Coursework Booklet

What is controlled assessment?

Advice for parents

Policy for coursework in public examinations

Appeals against internal assessment of coursework

Art & Design

ICT

Business Studies

Drama

English & English Literature

Science

Geography

History

Religious Studies

Languages

Music

Physical Education

Outline timetable of controlled assessments

From September 2009, Controlled Assessment replaced coursework at GCSE. It was introduced better to ensure that submitted work is that of the student, increasing the controls on where and how it is completed. Most „coursework‟ will now be supervised in lessons but there will be some instances when students work, unsupervised, outside the classroom. In all case, teachers will be required to validate that all work completed is that of the student. A timetable for all controlled assessments is included at the back of this booklet.

Do encourage your daughter to

Be aware of deadlines

Get organised

Keep up to date with homework Teaching staff need to be satisfied that a student‟s work is their own and are required by the examination board to sign a declaration confirming this. We know you will want to support your daughter but please do not

Make specific suggestions about the content of the work

Give extra resources as these can often confuse or overwhelm

This policy is intended to clarify the procedures for submitting coursework for public examinations, by setting out the obligations, not only of parents and pupils, but also of Sheffield High School. It aims thereby to eliminate any misconceptions which may arise both concerning malpractice and the procedures which the school operates in order to ensure fair play. The school is determined to ensure that coursework is genuinely the work of pupils, and that all candidates are treated fairly. Where the term „internal assessment‟ is used, it refers to coursework which is marked here at school, and is then sent to the examination boards, where it is checked for its accuracy – a process known as „moderation‟, whereby a selection of candidates‟ work from across the ability range is analysed by the boards, and adjustments made accordingly. „Externally assessed‟ coursework is sent to the examination board for marking. Sheffield High School is committed to ensuring that

internal assessments are conducted by staff who have the appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills,

coursework provided by candidates has been produced and authenticated according to the requirements of the examination boards,

consistency of internal assessment is secured through internal standardisation, whereby a selection of work is marked by at least two teachers,

staff responsible for internal standardisation are properly trained either internally or by the boards themselves.

Candidates may wish to appeal against the results of external assessment, in which case they will have to do so according to the procedures adopted by each examination board. In such cases candidates should get in touch with the Examinations Officer at school, for further advice. If candidates, or their parents, feel that school has not followed the correct procedures concerning internal assessment they may write to the Head or the Examinations Officer, who will conduct an enquiry following the procedures outlined in the “Appeals Against Internal Assessments For Public Examinations” document. In order to prevent malpractice Sheffield High School has adopted the following measures: 1. We clarify through this document, which goes to parents and pupils of all examination

candidates, what constitutes proper guidance and cooperation between pupils, teachers and parents, namely:

We understand that parents, candidates and pupils will discuss their work with each other. This is good practice, and helps candidates to articulate and refine their thinking.

Teachers must sign the coursework declaration form acknowledging that the coursework is the pupils‟ own work.

2. We also clarify what constitutes plagiarism, namely:

Candidates must not copy ANY of their work from another candidate. Moreover, candidates should not lend work to each other, and examination boards will hold culpable any candidate who fails to keep his or her work secure.

Where candidates have used passages taken directly from books or other sources, including the Internet, they must be acknowledged in footnotes. Failure to do so can have serious consequences. Electronic translators must not be used in Modern Languages coursework.

3. If a teacher suspects that the coursework is not the pupils‟ own work, the pupil may be

asked to redo the whole piece or part of the coursework under supervised conditions in school.

4. Our internal deadlines must be met. If they are not met, parents will be informed and

the candidate may be excluded from the coursework component. These deadlines will not be moved unless there are extraordinary circumstances, which have been notified to, and agreed with, the Head of Department.

Candidates should understand that the penalties for malpractice can be severe. It is an issue taken increasingly seriously in this electronic age. Candidates may, at the examinations boards‟ discretion, be scored at zero for individual examinations, or even barred from a complete set of examinations in a particular year. For our part we are determined that coursework should be an integral part of academic courses. Rather than construct elaborate, unworkable coursework timetables, we hope to ensure that coursework will be integrated into the normal teaching and homework timetable.

