Step Up to GCSE
As a GCSE student at Smithdon High School, your Key Stage 4 curriculum will begin in Year 10 and build on the prior foundations of a Knowledge Rich Curriculum begun in Key Stage 3.
Year 10 will end with a series of examinations to check where you are in relation to your academic potential. This is the first of three series of examinations that take place to inform and guide you leading up to your final GCSE exams. The feedback from each of these will allow your subject teachers to personalise your Year 11 curriculum. This means we will be able to use tutor time better to meet the needs of each and every one of you in preparation for your final GCSE examinations.
Included below are a range of resources that will support your revision during Years 10 and 11.
Timeline for years 10 and 11
This includes key dates for health checks, examination, reports and parents’ evenings. Please be aware that this document is subject to change.
Year 10
|
Term |
Date |
What is going on? |
|
Autumn Term |
16 October 2025 16 December 2025 |
Yr10 Step Up to Success Evening
Year 10 Rewards Assembly |
|
Spring Term |
6 January 2025
w/c 16 March 2026 |
Year 10 Reports to parents
Year 10 PPE exams |
|
Summer Term |
16 April 2026
6 May 2026
19 May 2026
21 May 2026
w/c 15 June 2026
17 June 2026
29 June 2026
9 July 2026
w/c 13 July 2026 |
Rewards Assembly
GCSE Geography Field Trip 1
Year 10 Reports to parents
Year 10 Parents evening
Year 10 mock MFL Oral exams
GCSE Geography Field Trip 2
Yr10 Intervention Evening (SLT)
Year 10 Awards Assembly
Work Experience
|
Year 11
|
Term |
Date |
What is going on? |
||
|
Autumn Term |
|
Yr11 Revision/Applications and Tutor evening.
Year 11 Pre-Public Exams (PPEs)
Hospitality and Catering NEA
Year 11 Progress Reports and Feedback Forms to Parents
Rewards Assembly |
||
|
Spring Term |
|
Year 11 Reward Trip |
||
|
Summer Term |
|
|
Subject Information
Please click here to view
50 Facts Booklet
The 50-fact booklet below will support your preparation for these exams. Each subject page includes the core knowledge that pupils need to know in order to be successful.
Please click here to view
The Learning Scientist
All of these strategies have supporting evidence from cognitive psychology. For each strategy, we explain how to do it, some points to consider, and where to find more information.
- Spaced Practice
- Retrieval Practice
- Elaboration
- Interleaving
- Concrete Examples
- Dual Coding
Please find user guides below for each of these strategies.
Year 11 Booster Sessions
Please click on the link below:
Additional Information
Please click on the links below to view: