Dear Parents and Carers
Each year we hear that GCSEs are getting easier, as our students’ hard work is bounced around as a political football. Having been part of preparing students for these exams for many years, I don’t agree.
The breadth and depth of knowledge and skills our students display during the exam period is humbling and encouraging. This year is particularly positive as the attitude of all our students has been exemplary. Your hard work at home is really paying off as your children arrive calmly and go in to complete their numerous exams confidently. They are reporting to us that they feel prepared and that the papers have not thrown up any surprises. They are also telling us that the papers are demanding and difficult which is exactly what we like to hear; it means the students are focused and thinking hard for the whole exam.
As for whether the questions are easier or not; make your own decision about maths using the following two questions which are both non-calculator GCSE questions from the papers this year. The first is working towards a C grade, the second an A.
Working towards a C Grade
Working towards an A Grade
Our work on School Improvement Priorities (as I highlighted in my piece last week) continues. Our Director of Literacy, Julie Stevens, has written an article for this week’s newsletter to bring readers up to date on the work in this area. Our School Improvement Plan has been written to ensure that all our students make excellent progress without exception. To do this, reading is the most important skill they can have. The most frequent discussion I have with our students is about their reading age – if it is below their actual age, I ask what they are doing about it. Of all the skills to develop, this is the one that can be done independently by students, simply taking books from our library, matched to their ability, and reading them!
Once again, thank you for your support of Myton School.
Kind regards
Andy Perry
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