Now we are Sixth: May 2010

NOTICES FOR TOMORROW
1. Can you e mail me names of any pupils who never completed the ALLAN test and wish to do so. It does equate to a GCSE so they really should get this done. If they failed, i think they can retake- let me know if this is the case. Please send names by Thursday morning.

2. I need to see any pupils who are currently doing level 2 courses and are not on contract. I also need to see any pupils on 3 a levels at 1.55pm in my classroom E111. It will take approx 5 mins.

3. ALL PUPILS studying an ART subject e.g. GRAPHICS, TEXTILES, FINE ART, PHOTOGRAPHY A.S. levels MUST GO to a meeting with Mr Cartwright in his room tomorrow registration time. If they cant meet this, please let Mr Cartwright know:

cartwrightj@welling.bexley.sch.uk

4. ASSEMBLY CANCELLED

5. I need to see the following people at break time about this BELOW:

10.55am in my office

SAM MARCHANT

EMILY PRESTIDGE

JACK DAY

CHARLIE BENN

SOPHIE FITSIMMONS

KATHRYN POWELL

NICK STOREY

JADE MITTON

GEMMA GIBSON

HARRY NORRIS

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

SCHOOL TASTER DAY 2010

Friday 2nd July
9.30am to 3.30pm,
Queen Anne Building Lecture Theatre 080
Greenwich Maritime Campus, Park Row

09.30 – 10.00 Registration and workshop allocations QA063
10.00 – 10.10 Welcome, Introduction, Plan for the Day LTQA080

Verna Rhodes
10.10 – 10.40 Careers in Humanities and Social Sciences LTQA080

Zoe Pettit and Emma Hanna
10.45 – 11.30 Workshops Group One:

Law QA038
Drama QA039
International Studies QA063
Philosophy LTQA080

11.30 – 12.00 Break QM Cafe
12.00 – 12.45 Workshops Group Two:
History QA038
Criminology QA039

TESO/ELT QA063
Media-Journalism* (newsroom) KW202
12.45 – 13.45 LUNCH QM Café

13.45 - 14.15 Campus Tour
14.15 – 15.00 Workshops Group Three:

English QA038
Politics QA039
Sociology QA063
Languages** French, Italian, Spanish (language centre) D235

15:00 – 15.30 Quizdom Evaluations and Close QA080

LEAGUE TABLES OF UNIVERSITIES

The Complete University Guide

Dear Reader

This Thursday, The Independent will be publishing the league tables ranking all of the universities in the UK.

Compiled by The Complete University Guide, the tables will appear in the Education & Careers supplement and will be essential reading for students, alumni and parents.

Universities are scored on nine measures, including student satisfaction, job prospects and research which takes account of the latest research assessment exercise. The guide will look at how universities perform by region and how they fare in the subject tables.

For more information visit www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk

Compiled by The Complete University Guide

SUFFRAGETTES PEE ACTIVITY

PEE FOR VOTES FOR WOMEN

You will be given some judgements (points) and you need to support them with key detail (evidence) which you then explain in great depth (explanation)

1. Women had very little say in the 19th century.
2. Many women did not believe that women should be enfranchised.
3. Many women became frustrated with the suffragist movement by 1903.
4. The early suffrage movement was a failure.
5. The WSPU’s militancy hindered the campaign for suffrage.
6. The WSPU’S militancy helped the campaign for suffrage.
7. Force feeding gained the suffragettes lots of support.
8. Black Friday was a disaster for the Liberal Government.
9. Women were close to being enfranchised in 1914.
10. The war helped some women gain the vote in 1918.

SUFFRAGETTES TABOO GAME

HISTORY TABOO!

ONE PLAYER- Describe and explain everything you know about the following people, events or laws.
TWO PLAYER- One person describes word without saying it. The other person has to guess.

