The Sciences

Choosing the right subjects for GCSE House Life

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

Your son/daughter will make initial GCSE choices in February so that next year’s timetable can be blocked Health and safety in a boarding house is extremely important and therefore you really must follow the and staffing planned. They will confirm their choices at instructions which come from the College’s Health & Safety Committee. Please read the full guidelines the end of this term. There is the opportunity to add which can be found in the College rules at the back of this booklet. any supporting comments on both initial and final option-choice forms if you feel particularly strongly Main points are: • about the choices that have been made. Once the final Always switch all appliances off when you are not in your room. options form is submitted, the allocation of options • will be made based on the information supplied on In dorms only one item may be plugged into each wall socket. • the form.In single rooms a power extension block can be used with no more than four outlets. • Once choices have been made, the College reserves Hair dryers and straighteners must be plugged directly into a wall socket—they should be left on a the right to withdraw any courses for which there is hard surface, not your bed or the floor. insufficient demand. We try to accommodate all subject choices within You may not bring in your own kettles, toasters or TVs but you can bring computers, ipods, shavers the prescribed framework. However, subjects are and hair equipment. sometimes oversubscribed and availability of staffing prevents additional classes. If this is the case, we will contact you to discuss alternatives. FIRE PROCEDURE On the following pages, you will find more information FIRE about each subject, as well as some useful advice from the Head of Careers and Higher Education, Sharon If you discover a fire:

Allmark. These will help you when weighing up the various factors involved in making the most Inform a member of staff immediately appropriate choices. If it is not safe to reach a member of staff, raise the alarm by shouting ‘FIRE’ or if you are near a red alarm box, break the glass and sound the alarm. Do not try to put out the fire yourself!

Stephen Badger

Deputy Head (Teaching & Learning) WHEN YOU HEAR THE FIRE ALARM

Stop what you are doing immediately

Leave the house quickly and quietly by the nearest fire exit and go to the assembly point which is in the car park outside the Hazelveare main entrance.

GCSE Reforms House Life

Do not stop to pick up any personal belongings

Shut all windows and doors behind you and turn off lights

At night put on dressing gown and shoes; do not stop to dress fully; ensure that others in your dorm are awake.

• All GCSE subjects are now graded and assessed using the new 9-1 structure; • 9 is the highest grade, awarded to the very best candidates in the subject. The official definition of a grade-9 candidate is that they will be ‘in the top 20% of those achieving grades 7-9 in the subject’; • In every subject, the content is more demanding and the assessment more rigorous than previously; • The assessment will be mainly by exam. In some subjects such as Drama and Art, other types of assessment will Please ensure you know where your fire exits and assembly point(s) are. be used only where they are needed to test essential skills. For further information about assessment, please speak to the relevant Head of Department. You should line up in SILENCE in alphabetical order in your year groups. A roll call will be taken and Tiering of exams you should stay there to await further instructions from the member of staff present. The new GCSEs are only split into foundation tier and higher tier if one single exam paper does not give all students Do not re-enter the House until told to do so by the member of staff present. the opportunity to show their knowledge and abilities. Consequently, exams are tiered in Biology, Chemistry, French, German, Maths, Physics and Spanish. Formal fire drills are carried out at least twice a term.

FOOD AND KITCHENS

New grading structure

Current grading structure

9 A* 8 7 6 B 5 4 C 3 D 2 E F 1 G U U

9 is awarded to those pupils achieving what would currently be a top A*: perhaps at around 96%+

GOOD PASS (DfE) 5 and above = top of C and above Schools are no longer AWARDING assessed on A*-C 4 and above = bottom of C and above statistics, but on ‘9-4’ statistics.

• The kitchen facilities in house are not provided as an alternative to attending meals. • Milk, bread, spreads, fruit, tea, coffee, squash and hot chocolate are provided in the house daily— check with Matron for the times when these are available. • Please don’t bring in large quantities of food from home — particularly perishable products. • • Under the updated A Raw meats must not be stored or cooked by pupils in the kitchen. You can bring tuck in but you must either keep it in one of the house fridges or in your own secure tuck box. If you put something in the fridge don’t forget to name it! structure, the ‘good • pass’ for Maths and Follow instructions when using the microwave and be careful as food and drinks can get very hot. • English is a 5, which is Toasters are for toasting bread only—please don’t try and cook anything else in them! on the border between a C and a B under the WE ARE A NUT FREE SCHOOL. PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANYTHING CONTAINING NUTS ONTO THE LWC CAMPUS OR INTO BOARDING HOUSES. old system. GAMES AND ACTIVITIES IN SCHOOL You should attend all school games and activity sessions as these are part of your official timetable. Unless your teacher tells you otherwise, you should wear college sports kit for all games and activities.