Sheffield High School is committed to ensuring that whenever its staff assess students‟ work for external qualification, this is done fairly, consistently and in accordance with the specification for the qualification concerned. Assessments should be conducted by staff who have appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills, and who have been trained in this activity. Students‟ work should be produced and authenticated according to the requirements of the examinations board. Where a set of work is divided between staff, consistency should be assured by internal moderation and standardisation. If a girl feels that this may not have happened in relation to her work, she may make use of this appeals procedure. Note that appeals may only be made against the process that led to the assessment and not against the mark or grade. The existence of this procedure is made known to students by the Examinations Officer. This procedure is available from reception and is posted on the classroom notice board. 1. Appeals should be made as soon as possible, and must be made at least two weeks before the

end of the last externally assessed paper in the examinations series. 2. Appeals should be made in writing to the Examinations Officer, who will investigate the appeal

with the Head and the Deputy Head. If the Examinations Officer was directly involved in the assessment in question, the Head will appoint another member of staff of similar or greater seniority to conduct the investigation. Likewise if the Examinations Officer is not able to conduct the investigation for some other reason.

3. The Examinations Officer with other members of staff will decide whether the process used for

the internal assessment conformed with the requirements of the awarding body and the examinations code of practice of the QCA. This will be done before the end of the series. (Currently the end of June for the summer series).

4. You will be informed in writing of the outcome of the appeal, including any correspondence with

the board, any changes made to the assessment of your work, and any changes made to improve matters in future.

5. The outcome of the appeal will be made known to the Head, and will be logged as a complaint

under the complaints procedure. A written record of the appeal will be kept and made available to the awarding body at their request. Should the appeal bring any significant irregularity to light, the awarding body will be informed.

6. All candidates should be able to gain access to:

the marks awarded to them by the centre for an internal assessment

all comments recorded by the centre relating to their internally assessed work

any correspondence between the centre and the Awarding Body relating to their internally assessed work

information, if available at the time of the appeal, as to whether their work was sampled by the awarding body

relevant Awarding Body procedure for the conduct of internal assessments After work has been assessed internally it is moderated by the awarding body (examinations board) to ensure consistency between centres. Such moderation frequently changes the marks awarded for internally assessed work. That is outside the control of and is not covered by this procedure. If you have concerns about it, please ask for a copy of the appeals procedure of the relevant examinations board.

You will produce a „portfolio of work‟; this is a collection of coursework selected from the work you have produced throughout the two year course. This is 60% of the total mark while the „externally set task‟ at the end of the course is the remaining 40%. Your work will include evidence of the four GCSE Assessment Objectives: 1. Looking at the work of artists and designers to inspire your work. 2. Developing your ideas through experimenting with different methods and techniques

e.g. painting, printmaking, clay, textiles, photography. 3. Observational drawing, collecting, imagery, taking photographs. 4. Producing a final outcome. Sketchbook Your sketchbook is an important part of the coursework and is a place for research, experimentation and personal development. Homework This will include research for each unit of work in your sketchbook and developing work on A2 sheets. Some students choose to work in the art studios during lunchtime.

Assessment Assessment happens through ongoing discussions with your teacher. Each unit of work is marked using the assessment objectives and your mark sheet clearly shows your strengths and weaknesses enabling you to meet your targets.

Unit 2 In the spring term of Y10 you undertake a task set by the examination board - The scenario will change each year. The tasks will vary but could involve setting up a website for a band, setting up a system to calculate costs and linking it to the website. This takes place over 25 hours in lesson time. Research can be done at home. 30% Unit 3 In the autumn term of Y11 you get to choose one of six tasks set by AQA. All the tasks reflect practical problems which you may face in your daily lives. This takes place over 25 hours in lesson time, again, research can be done at home. 30% The examination (one 1½ hour paper) accounts for the final 40% of the total mark.

