November 2023
Year 10. Parent Information Event
A Cotham School Online Event
Welcome Video
Click the video to play the welcome and overview video by
Mrs Khan, Assistant Headteacher.
Subject Course Videos
Ancient History
Exam Board:
OCR
Course Assessment Structure:
Paper 1: Greece and Persia
Paper 2: Rome and its neighbours
Art & Design
Exam Board:
AQA
Course Assessment Structure:
Component 1: Portfolio
Component 2: Externally set assignment
Business Studies
Exam Board:
OCR
Course Assessment Structure:
Child Development
Exam Board:
OCR
Course Assessment Structure:
Component 1: Health and well-being for
child development - Written Paper
Component 2: Understand the
equipment and nutritional
needs of children from
birth to five years - Coursework
Component 3: Understand the
development of a child
from birth to five years - Coursework
Computer Science
Exam Board: OCR
Course Assessment Structure:
Paper 1: Computer Systems
Paper 2: Computational thinking, algorithms and programming
Design Tech
Exam Board:
AQA
Course Assessment Structure:
Component 1: Written Assessment (2h)
Component 2: Non-exam assessment (NEA): 30–35 hours approx.
Drama
Exam Board:
Edexcel
Course Assessment Structure:
Component 1: Exploring the Performing Arts
Component 2: Developing Skills and techniques
Component 3: Performing to a Brief
English
Exam Board:
AQA
Language Assessment Structure:
Component 1: Explorations in
Creative Reading and Writing
Component 2: Writers’ Viewpoints
and Perspectives
Component 3: Speaking & Listening
Literature Assessment Structure:
Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th century novel
Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry
Food Preparation
Exam Board:
EDUQAS
Course Assessment Structure:
Component 1: Principles of Food Preparation
and Nutrition - Written Exam.
Component 2: Food Preparation and Nutrition in Action (20 hour assessment)
Geography
Exam Board:
AQA
Course Assessment Structure:
Paper 1: Living with the Physical environment
Paper 2: Challenges in the Human environment
Paper 3: Geographical Applications: Issue evaluation, fieldwork, geographical skills
History
Exam Board:
AQA
Course Assessment Structure:
Paper 1: Germany 1890-1945: Democracy
and Dictatorship Conflict and Tension between East and West, 1945-1972
Paper 2: Britain: Migration, Empire and the people; C790 to the present day Restoration England, 1660-1685
Interactive Media
Exam Board:
NCFE
Course Assessment Structure:
Component 1: Investigate interactive media production - Coursework
Component 2: Plan and prepare for an
interactive media product - Coursework
Component 3: Development and production of an interactive media product - Coursework
Component 4: Present and promote an
interactive media product - Coursework
Component 5: Onscreen Exam
Languages
Exam Board:
AQA
Course Assessment Structure:
Component 1: Listening
Component 2: Reading
Component 3: Speaking
Component 4: Writing
Maths
Exam Board:
AQA
Course Assessment Structure:
Paper 1: Linear Mathematics (Non Calc)
Paper 2: Linear Mathematics (Calc)
Paper 3: Linear Mathematics (Calc)
Music Practice
Exam Board:
Pearson BTEC Tech Award
Course Assessment Structure:
Component 1: Exploring Music Products
Component 2: Music Skills
Component 3: Responding to a Music Brief
Physical Education
Exam Board:
OCR
Course Assessment Structure:
Component 1: Reducing the risk of sports injuries
Component 2: Applying principles of training
Component 3: The body’s response to physical activity
Component 4: Sport Psychology
Retail Business
Exam Board:
Course Assessment Structure:
Religious Studies
Exam Board:
AQA
Course Assessment Structure:
Paper 1: Study of Religion (Beliefs and Practices) - Islam & Buddhism
Paper 2: Themes in Ethics & Philosophy
Science
Exam Board:
AQA
Combined Science Assessment Structure:
Biology: x2 Written Papers
Chemistry: x2 Written Papers
Physics: x2 Written Papers
Separate Science Assessment Structure:
Biology: x2 Written Papers
Chemistry: x2 Written Papers
Physics: x2 Written Papers
Sociology
Exam Board:
AQA
Course Assessment Structure:
Paper 1: The sociology of families and education
Paper 2: The sociology of crime and deviance and social stratification.
