GCSE's explained

At Cox Green School GCSEs are taken at the end of KS4 (Year 11, when students are aged 15 or 16). Pupils choose their GCSE subjects in the spring term of Year 9, and start studying for them at the beginning of Year 10. Some schools enter pupils for some of their GCSEs a year early, at the end of Year 10.  However, at Cox Green School we do not believe that this provides pupils with the necessary time to adequately prepare for these challenging external exams. Until summer 2016, pupils were awarded a mark from A* to G; as of 2019 all GCSE subjects are graded numerically.

GCSE exams grade students from 9 to 1, with 9 roughly equivalent to A*, and 4 a low grade C. The Department for Education has produced a parents' guide to the new GCSE grading system and a helpful video. Some subjects, including English, maths and science, are assessed purely by exam. Others include an element of coursework or practical work. The specifics can be found on departmental curriculum pages. Currently, there are five different exam boards offering GCSEs. The syllabus and exam content will vary between the boards, as will the exam dates, but they all have to cover the core National Curriculum content. Students sit their GCSEs in May and June, and get their results on the last Thursday in August. 

Revision, where do I start?

 The key to successful revision is to plan. It should not be an onerous task and there are many simple strategies to make it easier. As a school we have produced the following helpful guide to start the process of preparing for exams.