Business Studies Year 11 The controlled assessment component accounts for 25% of the marks and comprises one project started and completed in the autumn term of Year 11. The project applies the business concepts covered during the course and builds on skills and techniques learned and developed in other subjects.

Lesson allocation and deadlines Y11: You will receive pre-released material which will allow you to begin planning your business investigation. In a sense you will be like a real entrepreneur in terms of preparing your research before you start your new business venture.

Preparation Before you carry out the investigation set by the exam board, the Business Studies Department will prepare you by covering the relevant topic areas. We will make sure that you are familiar with the skills that will be assessed and will brief you on how to approach your investigation and draw conclusions. Research and Planning You will then be given between five and eight hours of lesson time to research the business project set by AQA. During the research and planning phase teachers will give you feedback and offer you as much support as possible within the time frame. The idea is that by the end of the eight hours each student will have produced individual research to support the task set.

Final Presentation As part of your final presentation you will be expected to write up your findings from the research in a controlled environment under teacher supervision. You will be allowed three hours to complete you project and will be allowed to use any notes gathered during the research period. At the end of the three hours the coursework will be complete and teachers will mark each student‟s own individual report.

GCSE DRAMA If you enjoy acting and writing about plays and live theatre productions then this could be the right course for you. Controlled Assessments You have to write and rehearse your own plays and also perform extracts from plays written by published playwrights. You are not just assessed on your final performance but on your contribution to rehearsals and the devising process. A minimum of two controlled assessments have to be completed but you will produce three and your strongest two will go forward. Weighting: The practical controlled assessments are worth 60% of the final mark

Timescale: Year 10 The first practical assessment will commence in the autumn term and the performance will take place in the spring term. The second controlled assessment will commence in the summer term and the performance will take place in the autumn term of Year 11. Year 11 The third controlled assessment will commence in the autumn term and the performance will take place at the start of the summer term. At this time, a visiting moderator will come into school to assess your performance. Homework During the rehearsal period, you will be set homework that could take various forms such as researching, scripting, learning lines or recording sound effects etc. You will also need to keep a written record of your rehearsals as you have to write a process in the external examination.

If you have had a daughter at the High School, please be aware that this is the outline for the new GCSE course starting in the academic year 2010. There are significant changes in both Language and Literature. The controlled assessment replaces coursework and in Language there is only one examination. On the other hand, in English Literature there are two examinations. The controlled assessments will be completed during lessons under formal teacher supervision. Unit 2: Speaking and Listening – controlled assessment – 20% of the total GCSE marks This unit involves three speaking and listening tasks which will be completed over the course of 2 years. Students will undertake the following tasks which involve:

Presenting

Discussing and listening

Role playing

These activities may be individual, paired or group based activities.

Unit 3: Understanding Spoken and Written Texts and Writing Creatively – 40% of the total GCSE Marks This unit is made up of 3 pieces of controlled assessments – 80 marks in total. They are as follows: 3a : Extended Reading – 15% of the total GCSE marks Duration – 4 hours Students will study either „Romeo and Juliet‟ by Shakespeare OR „Macbeth‟ by Shakespeare. 3b: Creative Writing - 15% of the total GCSE marks Duration – 4 hours Students will complete 2 pieces of writing. One piece will be based on moving image and the other will be a creative response. 3c: Spoken Language Study – 10% of the total GCSE marks Duration – 3 hours This task will involve the study of famous speeches and the evaluation of the impact of spoken language choices in others‟ use. AQA English Literature Specification A Controlled Assessment Unit 3: The significance of Shakespeare and the English Literary Heritage 25% of the total GCSE marks. Duration – 4 hours Students will be asked to complete one written task, based on either „Romeo and Juliet‟ OR „Macbeth‟ and one other text from the English Literary Heritage (choice of texts outlined on page 32 of English Literature Specification). Students are required to make links between the texts. Preparation and assessment will take place in lessons.