Key Year 10 Staff
Ms Van Der Berg
Assistant Headteacher
SLT Link for Y10
Key Year 10 Documents
Effective Preparation Strategies
A Parent's Guide to Revision - Click Here
After school Revision Timetable - Click Here
General Revision Timetable - Click Here
Revision: Note Taking Techniques - Click Here
Helpful Online Portals
Preparing for Assessments
Online Learning: Platforms
As a subscriber, your child now has access to GCSEPod’s library of over 6,000 ‘Pods,’ 3-5 minute videos designed to deliver knowledge in short bursts. GCSEPod makes learning and revision much more manageable: every Pod is mapped to an exam board, and contains all the right facts, quotes, keywords, dates and annotated diagrams that your child needs for GCSE success – all neatly organised into topics and exam playlists.
One of the best things about GCSEPod is that you can download any Pod to your child’s mobile device, and then they can watch them at any time, in any place, with or without internet. It’s like they’re carrying a whole set of textbooks in their pocket! Make sure you download the GCSEPod app from the App Store (Apple and Android are supported) to access this feature.
GCSEPod also has the ability to identify knowledge gaps and automatically send playlists to help fill them. After completing any homework set on GCSEPod, your child will get a personalised “Boost Playlist” of Pods relevant to their identified areas of weakness. We strongly suggest you encourage your child to review these playlists regularly as this will speed up their progress.
We recommend that you talk about GCSEPod with your son or daughter – check that they’ve successfully activated their account and encourage them to make use of this amazing resource throughout their GCSE’s. Once they’ve activated their account, they can browse the GCSEPod library and create their own playlists – just as they would when they’re listening to music.
For more ways to support your child using GCSEPod, please visit www.gcsepod.com/parents where you’ll find lots more information and resources.
Your child has already been registered with GCSEPod, if your child can’t remember their username and password, please ask them to contact Mr Ahmed (ahmedf@cotham.bristol.sch.uk).
You may be aware that many Faculties are using SENECA Learning to support our students’ digital learning. Seneca offers high-quality free online learning courses for students to study from a computer, tablet or phone. The courses are suitable for students aged 13 and above and cover KS3, KS4 GCSE and KS5 A Level subjects.
Parent Accounts
SENECA also provides free parent accounts. The free parent accounts allow you to track your child’s learning and help make conversations about school and learning easier.
SENECA’s parent accounts also allow you to learn alongside your child if you wish to do so. This might be helpful in supporting you to work with your child on areas of their school work that you are less familiar with.
We are aiming for more parents to create a parent account as this will enable us to access further opportunities from SENECA and the Department of Education which will help all students at Cotham. We are aiming to have 200 parents and carers create accounts so that we can link more closely with SENECA.
You can sign up for a free SENECA parent account here: app.senecalearning.com/parent
Seneca have made this handy 2 minute video to help you get started.
Or you can read how to get your free account if you’d prefer.
If you have any questions about how SENECA works, you can get support from the SENECA team using the live chat on their website or you can email them at learnmore@seneca.io.
Tracking Home Learning with Google Classroom
Google Classroom email summaries for parents and carers
Google Classroom email summaries for parents and carers have now been enabled.
If you were receiving the summaries last year the emails will automatically resume. If you are a new parent for a new student, you will receive an email invitation via the email account that the school holds on record for you. You have 120 days to accept the invitation before it will expire.
When you accept the invitation, you can select whether you have a daily or weekly summary of all the work set for your child and the status of all tasks set.
If you have misplaced the invitation link, please email us on GCSupport@cotham.bristol.sch.uk with the name of your child and their tutor group and we will resend the invitation to you.
Help and Support with Student Wellbeing
Help and support can be found here, if you are worried about your child:
Young minds - advice on teen behaviour and mental health
Family lives - Guidance on parenting teens
Off the Record - youth mental health ages 11-25
Happy Maps - advice on young people’s mental health and services directory