MAS11 Newsletter 2.2

2025-26

Back to Newsletters

View as PDF

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]

MAS11 Key Purpose: “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

We have now reached the end of our two-week mock exam window, and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all families for your ongoing support. These mock exams are a vital part of Year 11. They allow students to experience the structure, timing and pressure of formal assessments, while also giving staff the detailed information needed to plan targeted support for the months ahead.

Marking, Feedback and Reviewing Work

Our staff are now busy marking papers so that students can receive high-quality, personalised feedback. Once marking is complete, teachers will go through the papers with students in lessons, revisiting questions and identifying key areas for improvement. This stage is absolutely crucial—it helps students understand mistakes, refine their exam technique and take clear next steps.

Mock Results – How They Will Be Issued

Mock results will be shared with students and parents as follows:

Thursday 11th December:
Parents and students can collect results from school between 5.45pm and 6.30pm in the main school reception area
This event is designed to replicate the anticipation and experience students will face in August when collecting their real GCSE results.
Friday 12th December:
I will deliver a MAS11 assembly to talk the cohort through the overall outcomes and what they mean.
Monday 15th December:
Results will be available on the Student Portal for students and on MCAS for parents and carers.

Equipment – A Key Area for Improvement

It was evident in some exams that a number of students were still not fully prepared, lacking essential equipment such as:

Scientific calculator
Compass
Protractor
Ruler
Pencils and pens

Please ensure your child has the full set of required equipment going forward. Missing equipment significantly restricts their ability to perform at their best in assessments and public exams.

Morning Advisory Interventions

Morning Advisory interventions will continue from week beginning Monday 24th November, taking place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as they did previously in Module 1.
Attendance and punctuality to these sessions are vital if students are to make continued progress.

A reminder: 100% attendance to these sessions enters students into a weekly prize draw for a £5 Amazon voucher.

Once all mock results are analysed, we will review intervention groups and subject allocations to ensure they reflect student performance and needs.

Period 6 Sessions

Period 6 sessions continue throughout Modules 2–5.
Please ensure you have signed your child up using the link provided here so that staff can plan effectively. If you have previously signed up there is no need to do so again. The timetable of sessions can be found on the MAS11 website or by clicking this link

BTEC Vocational Courses

Some students will be entered for the January assessment window for components 1, 2 or 3 of their vocational courses.
Parents of these students will receive separate notification. Please continue supporting your child by ensuring they are prepared for:

Component 3 exams, or
Have what they need for updating and improving assignments for Component 1 or 2 when at school

If you have any subject-specific questions, please contact your child’s class teacher.

Revision – A Continuous Process

Revision is not just for mock exams; it is an ongoing habit. As outlined in the September Information Evening, students should be revising ‘little and often’ every day. Consistency is key to building confidence, retaining knowledge and ensuring strong outcomes in the summer.

Supporting Wellbeing

This can be a demanding time for Year 11 students. Please encourage your child to maintain:

A healthy sleep routine
Balanced diet
Time for rest and physical activity
Breaks from screens and social media

If your child is feeling overwhelmed, please reach out to us—we are here to support both their wellbeing and academic progress. Additionally the MAS11 website has a dedicated wellbeing section for both students and parents

Thank you once again for your continued support. Together, we can ensure every student in Year 11 is fully prepared for the months ahead.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Stamato

Assistant Principal & Deputy Head of Luther King College

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 ends-19/12/25
Parents Evening (1)-13/01/26
Leavers Prom - 23/06/26 @ Spa Hotel
JCQ Contingency Day for exams-24/06/26 (This date is set aside for potential widespread national or local disruption and all students must remain available up to and including this day)
GCSE Results Day 20/08/26

Parent/Carer Checklist

6 Top Tips for Supporting Year 11

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. Ensure your child has the correct equipment for lessons/exams

Scientific calculator
Compass
Protractor
Ruler
Pencils and pens

4.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.

5. 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.

6. 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:

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.

The JCQ contingency day for GCSE exams in Summer 2026 is Wednesday, June 24, 2026. This date is set aside for potential widespread national or local disruption and all students must remain available up to and including this day.

What it is: A backup day to hold exams in the event of a major disruption that forces exams to be postponed.
Who it affects: All students taking GCSE exams in summer 2026.
What to do: Ensure you do not book any holidays or make other commitments that would prevent you from being available for an exam on this date.
Why it exists: To provide a fallback in case of unforeseen national or significant local events that would prevent exams from being held as scheduled.

Page updated

Report abuse