All the GCSE Science qualifications have a centre-assessed unit which accounts for 25% of the overall mark. The unit consists of an Investigative Skills Assignment (ISA), which is a piece of practical work determined by the examination board followed by an externally set, internally assessed test taking 45 minutes and a Practical Skills Assessment which is based on practical work done throughout the course. One ISA mark has to be submitted for each of the three subjects. The students will have the opportunity to practise this style of assessment during lessons and they will normally do more than one ISA for each qualification so that their best mark can be submitted. All the work required for an ISA has to be completed in the presence of school staff.

Your Geography controlled assessment will be an investigation into the impact of tourism in North Wales. It will be based on primary data that you will collect during the 3 day fieldtrip organised by the geography department. The data collected will be used to answer one hypotheses that you will be given at the start of this piece of work. You will produce one piece of controlled assessment worth up to 25% of your final mark that should be approximately 2000 words in length. The computer rooms or laptops will be booked for as many lessons as possible during the coursework period. Your investigation may be hand written as long as it meets the ICT criteria. Some data will be collected in groups and this can be shared eg results from traffic and pedestrian counts. However your investigation should have an element of originality to gain extra marks and your teacher will give suggestions as to the kind of extra information over and above that collected by the whole group that you could include. Your coursework will be completed during Year 11. It will begin after the summer holiday and be completed before the end of the autumn term. The whole controlled assessment period will cover approximately 10 weeks. All lessons (approximately 15) and homework during the first half term will be used for the production of your controlled assessment. After half term we shall return to teaching the specification but homework will be controlled assessment until the deadline is reached. The deadline for handing in your controlled assessment will be clearly stated during the first controlled assessment lesson.

Up to 10 hours should normally be used for the introduction, methodology, data processing and presentation. The description, interpretation, analysis, conclusions and evaluation will be written up under a high level of teacher control over a maximum of 6 hours. Where pupils work independently and complete all their work under format supervision. You will receive a guide at the start of your controlled assessment that is full of advice and help about how to write up your work. Your teacher may be used as a resource during the controlled assessment period by asking them questions and seeking advice. Also your teacher can look at each section of work, for example the introduction a maximum of three times and make suggestions. Your teacher will keep a record of when they have seen your work and the advice that they have given. You will also be given a copy of the mark scheme which your teacher will go through with you. There are five sections and up to twelve marks can be gained in each giving a total of 60 marks. Your controlled assessment will be marked by your geography teacher. Once each member of staff has completed their marking then several pieces of work will be exchanged to be marked again by other members of staff. This ensures that all marking is standardised across the year group. The final mark awarded will then be made available to you.

AQA History A – Schools History Project Controlled Assessment Introduction

The controlled assessment replaces coursework and will take place during the

Autumn Term of Year 10. There are three questions as part of the assessment and

these represent 25% of your final GCSE grade.

The three questions will be spaced out during the Autumn Term and will take place

after your site visit to the General Cemetery, which will happen towards the start of

the Autumn Term.

So how do these controlled assessments work?

The three questions take place under controlled conditions so a bit like a test but

you can ask questions if you need to clarify or check something. Although your

teacher will not be able to give you direct help with the assessment. So a bit like an

exam, done in silence but your can ask questions to check facts but you are not

allowed to ask, „what‟s the answer to the question…?‟

In the lessons running up to the assessments you will be gathering evidence about

the site of the General Cemetery and social conditions in Sheffield in the nineteenth

century.

All this information and evidence you can use in the controlled assessment and this

includes any pictures, photographs or diagrams which you might want to include in

order to help you answer the questions. The controlled assessments themselves

will take place over a series of lessons and this is outlined below. At the end of each

lesson you will have to hand in your file of work for that question and you are not

allowed to bring in extra notes to the next lesson.

You will not be able to use a computer during these assessments

So what are the questions?

