Newcastle School for Boys Parent Handbook 2008 / 2009 |
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The Senior School - Reporting and Grades |
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| Reporting | Grades | Programme for Reporting and Grades 2008/2009 | |
| Effort Grades – Advice and Guidance for Boys | |||
REPORTS
Formal reporting provides regular and frequent feedback to boys and their parents. It should be motivating for boys and informing and involving for their parents.
The annual pattern of formal reporting is as follows:
A full academic report is written on each boy every term. This includes grades.
Each year group has at least one Parents' Evening during the academic year.
Grades are issued approximately every three to four weeks.
Grades are issued ahead of Parents' Evenings in order to inform discussion.
Boys in Year 9 and above are invited to attend Parents; Evenings.
School exams take place twice a year in late November and early June for boys in Years 6 to 10 inclusive.
GCSE mock exams for Year 11 take place late January.
If an issue of serious concern (or some really good news!) arises between formal reporting session we will write to you separately to keep you informed; if you are concerned about any aspect of your son’s progress at any time please feel free to get in touch and ask to speak to his tutor.
| Autumn Term | Spring Term | Summer Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 11 | Grades x 3 Report |
Grades x 2 Mock Exams Parents' Evening Report |
Grades x 1 GCSE Exam Report |
| Year 10 | Grades x 3 Parents' Evening Schools Exams. Report |
Grades x 3 Report |
Grades x 2 School exams. Report |
| Year 9 | Grades x 3 School Exams. Report |
Grades x 3 Parents' Evening Report |
Grades x 2 School Exams. Report |
| Year 8 | Grades x 3 Parents' Evening Schools Exams. Report |
Grades x 3 Parents' Evening Report |
Grades x 2 School Exams. Report |
| Year 7 | Grades x 3 School Exams. Report |
Grades x 3 Report |
Grades x 2 Parents' Evening Schools Exams. Report |
| Year 6 | Grades x 3 Parents' Evening Schools Exams. Report |
Grades x 3 Parents' Evening Report |
Grades x 2 School Exams. Report |
Our reporting and assessment procedures include grades for effort and achievement. Grades are awarded on four point scales: A to D for attainment and 1 tp 4 for effort. Individual boys' average effort scores are calculated and also reported along with relative group rank order position, e.g., 17/40.
Effort
Grade |
Criteria |
1 |
Outstanding effort in all respects – all work completed to the very best of the boy’s ability; excellent contribution in class; courteous, conscientious and punctual. |
2 |
Good effort – homework regularly completed to the best of the boy’s ability; good contribution in class; courteous and punctual. |
3 |
Unsatisfactory effort – homework sometimes inadequate; moderate contribution in class; usually courteous and punctual. |
4 |
Very poor effort – homework often incomplete and/or rushed; books/equipment forgotten; poor contribution in class; lack of courtesy; often unpunctual. |
1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 grades may be awarded.
Attainment
Grade |
Criteria |
A |
Outstanding work in all respects demonstrating a high level of learning. |
B |
Good work demonstrating a significant amount of learning. |
C |
Unsatisfactory work showing limited learning. |
D |
Very poor work demonstrating little or no learning. |
Grades are awarded on the following subjects in each year group:
Year 11: Art*; Biology; Chemistry; English (includes EAL); French*; Geography*; History*; ICT*; Mathematics; Music*; PE/Games; PE (GCSE option)*; PSHE/RE*; Physics; Religious Studies*; Spanish*; Support for Learning*; Technology*. Each boy should ordinarily have 11 subject entries.
Year 10: Art*; Biology; Chemistry; English (includes EAL); French*; Geography*; History*; ICT*; Mathematics; Music*; PE/Games; PE (GCSE option)*; PSHE/RE*; Physics; Religious Studies*; Spanish*; Support for Learning*; Technology*. Each boy should ordinarily have 11 subject entries.
Year 9: Art*; Biology; Chemistry; English; French*; Geography; History; ICT; Mathematics; Music*; PE/Games; PSHE/RE*; Physics; Support for Learning*; Spanish*; Technology*. Each boy should ordinarily have 13 subject entries.
Year 8: Art; English; French*; Geography; History; ICT; Mathematics; Music; PE/Games; PSHE/RE; Support for Learning*; Science; Spanish; Technology. Each boy should ordinarily have 13 subject entries.
Year 7: Art; English; French; Geography; History; ICT; Mathematics; Music; PE/Games; PSHE/RE; Support for Learning*; Science; Technology. Each boy should ordinarily have 12 subject entries.
