Year 9 Assessment
Weeks commencing 26th February, 4th and 11th March 2024 are assessment weeks. Subject teachers will help prepare your child for these assessments so that they know what to expect. As parents, we hope that you will want to take an interest in what your child has been learning, and to support them with their revision, in preparation for these assessments. Information and revision resources can be found on this page.
It is important that your child is present for these assessments, as it allows us to closely monitor their progress and put relevant support in where necessary. If your child is absent, due to illness, we will endeavour where possible, to try to catch up these assessments at a later date.
English
In English students have been studying Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman. In their next assessment students will be provided with an extract from the text and students will be asked to answer a question based on this extract.
Students will be assessed on the following areas:
AO1 – infer/deduce/interpret information, events and ideas from the text.
AO1 – select relevant references (quotations) from the extract and elsewhere in the play to support their inferences.
AO2 – use of subject terminology to identify the writer’s methods and comment on the effect of these choices on the reader.
Please find revision task below to help students prepare for this assessment.
Science
Your child will have 3 science assessments at the end of year 7 (Biology, Chemistry and Physics). The topics on each test are outlined below.
Biology Topics
- Cell Biology (Cell structure and function, specialised cells, diffusion, microscopes and magnification)
- Organisation (Skeletal system, digestive system, circulatory system)
- Health (Diseases, how we protect ourselves from disease)
Chemistry Topics
- Atoms & Particles (Atoms, elements and compounds, atomic structure, states, diffusion)
- Chemical Processes (The Periodic table, chemical reactions, word and symbol equations, conservation of mass)
- Earth & Materials (Properties of materials, structure of the Earth, rock types)
Physics Topics
- Energy (energy stores & transfers, power of appliances, energy bills, energy in food, energy resources)
- Particles (the particle model (solid, liquids and gases), pressure of a solid on a surface, pressure in fluids (liquids and gases), density)
French
There will be 3 assessments; listening, reading and writing.
The topics to be revised are:
- Personal information
- School
- Free-time activities
Revision vocabulary sheets attached.
History
Cycle 2 assessment – Tudors
What will the assessment look like?
- Students will be asked to recall 10 knowledge answers, 5 questions from Normans and 5 from Tudors. There will be some free recall answers and some multiple choice questions. In general, students only need to provide one word answers for this section.
- The second question assess a key historical skill of making an inference. An inference is when students look at a source and say what the source suggests about the question, choosing a quote to support this.
- The third question is a interpretation question. Here students will be expected to read both interpretations and find the difference commenting on what each view is about with a supporting quote.
- The final question is a causation question. For this students will be expected to explain why a certain event happened. To complete this question, students will need to recall specific knowledge from their revision. Students will also be required to use analytical phrases to explain why this had an impact on the given time period. Analytical phrases are words such as ‘this led to, therefore, as a result’.
How can students prepare for their upcoming History assessment?
- Students should prepare by using the revision sheet uploaded to this website. Students also have an electronic copy on their email and a physical copy from lessons.
- To revise effectively, students must read through the sheet and highlight the key content such as names, dates and places. Then, students should make a flashcard or a mind map to condense the information into memorable chunks. From the revision tool, students should read through the information and quiz themselves on the content. Quizzing is the most effective form of revision as it forces the brain to recall information under pressure. Students can either test themselves or someone at home can help by quizzing them.
Music
In Music, students will be assessed on their listening and performance skills. They will receive one mark based on their performance of a piece of film music, using the keyboard, and all students have been rehearsing for this over the recent weeks. Students will be given the opportunity to perform several times throughout the assessment window, choosing from a variety of pieces which will demonstrate their ability to perform accurately using one or both hands.
In addition they will have a listening test in the final week of the assessment window. They will be required to recall key theory information (provided below on the revision sheet), and to listen to different musical extracts and describe them using key musical vocabulary. The revision sheet contains a suggested playlist which allow students to prepare for this part of the test.
PE
What will the assessment look like?
Students will be assessed in the two areas of Athletics – Track and Field, that students have been covering this half term. It is a practical assessment, so students will not need to complete a written task. They will be assessed across three different categories, Head, Heart and Hands. For Head, they will be assessed in their knowledge of the sport, being able to describe key aspects of the sport including rules and regulations. For Heart, students will be assessed in their physical fitness. Their ability to perform at a moderate level throughout their lessons. For Hands, students will be assessed in basic, intermediate, and advanced skills. This will be across the two different sports in both PE lessons during assessment week.
The areas that students will be assessed in will be:
Head
- I can identify how to safely warm up and cool down to prepare for this sport
- I can identify the rules for competing in this sport
- I can describe how to perform a range of skills in this sport (coaching)
- I can describe how tactics can be applied in this sport.
Heart
- I can perform activity at a light to moderate intensity for a sustained period.
- I can perform activity at a moderate to high intensity for a sustained period.
- I can demonstrate the specific components of fitness required for this sport.
- I have demonstrated development in the components of fitness required for this sport.
Hands
- I can consistently perform a range of basic skills with the correct form and technique
- I can consistently perform a range of intermediate skills with the correct form and technique
- I can consistently perform a range of advanced skills with the correct form and technique
- I can apply a range of skills consistently to a competitive situation.
- I can apply tactics and demonstrate how to outwit opponents in this sport.
How can students prepare for their upcoming PE assessment?
Every PE lesson will be building knowledge and developing skills in the sports they will be assessed in. We ask students to continue putting in high levels of effort, answer questions and perform a range of skills. This will all be taken into consideration for their overall assessment outcome.