Choosing the right subjects for GCSE House Life

If you are selected to play the major sport of the term or represent the College in a team then you Your son/daughter will make initial GCSE choices in must fulfil your commitment.

February so that next year’s timetable can be blocked and staffing planned. They will confirm their choices at IN THE HOUSE the end of this term. There is the opportunity to add any supporting comments on both initial and final The house has lots of facilities: X-Box, table tennis, pool table, table football, board games, etc. for use option-choice forms if you feel particularly strongly in your free time. Please make sure you look after these so that everyone can enjoy them. about the choices that have been made. Once the final options form is submitted, the allocation of options HAIR will be made based on the information supplied on the form. Your hair should be kept neat and tidy. It should be natural in colour—any highlights should be subtle in nature and professionally done. Your hairstyle should not exhibit any extremes of fashion. Hair at all Once choices have been made, the College reserves times should be off the face. If its long enough for a pony-tail, its too long and needs a cut. the right to withdraw any courses for which there is insufficient demand. We try to accommodate all subject choices within HOUSE COUNCIL the prescribed framework. However, subjects are sometimes oversubscribed and availability of staffing The idea of the House Council is that you can modify the House routines, make suggestions for house prevents additional classes. If this is the case, we will events or facilities and prompt changes for the better regarding school rules. contact you to discuss alternatives. The Council will meet twice every half-term. It consists of two pupils per year group. You will vote for On the following pages, you will find more information your year group representative(s) at the start of term. The Council is chaired by the Head of House about each subject, as well as some useful advice from and Deputy Heads of House in rotation. the Head of Careers and Higher Education, Sharon Allmark. These will help you when weighing up the The minutes are submitted by the Chair whose responses will be published on the house notice board. various factors involved in making the most Items regarding the College in general will be brought up by the Head of House when the prefects appropriate choices. have lunch with the Headmaster.

Stephen Badger

Deputy Head (Teaching & Learning)

PREP (Homework)

Prep time is a time for individual work.

You should have all the stationery and equipment ready to start prep on time.

Throughout prep time you should be working at your desk or on one of the house computers. All mobile phones will be handed in for the duration of prep for 3rd and 4th Form so that you can concentrate on your work!

GCSE Reforms House Life

It is a quiet time and you should not be chatting or wandering around the house. • All GCSE subjects are now graded and assessed using the new 9-1 structure; 3rd—4th Formers can listen to music on headphones. 5th and 6th Formers can play music on stereos • 9 is the highest grade, awarded to the very best candidates in the subject. The official definition of a grade-9 as long as it is not audible outside your room. candidate is that they will be ‘in the top 20% of those achieving grades 7-9 in the subject’; Make sure you record your prep tasks in your student planners so that you don’t have to wander • In every subject, the content is more demanding and the assessment more rigorous than previously; around to find out what work has been set. • The assessment will be mainly by exam. In some subjects such as Drama and Art, other types of assessment will be used only where they are needed to test essential skills. For further information about assessment, please speak From September 2016, Hazelveare will operate a ‘help a student’ programme within the house at prep, to the relevant Head of Department. where senior house pupils will be available for younger years to ask for some guidance (NOT do the work!). Tiering of exams The new GCSEs are only split into foundation tier and higher tier if one single exam paper does not give all students the opportunity to show their knowledge and abilities. Consequently, exams are tiered in Biology, Chemistry, French, LAUNDRY German, Maths, Physics and Spanish. MATRONS LOOK AFTER ALL THE LAUNDRY IN THE HOUSE

You should take your dirty clothes every day to the laundry room and make sure you put things in the correct baskets.

You will find clean clothes on the named laundry racks in Matron’s room.

Full boarders may put all their clothes in for washing.

Weekly/Flexi boarders may put all school uniform, underwear and games kit in for washing. Casual clothes should be washed at home at the weekend.

Day boys’ laundry should be done at home.

Washing and drying machines are for use by Matrons and resident staff only. 6th Form pupils may apply to Matron if they wish to do their own laundry.

Any items for dry cleaning should be handed to Matron who will arrange for them to be cleaned.

New grading structure

Current grading structure

9 A* 8 7 A 6 B 5 4 C 3 D 2 E F 1 G U U

9 is awarded to those pupils achieving what would currently be a top A*: perhaps at around 96%+

GOOD PASS (DfE) 5 and above = top of C and above Schools are no longer AWARDING assessed on A*-C 4 and above = bottom of C and above statistics, but on ‘9-4’ statistics. Under the updated structure, the ‘good pass’ for Maths and English is a 5, which is on the border between a C and a B under the old system.