Year 6: Art; English; French; Geography; History; ICT; Mathematics; Music; PE/Games; PSHE/RE; Support for Learning*; Science; Technology. Each boy should ordinarily have 12 subject entries.
* indicates subject not studied by all boys in year group
PSHE does not award an attainment grade. Shown as “n/a”.
Programme for Reporting and Grades 2008/2009
Autumn Term 2008
| Tues 23 Sep | Week 4 | Year 11 Grades 1 issued |
| Wed 24 Sep | Week 4 | Year 10 Grades 1 issued |
| Thurs 25 Sep | Week 4 | Year 9 Grades 1 issued |
| Fri 26 Sep | Week 4 | Year 8 Grades 1 issued |
| Mon 29 Sep | Week 5 | Year 7 Grades 1 issued |
| Tue 30 Sep | Week 5 | Year 6 Grades 1 issued |
| Tues 14 Oct | Week 7 | 6GAl Parents' Evening |
| Thurs 16 Oct | Week 7 | 6JE Parents' Evening |
| Fri 17 Oct | Week 7 | Year 9 Grades 2 issued |
| Mon 20 Oct | Week 8 | Year 11 Grades 2 issued |
| Tues 21 Oct | Week 8 | Year 10 Grades 2 issued |
| Wed 22 Oct | Week 8 | Year 8 Grades 2 issued |
| Thurs 23 Oct | Week 8 | Year 7 Grades 2 issued |
| Fri 24 - Fri 31 Oct | Week 8/9 | Half Term |
| Tues 4 Nov | Week 10 | Year 8 Parents' Evening |
| Wed 5 Nov | Week 10 | Year 6 Grades 2 issued |
| Thurs 6 Nov | Week 10 | Year 10 Parents' Evening |
| Mon 17 - Fri 21 Nov | Week 12 | School Exams. Years 6 - 10 |
| Thurs 27 Nov | Week 13 | All exams. marked and processed |
| Fri 28 Nov | Week 13 | Year 11 Reports and Grades 3 (teachers) |
| Mon 1 Dec | Week 14 | Year 6 Reports and Grades 3 (teachers) |
| Tues 2 Dec | Week 14 | Year 8 Reports and Grades 3 (teachers) |
| Wed 3 Dec | Week 14 | Year 10 Reports and Grades 3 (teachers) Year 11 Reports and Grades 3 (teachers) |
| Thurs 4 Dec | Week 14 | Year 9 Reports and Grades 3 (teachers) Year 6 Reports and Grades 3 (teachers) |
| Fri 5 Dec | Week 14 | Year 7 Reports and Grades 3 (teachers) Year 8 Reports and Grades 3 (teachers) |
| Mon 8 Dec | Week 15 | Year 10 Reports and Grades 3 (tutors) |
| Tues 9 Dec | Week 15 | Year 9 Reports and Grades 3 (tutors) |
| Wed 10 Dec | Week 15 | Year 7 Reports and Grades 3 (tutors) |
| Fri 12 Dec | Week 15 | Term ends - all Reports sent home |
Spring Term 2009
| Mon 19 Jan | Week 3 | Year 11 Grades 1 issued |
| Tues 20 Jan | Week 3 | Year 10 Grades 1 issued |
| Wed 21 Jan | Week 3 | Year 6 Grades 1 issued |
| Thurs 22 Jan | Week 3 | Year 8 Grades 1 issued |
| Mon 26 - Fri 30 Jan | Week 4 | Year 11 GCSE Mocks |
| Mon 2 Feb | Week 5 | Year 9 Grades 1 issued |
| Tues 3 Feb | Week 5 | Year 7 Grades 1 issued 6GAl Parents' Evening |
| Thurs 5 Feb | Week 5 | 6JE Parents' Evening |
| Fri 6 Feb | Week 5 | Year 11 mock GCSE exam.results sent home |
| Mon 9 Feb | Week 6 | Year 10 Grades 2 issued |
| Tues 10 Feb | Week 6 | Year 6 Grades 2 issued Year 8 Parents' Evening + Option Choices Evening |
| Wed 11 Feb | Week 6 | Year 7 Grades 2 issued |
| Thurs 12 Feb | Week 6 | Year 8 Grades 2 issued Year 11 Parents' Evening + 6th Form Update evening |
| Fri 13 Feb | Week 6 | Year 9 Grades 2 issued |
| Mon 16 - Fri 20 Feb | Week 7 | Half Term |
| Tues 24 Feb | Week 8 | 9CD Parents' Evening + GCSE Option Choices |
| Thurs 26 Feb | Week 8 | 9SN Parents' Evening + GCSE Option Choices |
| Mon 2 Mar | Week 9 | Year 7 Reports and Grades 3 (teachers) |
| Tues 3 Mar | Week 9 | Year 6 Reports and Grades 3 (teachers) |
| Wed 4 Mar | Week 9 | Year 8 Reports and Grades 3 (teachers) |
| Thurs 5 Mar | Week 9 | Year 10 Reports and Grades 3 (teachers) |
| Fr 6 Mar | Week 9 | Year 9 Reports and Grades 3 (teachers) Year 7 Reports and Grades 3 (tutors) |
| Mon 9 Mar | Week 10 | Year 11 Reports and Grades 2 (teachers) Year 6 Reports and Grades 3 (tutors) |
| Tues 10 Mar | Week 10 | Year 8 Reports and Grades 3 (tutors) |
| Wed 11 Mar | Week 10 | Year 10 Reports and Grades 3 (tutors) |
| Thurs 12 Mar | Week 10 | Year 9 Reports and Grades 3 (tutors) |
| Fri 13 Mar | Week 10 | Year 11 Reports and Grades 2 (tutors) |
| Fri 20 Mar | Week 12 | Years 6 to 11 reports sent home |
Summer 2009
| Fri 8 May | Week 3 | Year 11 Reports and Grades (teachers) |
| Mon 11 May | Week 4 | Year 10 Grades 1 issued |
| Tues 12 May | Week 4 | Year 9 Grades 1 issued Year 11 Reports and Grades (tutors) |
| Wed 13 May | Week 4 | Year 8 Grades 1 issued |
| Thurs 14 May | Week 4 | Year 7 Grades 1 issued |
| Fri 15 May | Week 4 | Year 11 Reports and Grades and Year 6 Grades 1 issued |
| Mon 18 May | Week 5 | Year 10 Reports and Grades 2 (teachers) |
| Tues 19 May | Week 5 | 7CH Parents' Evening |
| Wed 20 May | Week 5 | Year 9 Reports and Grades 2 (teachers) |
| Thurs 21 May | Week 5 | 7ER Parents' Evening |
| Fri 22 May | Week 5 | Year 8 Reports and Grades 2 (teachers) |
| Mon 25 - 29 May | Week 6 | Half Term |
| Tue 2 June | Week 7 | Year 6 Reports and Grades 2 (teachers) |
| Wed 3 June | Week 7 | Year 10 Reports and Grades 2 (tutors) |
| Thurs 4 June | Week 7 | Year 9 Reports and Grades 2 (tutors) |
| Fri 5 June | Week 7 | Year 8 Reports and Grades 2 (tutors) |
| Mon 8 June | Week 8 | Year 6 Reports and Grades 2 (tutors) |
| Fri 12 June | Week 8 | Year 6 to 10 term reports sent home |
| Mon 16 - Fri 20 June | Week 9 | School exams. |
| Fri 26 June | Week 10 | Exam. marking complete |
| Fri 4 July | Week 11 | Term ends - Years 6 to 10 summary exam. results sent home |
| Thurs 20 Aug | GCSE exam. results published | |
Effort Grades – Advice and Guidance for Boys
The Headmaster and your teachers want you to get 2s and better in each subject.
in order to get an effort grade of 2, you need to match consistently the grade descriptor over the grading period, usually about 3 to 4 weeks. The criteria for Effort Grade 2 states:
Good effort – homework regularly completed to the best of the boy’s ability; good contribution in class; courteous and punctual.
What this means in more detail is that you should meet the following standards throughout the grading period:
- Always arrive on time (or with a polite apology if very occasionally unavoidably delayed by a few moments)
- All books and equipment brought to every lesson (as requested by each teacher)
- Homework completed fully, to the best of your ability and handed in on time in the correct format
- Always polite – no talking out of turn, interrupting or disturbing the learning others
- Attentive in class – looking at the teacher or correct focus of attention; putting hands up when asking or answering questions; asking relevant questions only; working safely where appropriate; concentrating
- Engaged and involved in classroom discussion or activities
- Work organised properly (in exercise book and/or folder as appropriate)
- Correctly dressed in School Uniform
- No chewing or eating sweets; no mobile phones visible or heard
Should you have special educational needs, these will be taken into account when awarding the grade for effort in each subject and by each teacher. However, you also need to take your own needs into account. For example, if you know that some homework may take you longer to complete, then you should plan to set aside more time whenever this is possible.
If you consistently do better than this and make greater efforts on a regular basis, then you should expect a grade 1 for effort.
Failure to meet the above criteria consistently will mean that your Effort Grade will be 2.5 or lower and this issue will be taken up by your tutor and/or a senior member of staff.
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