Question 1 will be about the site itself and why it is where it is. This will take place

over two lessons and is worth 8 marks. The board recommends 500 words

In Question 2 you will be given an interpretation of the site and asked whether it‟s a

valid interpretation. This takes three lessons and is worth 12 marks. The board

recommends 500 words.

In Question 3 you will be asked how useful the site and the sources are ( these will

be given to you in advance of the assessment) in understanding what living and

working conditions were like for children in textile mills. This takes four lessons and

is worth 20 marks. The board recommends 1000 words.

Pupils studying Religious Studies no longer have to submit a piece of controlled assessment. The grade is determined by the mark on the final exam.

Controlled assessment is a compulsory part of the GCSE course at Sheffield High School in French, German and Spanish. There are no controlled assessments in Russian. What is required? Students must submit 2 writing controlled assessments and 2 speaking controlled assessments. How much is coursework worth? The writing assessments are worth 30% of the final grade. The speaking assessments are worth 30% of the final grade. When is coursework completed? Students will carry out most of the writing and speaking assessments in Y10. In French and Spanish, the first writing assessment will be carried out in October and the first speaking test will be carried out in January. The second writing assessment will be carried out before Easter and the second speaking assessment will be carried out in May. Students will be given the opportunity in the first term of Y11 to do an extra writing and speaking task if needed. In German, the first speaking assessment will be carried out in November and the first writing task will be carried out before Easter. The second speaking assessment will be carried out in May and the second writing task will be carried out in September of Y11. Students will also have the opportunity to complete extra assessments if needed in Y11. How much help will I be given? Students will have numerous lessons to prepare the topics in preparation for the controlled assessments. In this time, students will complete various activities, preparation and homework based on the topic. They can ask questions and work with the language assistant. When the students have covered all the topic areas they will be given the actual task. Students will then have at least 2 lessons to prepare their task individually. During this time they will not be allowed any more help from the class teacher or assistant. However, the teacher may provide feedback on the student‟s initial plan. Help sheets giving details of how to approach the assessments and what to include in order to achieve good marks are given to students before they begin the first assessment. Under no circumstances should students seek assistance from anyone other then their teacher or make use of electronic translation software or Internet translation packages.

GCSE Music (AQA) – Coursework Overview 1st YEAR

Unit Number & Title

Unit 1 (20%)

Unit 2 (20%) Unit 4 (20%)

Unit 3 (40 %)

LISTENING and APPRAISING

COMPOSING and APPRAISING

(The COMPOSING ASSESSMENTS prepared and recorded in CLASS)

PERFORMING MUSIC

(The PERFORMING ASSESSMENTS prepared at HOME but recorded in

SCHOOL)

(No Coursework)

UNIT 2 COMPOSITION (10%)

& WRITTEN APPRAISAL (10%)

20 hours controlled assessment

IN CLASS

From JANUARY - JULY

SOLO PERFORMANCE (20%)

Recorded any time before October half term of SECOND year. Individually arranged to coincide with external music

exams in order to avoid duplication.

2nd

YEAR

(No Coursework)

UNIT 4 COMPOSITION (20%) (NO written appraisal for this)

20 hours controlled

assessment

IN CLASS

From OCTOBER – MARCH

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE (20%)

Preparation for this started before Summer holidays.

Ensembles and any remaining solo performances recorded by

OCTOBER HALF TERM

Controlled Assessment in Physical Education GCSE:

Requirements: Homework is a combination of attending extra-curricular clubs in at least 4 activities in order to maximize marks in this vital component. For the full award, the controlled assessment is worth 90 marks, a total of 60% of the whole paper. 4 practical assessments are put forward in a combination of the roles – performer, coach, official or choreographer. A minimum of 2 of the assessments have to be as a performer. All 4 can be as a performer if the candidate wishes. Within the 4 assessments – at least 2 of the 6 groupings of sports must be covered. The groupings are as below:

Group 1 – Outwitting opponents

Group 2 – Accurate replication of actions, phrases and sequences

Group 3 – Exploring and communicating ideas, concepts and emotions

Group 4 – Performing at maximum levels in relation to speed, height, distance, strength or accuracy

