MAS11 Newsletter 2.1

2025-26

The Online Performance Portfolio (OPP) is a personalised, comprehensive digital resource designed to support your child's success, particularly in the lead-up to GCSEs. Created collaboratively by all Heads of Department, the OPP acts as a central hub for targeted revision. For each subject, it provides a crucial checklist of revision topics to guide structured study, essential revision resources (including relevant external links and videos), and a clear roadmap for achieving academic excellence. This portfolio, which was introduced and discussed during the Year 11 Information Evening at the start of the academic year, is essential for promoting independent study and helping students fulfill their full academic potential. Please ask your child to show you their personal portfolio.

Back to Newsletters

View as PDF

MAS11 Key Purpose: Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle".

Dear Year 11 Parents, Carers, and Students,

As we conclude a demanding first week of mock exams, we want to start by saying a huge well done to all our Year 11 students. Their resilience, dedication, and mature approach to the examination environment have been fantastic. We ask that students keep going and keep revising throughout the weekend to prepare for the final push next week.

Mock Exams: Week One Review & Week Two Preparation

The mock examinations are vital: they are the most important preparation for the summer, providing students with realistic examination experience and giving staff the essential data needed to plan highly targeted intervention sessions.

To prepare for the second week of mocks, students must use their personal revision timetable. All relevant information, including the full timetable, has been distributed and is available in multiple places:

Parents/Carers: Sent via MCAS.
Students: A copy is available on your Bromcom Student Portal.
MAS11 Website: An additional copy is available on the dedicated MAS11 website tab: [Link to MAS11 Mock Timetable].

Post-16 Applications: Important Applicaa & Kent Choices Update

We recently held an assembly explaining the Post-16 application process. Kent Choices and Applicaa are the platforms we use to manage applications for Year 12 places, allowing students to research courses and submit their chosen applications to their preferred providers.

You will have recently received an urgent message from us regarding a technical issue. We want to reiterate that information here:

We are writing to give you an urgent update regarding your applications for Post-16 courses via the Applicaa and Kent Choices platforms.

We have been informed that Applicaa and Kent Choices are currently experiencing ongoing technical issues with the Mascalls login programme. This means that you may not have yet received your personal Applicaa login details, or you may be unable to access the system.

We understand this is frustrating and apologise for the inconvenience this delay is causing.

What You Need to Do Now:

Do Not Apply to Mascalls Academy via Kent Choices: Please wait for your correct Applicaa login details to arrive before submitting your application.
Wait for Our Update: We are in direct contact with the platform support teams and will share an update with you as soon as the issue is resolved and your logins are ready.

Please do not panic. Your places at Mascalls Academy are held open for our own students, and this temporary technical issue will not affect your ability to apply and secure your place.

Thank you for your patience. We will be in touch very soon.

Post-16 Open Evening & Key Application Date

Thank you to all the parents, carers, and students who attended our Post-16 Mascalls Open Evening. We were delighted to see such a high turnout and interest in continuing education with us.

To help us prepare our staffing and timetabling blocks for the next academic year, we need students to submit their initial interest of subjects.

Please use the two QR codes below to access the prospectus and the initial interest form:

Post-16 Prospectus:
Initial Subject Interest Form (Exit Poll QR Code):

Please remember that the deadline for applications via Applicaa is 12th February 2026

You can find all the latest information on the Post-16 tab of the MAS11 website here: [Link to MAS11 Post-16 Tab].

Period 6 Revision Sessions

Our Period 6 sessions continue to run successfully throughout Modules 2-5, providing targeted support and extra time in key subjects to help students consolidate their knowledge, address any misconceptions, and gain confidence ahead of their exams.

While we encourage students to sign up in advance so that staff can plan effectively, no one will be turned away — every student is welcome to attend.

Period 6 Timetable Modules 1-5: [Link to Period 6 Timetable]
Period 6 Sign Up Form: [Link to Period 6 Sign Up Form]

Thank you for your ongoing support as we work together through the mock exam period and begin the next crucial step of Post-16 applications.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Stamato

Assistant Principal & Deputy Head of Luther King College

Post16 QR Codes

Yr11 Parents' Evening-Tuesday 13th January 2026

Parents' evenings help to make sure you are kept up-to-date on your child's progress.

