Year 11

A number of students enter Bales College in Year 11, to complete their GCSE courses that were started elsewhere. Some students also join us to retake some or all of their GCSEs, so that they can move on to A Level with a better academic foundation.

Students move to us to reach their full potential, something that we are excellent at helping them to do. Through a combination of small classes, regular testing and clear goal setting for each student, we find that they respond well to increased academic demands.

 

Coursework

All students who join us in Year 11 will have a chance to prepare fresh coursework assignments in all subjects. It is an important area for GCSE, and candidates can often give themselves a grade boost through a good set of coursework. Teachers work very hard with the students to make sure they have the time and resources to complete them well.

Year 11 transfer and retake

For a student joining into Year 11 or to retake, we go through a detailed process of ensuring that he or she will be entered for the appropriate tier at GCSE. We assess each student subject by subject and we give students the maximum possible amount of time to convince use, and sometimes themselves, that a higher tier of entry is desirable and appropriate.

General ability at study skills and revision techniques is important for anyone retaking a GCSE subject and our teachers constantly work on this aspect of education with the new students, and continue to do so with returning students. We also aim to see improvement in the standard of coursework. Books and materials specifically for revision are available here. We seek at least a two-grade improvement for any retake.

 

 

With our history as a tutorial college, we have a great deal of experience in providing revision classes once teaching of the course is finished.  This involves much more than recapping the syllabus.  We look at:

Time spent focussing on these areas can easily improve results by at least two grades.  This can be particularly effective for retake students who may feel that they already have a good grasp of the course material, but cannot understand why the grades they obtained do not reflect this.

 

Our teachers have extensive experience providing revision classes.  Usually teachers hold sessions during holiday time immediately prior to exams for intensive classes that can be critical for remedying last-minute problems that may arise.

 

 

Click here for more information on GCSE retake courses.