Dear Parents/Carers,
Please find below some key information to help you support your child in their impending assessments.
Your child will sit formal assessments in all subjects in their first Assessment Window from Monday 15th November – Friday 3rd December. The results of these assessments, together with the teacher assessed grade, and an outline of how your child can improve, will be reported home the w/c Monday 13th December.
Please find below an overview of revision for each subject. Please encourage your child to complete any revision tasks set by their class teacher on Show My Homework. Your child should also use their Knowledge Organisers to revise; these be found here: https://rainford.org.uk/ks3-knowledge-organisers/
| Subject | Topics to revise |
| Art / Design & Technology* | Art – Seed Pods Project/ Mexican Day of the Dead Project- Knowledge Organiser DT- Students should revise using the relevant Knowledge Organiser from their current unit and review the materials, techniques and processes involved in their design and practical work. RM: Picture frame; Food: Herby meatballs, Sweet and sour, Focaccia, Chelsea buns, Calzone, Spring Rolls; Graphics: Photo holder; Textiles: Bag. |
| Computer Science | Students will need to have knowledge of e-safety and how to stay safe online, computer systems and how data is input and output from these systems. Students will need to be able to identify the difference between different logic gates and convert between binary and denary. Students need to know what the CPU is and how memory is used within the computer and also different network topologies. All content is covered on the 8.1 Knowledge Organiser. |
| Drama | Students should revise using the relevant knowledge organisers-Evacuation and they will also be completing a practical assessment at the end of the unit which will show their new learning and understanding of how to create believable characters |
| English | Students will be studying The Woman in Black topic. They will revise important information on the knowledge organisers and complete quizzes set on Google Classroom. For the assessment, students will be producing a book review for a specialist magazine aimed at a teenage audience. Students will therefore require a good understanding of the text and will need to understand the features of an article. |
| Geography | Students will need to revise the globalisation topic. What is globalisation and the factors that have encouraged the growth of globalisation – transport and communication technologies. Students should revise types of globalisation and the role in TNCs. They should include the case study of McDonalds, positive and negative impacts around the world and how McDonalds has used glocalisation to spread its influence. Students should also revise the advantages and disadvantages of globalisation. . |
| History | Students need to revise the conditions in towns during the Industrial Revolution, focusing on hygiene, streets, disease and knowledge of health. Students also need review how the lives of people changed during the Industrial Revolution, focusing on the impact of the changes on people’s lives. There will be some knowledge recall, a four mark describe and an 8 mark explain question. |
| Maths | Year 8 will sit two papers based on work covered since September. Paper 1 Core will be calculator and paper 2 either foundation or higher. Topics to be covered on both papers are: Ratio & Scale, Multiplicative Change, Multiplying & Dividing Fractions, Understanding the Cartesian Plane. Knowledge organisers are available to download on Google Classroom. |
| MFL (Spanish) | Students will be assessed in all four skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Speaking questions will be prepared in class and students need to revise these thoroughly. The assessment will cover what we have studied on the topic of clothes. They need to revise vocabulary for items of clothing, expressing opinions and describing clothes. Students should revise structures like comparatives and superlatives, as well as making sure they know juicy bits and idioms that can be used in the writing. Students should also revise vocabulary related to free time activities (Yr7), and how to use past and future tenses (e.g. I wore, I am going to wear etc.). |
| Music | Units rotated due to equipment accessibility. Students need to prepare the unit they have been working on from: 1. African Music. Performance of group composition and listening test to show understanding. Students need to know key features of African music e.g. call and response, polyrhythms, vocal chanting 2. Avicii Ensemble Practical task performing part of the ensemble Avicii project (keyboard, voice, guitar or drums) Students need to learn key terms and practice their individual part where possible |
| PE | Assessment will be a practical task in the games activity that you are participating in at the time of assessment. |
| RE | Students need to focus on the topic of Ultimate Questions. This includes examples of Ultimate questions, what some of the different religions believe are the answers to the questions. Students need to also understand and learn what ‘Science believes are some of the answers to these questions and if they are more superior answers than religions. |
| Science | Depending on the science topic the class is working through, the assessment will involve either: Biology- Bioenergetics This includes photosynthesis, leaves & stomata, breathing & gas exchange, respiratory system, aerobic & anaerobic respiration, fermentation, the circulatory system and blood & vessels. Chemistry- Atoms, elements & compounds This includes atoms & elements, compounds, mixtures, chemical formula, metals & non-metals, Group 1-Alkali metals, Group 7- Halogens and Group 0- Noble gases. Physics- Energy This includes energy types, energy transfers, word done, power, energy costs, energy efficiency, fossil fuels, nuclear energy & renewable energy. Students should use knowledge organisers and lesson resources on google classroom to help with their revision. |
*Please note that the D&T and Art assessment will take place at the end of the rotation, in the final week of the half-term, w/c 13th December.
This is a crucial period in your child’s education and any support you can provide in line with the school’s provision will be highly beneficial. If you have any questions regarding your child’s progress, please do not hesitate in contacting your child’s subject teacher. Information on each department, including staff contact details and a termly overview of topics taught per subject, can be found on our website: https://rainford.org.uk/ks3-curriculum/.
If you have any queries regarding your child’s progress in general, please contact your child’s Learning Leader, Mr. O’Connor (r.oconnor @rainford.org.uk) or Pastoral Leader, Mrs Moore ([email protected]).
Yours faithfully,
Miss M Winn
Assistant Principal Quality Assurance and KS3 Assessment.