Parents' evenings are a chance to discuss how your children are doing in class and in school generally with their teachers. They can help decide how best to work together to support your children's achievement. Your attendance at this event is very important.

Key Dates

Module 2 starts-03/11/25
6th form Open Evening-06/11/25
Mock exams Round 1-10/11/25-21/11/25
Module 2 ends -19/12/25
Parents Evening (1)-13/01/26
GCSE Results Day 20/08/26

Parent/Carer Checklist

5 Top Tips for Supporting Year 11 During Mocks

1. Maintain a Revision Routine, Not Just a Timetable

The student has been provided with a timetable, but parents should help enforce the routine around it. Revision is exhausting, and effective study requires breaks and fuel.

Logistics: Ensure the study space is tidy, well-lit, and dedicated only to revision.
Energy Management: Encourage scheduled breaks (e.g., 15 minutes every hour, students will know this as "The Power of an hour" technique), and insist that the timetable includes an absolute end time each evening to ensure sufficient sleep. Mental health benefits greatly from consistent sleep, which is critical for memory consolidation.

2. Utilise the Online Performance Portfolio (OPP)

The OPP is the single most important tool for targeted revision. It moves the focus from general studying to specific gap filling. As your child to show you their Performance Portfolio

Target the Gaps: Help your child log into their OPP and look specifically at the Quality of Learning Assessment (QLA) data or the areas of improvement per topic. The report will highlight topics they scored poorly on.
Prioritise: Focus their second week's revision on the two or three subjects/topics that had the largest gaps or the lowest scores. There is no time for general reading; revision must be strategic and data-driven.
Resource Location: Use the OPP to find the specific revision materials, notes, or videos linked to those identified weak areas, saving them search time.

3. Be the "Quiz Master" for Retrieval Practice

Passive revision (reading notes) is ineffective. Active recall is essential. Parents can become effective (and low-pressure) quiz masters.

Low-Effort Quizzing: Ask your child to prepare flashcards or a mind map on a key topic they just revised. Then, take the flashcards and quiz them out of sequence.
Testing Conditions: Test them on definitions, formulas, or key dates without their notes. If they struggle, tell them the answer, and immediately quiz them on the same card 5 minutes later. This repetition strengthens the neural pathways necessary for exam recall.

4. Encourage Practice Under Time Pressure

Mock exams are often failed due to poor exam technique (e.g., spending too long on a low-mark question) or time mismanagement, not just lack of knowledge.

Simulate Conditions: Ask your child to tackle a full past paper question or a specific section from a paper (e.g., the 9-mark essay in History or a long practical calculation in Science).
Set a Timer: Crucially, enforce the official exam timing (e.g., 10 minutes for a 12-mark question). This trains their brain to allocate time and prevents them from leaving high-mark questions blank in the real exam.

5. Prioritise Emotional Decompression

The pressure of the second week, combined with fatigue from the first, can lead to burnout and poor performance. The biggest help a parent can offer is to reduce the anxiety surrounding the results.

Model Calmness: Avoid asking, "How did that exam go?" immediately afterward, which can be stressful. Instead, focus on the future: "What is your plan for tonight's revision?"
Schedule Downtime: Ensure they have non-negotiable time away from the books each day, even if only for 30 minutes (walking the dog, listening to music, watching a non-academic show). A refreshed brain works more efficiently.
Focus on Effort, Not Outcome: Emphasise that the mock grades are a tool for improvement, not a final verdict. Praise their hard work and effort, rather than focusing on the score they hope to achieve.

All students have received a paper copy of the Next Steps magazine from their advisors. This magazine is designed to help students explore their options after Year 11, including information about sixth form, college courses, apprenticeships, and future career pathways. It’s an excellent resource to support important conversations at home about your child’s next steps and future plans. You can also view the online version of the magazine here: