Information Booklet : GCSE 2020 - 2022

Ballymena AcademyInformation Booklet :GCSE 2020 - 2022

Ballymena Academy GCSE: Externally Assessed Units/ Controlled Assessment 2020-2022GCSE courses are taken over a two year period as: Linear qualifications: all externally assessed units are taken at theend of the two year course, or Non Linear qualifications: some externally assessed units can betaken at other times e.g. at the end of Year 11.GCSE courses are assessed using either: controlled assessment and external exam units, or practical skills (externally assessed) and external exam units, or external exam units only .Controlled AssessmentControlled Assessment is work completed throughout the GCSE coursewhich counts towards a pupil’s final grade. It includes extended essays,investigations, portfolio, practical or performance work.The task and the conditions under which it is taken are specified in detailby the examination board.Pupils will be notified of dates and times well in advance of ControlledAssessment tasks. This booklet provides a general overview of thescheduling of tasks. Given that Controlled Assessments are a formal partof GCSE assessment and must be completed under regulated conditions, itis vitally important that pupils attend school during assigned ControlledAssessment times. it is important that all deadlines set by the school aremet and that preparation is thorough. Note that - high level ControlAssessments are similar to exams and need to be prepared for in the sameway.Levels of ControlFor each task, a level of control will be set by the exam board.Each subject has its own set of controls and each task is given arecommended time and/or word count.Low Level Control has limited supervision and work may be completedoutside of the classroom, without teacher supervision.Medium Level Control means that the task will be informally supervised– pupils can work on their own, with some guidance by the teacher. Insome subjects it may be necessary for pupils to complete part of theassessment outside the classroom.High Level Control means that the task will be completed under directsupervision. This might be the pupil’s teacher or another personnominated by the centre. The work must be completed independently bythe pupil. No guidance from the teacher is permitted. It is similar to anexam.

Geography FieldworkIn Geography, pupils carry out fieldwork in term one of Year 12, duringwhich they collect data which they will take, along with a short fieldworkstatement, into the external exam at the end of Year 12. This material willbe used in the exam to answer questions on their fieldwork investigation(20% of overall marks).Science: Practical SkillsIn Science subjects, Controlled Assessment has been replaced by ‘PracticalSkills’ (25% of overall mark) which includes two parts, both of which areexternally set and assessed:Part 1: Booklet A (7.5% of marks) is a practical skills assessment carriedout in term 2 of Year 12. It assesses pupils’ ability to carry out practicaltasks based on, but not identical to, the prescribed practicals listed in thespecification.Part 2: Booklet B (17.5% of marks) is a written examination taken duringthe final year of study. It assesses pupils’ knowledge and understanding ofpractical science. It consists of questions about planning and carrying outany of the prescribed practical tasks, together with more general questionsabout any practical situation that arises in the course.GCSE or equivalent courses: % External Exam / % Controlled AssessmentExternalExaminationControlledGCSE 60%0%100%BiologyChemistryClassical CivilisationFrenchFurther sSpanishReligious StudiesScience: Single/Double AwardBusiness StudiesEnglish LiteratureDigital TechnologyMedia StudiesMusicEnglish LanguageConstructionFood and NutritionPhysical EducationTechnology and DesignAgriculture and Land UseArt and DesignDrama and Theatre StudiesOccupational Studies

Controlled Assessment ScheduleThe tables below provide an approximate and general overview of the timing ofControlled Assessment during Year 11 and Year 12. More precise details ofdeadlines for Controlled Assessments and nature of the task(s) will be provided bysubject teachers.Controlled AssessmentScience PracticalYear 11 2020 - .Feb.Mar.AprilMayJuneAgricultureArt and DesignBiologyBusiness StudiesChemistryConstructionDigital TechnologyDramaEnglish LanguageEnglish LiteratureFood and NutritionMedia StudiesMusicOccupational StudiesPhysical EducationPhysicsScienceDouble AwardScienceSingle AwardTechnology & DesignYear 12 2021 - 20221(Sept.Oct.Nov.Dec.AgricultureArt and DesignBiologyBusiness StudiesChemistryConstructionDigital TechnologyDramaEnglish LanguageEnglish LiteratureFood and NutritionMedia StudiesOccupational StudiesMusicPhysical EducationPhysicsScience :Double AwardScience :Single AwardTechnology & DesignCourse content and assessment can be found within individual GCSE subject uqas.co.uk

Details of External Units & Controlled AssessmentSubjectExternal Assessments%Controlled Assessmentand Practical skillsYear 11Summer 2021[** unit taken at adifferent time]Year 12Summer 2022[** unit taken at adifferent time ]%TasksUnit 3: two tasks oncontemporary topicsrelevant to Agriculture andLand Use.Part A: 25% ExploratoryPortfolio.Part B: 35% Investigatingthe Creative and CulturalIndustries.Agriculture& Land use40%Unit 1: 20% Soils,Crops and Habitats.Unit 2: 20%Animals on theLand.60%Art40%No externalassessment unitstaken in Year 11.60%Biology100%Unit 1: 35% Cell,Living Processesand Biodiversity.Externally setassignment – 40%stimulus paper thatprovides a choice ofthemed startingpoints.Unit 2: 40% BodySystems, Genetics,Microorganisms andHealth.Unit 3: 17.5%Practical SkillsTheory - Booklet B.BusinessStudies80%Unit 2: 40 %Developing aBusiness – HumanResources, BusinessGrowth, Finance.20%Chemistry100 %Unit 1: 40%Starting a Business– Creating aBusiness,Marketing, BusinessOperations.Unit 1: 35%Structures, Trends,Chemical Reactions,QuantitativeChemistry andAnalysis.7.5%Unit 3: Booklet A PracticalSkills task - externally setand marked.Pupils carry out twopractical tasks based on, butnot identical to, 9 prescribedpracticals carried out overtwo years. Term 2, Year 12.ClassicalCivilisation100%No externalassessment unitstaken in Year 11.Construction50%No externalassessment unitstaken in Year 11.50%Unit 3: 25% TheConstruction Craft Project.Unit 4: 25% ComputerAided Design.DigitalTechnology70%Unit 1: 30%Core Theory.Unit 2: 40%Further ChemicalReactions, Ratesand Equilibrium,Calculations andOrganic Chemistry.Unit 3: 17.5%Practical SkillsTheory - Booklet B.Unit 1: 50% Mythand Religion.Unit 2: 50% RomanCity Life.Unit 1: 20%Introduction to theBuilt Environment.Unit 2: 30%SustainableConstruction.Unit 2: 40% DigitalAuthoring Theory.30%Unit: 3 Digital Authoring –Website and Database.40%No externalassessment unitstaken in Year 11.Unit 3: 40%Knowledge andUnderstanding ofDrama.60%Unit 1: 25% DevisedPerformance.Unit 2: 35% ScriptedPerformance.CCEA&DesignCCEA (Linear)CCEACCEACCEAOCR (Linear)CCEA(Multimedia)7.5%Unit 3: Booklet APractical Skills task externally set and marked.Pupils carry out twopractical tasks based on, butnot identical to, 9 prescribedpracticals carried out overtwo years. Term 2, Year 12.Unit 3: Planning a Business– students completebooklets showing planningand communicatingfindings.CCEADramaCCEA (Linear)

EnglishLanguage60%No externalassessment unitstaken in Year 11.Unit 1: 30%Writing for Purposeand Audience &Reading to AccessNon- fiction andMedia Texts.Unit 4: 30%Personal or CreativeWriting and ReadingLiterary and NonFiction Texts.40%Unit 2: 20% Speaking andListening.Unit 3: 20% StudyingSpoken and WrittenLanguage.EnglishLiterature80%Unit 1: 30% TheStudy of Prose.Unit 2: 50% TheStudy of Drama andPoetry.20%Unit 3: The Study ofShakespeare.Food andNutrition50%No externalassessment unitstaken in Year 11.Unit 1: Food andNutrition.50%Unit 2: the task is set by theexam board and involvesresearch and viewpoints,justification of choice,planning, practical activityand evaluation. Studentspresent a written report onthe task in the requiredformat.FrenchGermanSpanish100%No externalassessment unitstaken in Year 11.Unit 1: 25%Listening.Unit 2: 25%Speaking.Unit 3: 25%Reading.Unit 4: 25%Writing.FurtherMathematics100%Unit 1: 50% PureMathematics.Unit 2: 25%Mechanics.Unit 3: 25%Statistics.Geography100%Unit 1:40% PhysicalTopics.History100%Mathematics100%Unit 1: 60%Modern World inDepth –Life in NaziGermany 1933-45andLocal Study –Changing Relations:Northern Irelandand its Neighbours.Unit worth 45%One paper.Unit 2: 40% HumanTopics.Unit 3: 20%FieldworkQuestions.Unit 2: 40%Outline Study InternationalRelations 19452003.MediaStudies70%30%Unit 3: Creating MediaProducts.CCEACCEACCEA (Linear)CCEACCEACCEACCEACCEAEduqas (Linear)No externalassessment unitstaken in Year 11.Unit worth 55%Two papers[** some pupils willtake a unit inJanuary of 2022].Unit 1: 40%Exploring the MediaUnit 2: 30 %UnderstandingMedia Forms.

Music70%No externalassessment unitstaken in Year 11.OccupationalStudies0%No externalassessment unitstaken in Year 11.PhysicalEducation50%No externalassessment unitstaken in Year 11.Physics100%Unit 1: 37.5%Motion, Force,Density and KineticTheory, Energy, andAtomic and NuclearPhysics.ReligiousStudies CCEA100%Unit 6: 50% AnIntroduction toChristian Ethics.ReligiousStudies CCEA100%Science:100%CCEA (Linear)CCEA Level 2Technology andInnovationCCEA (Linear)CCEA(Full course)(Short course)Double AwardCCEAScience:Single AwardCCEA30%50%7.5%Unit 3: Booklet APractical skills task externally set and marked.Pupils carry out twopractical tasks based on, butnot identical to, 9 prescribedpracticals carried out overtwo years. Term 2, Year 12.No externalassessment unitstaken in Year 11.Unit 1: 25% FactorsUnderpinningHealth andPerformance.Unit 2: 25%DevelopingPerformance.Unit 2: 37.5%Waves, Light,Electricity,Magnetism,Electromagnetismand Space Physics.Unit 3 17.5 %Practical SkillsTheory Booklet B.Unit 4: 50%Christianity througha Study of theGospel of Matthew.Unit 6: 50% AnIntroduction toChristian Ethics.3 units (33%)Biology 1(11%)Chemistry 1 (11%)Physics 1(11%)3 units (42%)Biology 2Chemistry 2Physics 27.5%Unit 3: Booklet A PracticalSkills task - externally setand marked. Pupils carryout three practical tasksbased on, but not identicalto, 18 prescribed practicalscarried out over two years.Term 2, Year 12.7.5%Unit 3: Booklet A, PracticalSkills task – externally setand marked. Pupils carryout two practical tasksbased on, but not identicalto, 9 prescribed practicalscarried out over two years.Term 2, Year 12.50%Design project comprising adesign portfolio andassociated manufacturingtask.100%[**Term 2, Year11, Unit 1 Biology25%]50%No externalassessment unitstaken in Year 11.CCEATechnologyand DesignUnit 1: 35%Performing andAppraising.Unit 3: 35%Listening andAppraising.No externalassessment unitstaken in Year 12.100%(14%)(14%)(14%)Practical SkillsTheory ExternalAssessment Booklet B - 17.5%.[**Term 2 Year 12Unit 2: Chemistry25%]Unit 3: Physics 25%Unit 4: PracticalSkills TheoryExternalAssessment –Booklet B 17.5%.Unit 1: 25%Technology &Design CoreContent.Unit 2: 25%Electronic andMicroelectronicControl Systems.Unit 2: ComposingPupils create twocompositions. One inresponse to pre-releasestimulus and one freechoice.A range of tasks areassessed in:Unit 1: Year 11 AutoCADUnit 2: year 12 WoodcraftAssessments includeanswering questions,practical work andevaluation.Unit 3: IndividualPerformances in PhysicalActivities and Sports.