents’ Evening Year 11 Pre-Public Exams PPEs
Year 11 Progress Reports and Feedback Forms to Parent Yr11 Intervention Evening (SLT) Year 11 Reward Trip |
|
|
Summer Term |
08 May to 25 June 2025 20 June 2025 26 June 2025 21 August 2025 |
GCSE Exam dates Celebration Morning Prom GCSE Results Day |
Subject Information
Please click here to view
50 Facts Booklet
The 50-fact booklet below will support your preparation for these exams. Each subject page includes the core knowledge that pupils need to know in order to be successful.
Please click here to view
The Learning Scientist
All of these strategies have supporting evidence from cognitive psychology. For each strategy, we explain how to do it, some points to consider, and where to find more information.
- Spaced Practice
- Retrieval Practice
- Elaboration
- Interleaving
- Concrete Examples
- Dual Coding
Please find user guides below for each of these strategies.
Year 11 Booster Sessions
Please click on the link below:
Additional Information
Please click on the links below to view: