From the Head of Secondary 14.01.2023
Welcome to Term 2 2022-2023!
It’s been a very busy week, with Year 11 starting their IGCSE Mock exams. These will run to next Friday, the 20th. The schedule is intense, as we fit in ten subjects [most of which have multiple papers] over 8 school days. The exams are organised by Mr Colbeck, are invigilated by teachers, and are run under the same stringent conditions as students will face in the actual exams in May / June. Whilst many things have changed in the world of education over the last 50+ years, examinations have not. Students sit in an exam hall and hand-write papers which are then assessed by outside examiners. A few months later they receive the results and find out whether they have achieved highly enough to take their desired next step onto the A Level courses of their choice, or in the case of A Levels, into their selected university.
The mock reports will be published on the 7th February and on the 8th February Year 11 parents are invited to come into school to meet with their child’s teachers to discuss the results and the next steps in terms of preparation for May / June.
Also this week, Jia Min, Marc, David, Minjae and Keith from Year 12 have undertaken their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Adventurous Journey, under the supervision of Mr Watson and Ms McPherson. I am sure we will hear more about their adventures in a future newsletter, but I’m pleased to say that at least they had good weather for it!
This week Year 9 have been learning about some important decisions that they will be making in the coming weeks, as they decide upon which subjects they want to take in Year 10/11 for IGCSE. Some subjects are compulsory [English Language, English Literature, and Mathematics]. They also have to choose one language and at least one Science [Biology, Chemistry, or Physics]. We advise students to choose subjects that they think they will enjoy for the two years, but they must also keep in mind potential future careers as some will require certain A Levels for university entrance, and some of those subjects at A Level require that the student has first completed IGCSE.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Mrs Renshaw
Deputy Principal / Head of Secondary