Group 5 – Identifying and solving problems to overcome challenges of an adventurous nature

Group 6 – Exercising safely and effectively to improve health and well-being

Please note that if you perform to a very high level in an “out of school” sport – you can be assessed in this. However you will be required to bring video evidence in of your performance. Students may only be assessed in 1 “out of school” sport. It should be something you have an instructor / coach in and it is offered as an “assessment only” package. This is because girls at SHS are normally well above National Average at school sports and there is no need to look further afield for activities. Assessment is over the full 2 years with each candidate using supporting evidence in the form of a practical portfolio. It is the candidates own responsibility to fill this in and gather evidence of attending extra-curricular clubs.

GCSE: Controlled assessments.

Subject Exam Board

Hours of controlled

ass.

Controlled ass Timing of controlled assessment

Is ICT use required and if so, what is involved?

% of Exam Long Short Y9 Y10 Y11 Level of control

Art AQA 45 hours 60% Throughout Throughout Low/Medium

Biology AQA 3/4 weeks of lessons

25 2 Spring End

Autumn/start Spring term

Teacher support in initial stages, then exam conditions

No

Business Studies

AQA 12 one-

hour lessons

25 1 Autumn Term

Research and planning for 5-8 hours - with support and can

work with others. Then 3 hours of writing up in exam

conditions

Yes, 1 computer per pupil for whole time.

Chemistry AQA 5/6 lessons 25 2 Autumn

Term End Autumn

Teacher support in initial stages, then exam conditions

No

Drama AQA Ongoing 60

2 (but will do 3)

Spring Autumn Term Spring Term

Teacher support and girls must work in groups of at least 2

Allowed but not compulsory

English Lang AQA 6 hours 8 hours

60

Unit 2- 2 pieces

Unit 3- 3 pieces

Autumn and Spring terms

Autumn, spring and

summer terms

Autumn term Autumn Term

Unit 2 - Low Unit 3 - High No - ( but can be used if no

internet, e-mail, memory sticks)

English Lit AQA 4 hours 25

1 autumn

term High

No - but can be used if no internet, e-mail, memory sticks

French AQA Up to 6

hours per task

60

2 speaking

and 2 writing

Oct, Dec, Feb, May

Preparation with no help then

task in exam conditions Not required but can be used for

preparation

Geography AQA 20 hours

plus fieldwork

25 1 Autumn

Teacher support and collaboration for up to 10 hours and then high level control for interpretation and conclusion

Useful for all 20 hours - e-mail and internet access not allowed

German Edexcel Up to 6 hours

preparation 60

2 speaking

and 2 writing

Nov, Feb,

May Sept, Jan No help from teacher No

History AQA 10 weeks 25 1 Autumn Work in exam conditions - no

teacher support once assessment started

Internet not allowed and so dept choose not to use computers

ICT AQA Up to 25

hours each 60 2 spring term Autumn term

Medium control - informal supervision

All work to be saved in school user area. Work (other than research) cannot be done at

home.

Latin AQA None

Maths Edexcel None

Music AQA

47 hours Unit 2-22hrs

Unit 4- 25 hours

80 2 Jan to July of 1st year

Sept to March of 2nd

year

Unit 2 - 20 hours informal supervision then 2 hours in

exam conditions Unit 4 - 25 hours informal supervision

Yes - plus sibelius software

PE AQA 12 lessons 60 Approx

10 activities

At end of each half

term

At end of each half

term

Teacher support in lessons. Expectation to attend extra-

curricular activities

Physics AQA 3/4 weeks of lessons

25 3 Summer

Term Summer

Term End of Spring

Term Teacher support in initial

stages, then exam conditions No

RS None

Russian None

Spanish AQA Up to 6

hours per task

60

2 speaking

and 2 writing

Oct, Dec, Feb, May

Preparation with no help then

task in exam conditions