ASQUITH

WOMEN’S SUNDAY

DAVID LLYOD GEORGE

SYVLIA PANKHURST

CHRISTABEL PANKHURST

EMMELINE PANKHURST

FREDERICK PETHICK LAWRENCE

EMMELINE PETHICK LAWRENCE

ANNIE KENNEY

MILITANCY

CONCILIATION BILL

COMMON CAUSE

VOTES FOR WOMEN

TEREASA BILLINGTON GRIEG

CONSTANCE LYTTON

EMILY DAVISON

DERBY

JANE WHARTON

HUNGER STRIKES
FORCE FEEDING

LYDIA BECKER

MILICENT FACETT

CONTAGIOUS DISEASES ACT

SECRET BALLOT ACT

CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT

PRIMROSE LEAGUE
JOSEPHINE BUTLER

ELFS

NUWSS

WSPU

WFL

CHARLOTTE DESPARD

ANTI SUFFRAGE LEAGUE
MUD MARCH

RICHARD PANKHURST

HENRY FAWCETT

JOHN STUART MILL

MARION WALLACE DUNLOP

MARY RICHARDSON

PAINTING OF VENUS
BRITANNICA
MOTHER’S ARMS

EXTENDED PROJECT- MEETING 5PM IN THE LRC, WEDNESDAY 19TH MAY 2010

•Have you found you have
some “spare” time because you are doing the minimum amount of courses?
•Are you a well-motivated,
conscientious &
independent learner?
•Do you enjoy researching
topical issues?
Do you enjoy a subject and wish to develop something in more depth?

Then apply for the Extended Project.......

Replies to offers
Applicants that applied before the 15 January application closing date (extended to 22 January due to the severe weather conditions) will have received all their offers by now and should have made their replies. If for any reason students have failed to reply to their offers they will have been declined automatically on 5 May. Students in this situation will have 14 days to contact us to change this.

Summer holidays
Students must ensure that before they leave for the summer holidays to keep their contact details up to date on Track as their university or college choices may contact them. Students should update their address, email and telephone details.

Students need to make a note of their Track username, password and Personal ID to use over the summer holiday. These will be especially important in August when students can check their situation when they have their results.

Extra
Extra has been open and available to eligible students since 26 February 2010. Extra is available to applicants who have used all five choices on their original application and have been either unsuccessful at all choices or declined their offers.

Extra for students is explained on the UCAS website: student extra and in the adviser’s section: adviser extra.

Extra gives students the opportunity to look for available places using Course Search and choose those that may be of interest to them. Initially students are advised to contact universities and colleges themselves to discuss their requirements and to ensure that spaces are still available.

The final date for students to refer their application to a university or college through Extra is 6 July 20

10.

Sunday, 16 May 2010

SOCIOLOGY EXAM INFORMATION

SOCIOLOGY EXAM BREAKDOWN

Unit 2: Education; Health; Sociological Methods

Written Paper, 2 hours

60% of total AS marks, 30% of total A Level marks

Candidates choose one topic (Education or Health) and answer:

(a) one question on the chosen topic. This question consists of four parts

(b) one question on sociological research methods in the context of the chosen topic. This question consists of one part.

In addition, candidates answer one question on free-standing research methods. This question consists of four parts.

Available January and June

Subject Content

Choice of either:

• Education plus Research Methods

or

• Health plus Research Methods.

　

Unit 1: Culture and Identity; Families and Households; Wealth, Poverty and Welfare

Written Paper, 1 hour

40% of total AS marks, 20% of total A Level marks

Candidates choose one topic from three and answer one question. Each question consists of five parts.

Available January and June

Subject Content

Choice of one from:

• Culture and Identity

• Families and Households

• Wealth, Poverty and Welfare.

TIPS FOR THE SOCIOLOGY EXAM

GCE SOCIOLOGY – 2190

ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR TEACHING SCLY1 AND SCLY2

1 SCLY1

a) Rubric

In January 2009, a number of candidates started to answer Question 1

(Culture and Identity), then crossed out their work and started Question 2

(Families and Households). Also, some responses to Question 1 seemed to

be better suited to Question 2. There was also an increase in the number of

candidates who disregarded the rubric and attempted all three questions in

the paper.

Centres should advise candidates about the layout of the question paper and

make sure that candidates are aware of the sequence of the options in the

paper.

2 SCLY2

a) Question 2/5

(i) The structure of Question 2/5

This is a new style of question for this examination; it is important that

teachers and candidates have a clear understanding of the nature of this task.

The question starts with the following statement:

‘This question requires you to apply your knowledge and understanding

of sociological research to the study of this particular issue in education/

health.’

Candidates are then asked to read an Item and:

Using material from the Item, assess the strengths and limitations of one

of the following methods for investigating a particular issue in Education/

Health.

(i) method A

or

(ii) method B

For example, Q2 in January 2009 asked:

‘’Using material from Item B and elsewhere, assess the strengths and

limitations of one of the following methods for investigating boys’

underachievement:

EITHER (i) official statistics

OR (ii) unstructured interviews’’

Teacher Resource Bank / GCE Sociology / Additional Guidance for Teaching SCLY1 and SCLY2 / Version 1.0

Copyright © 2009 2 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. klm

(ii) What does this task require from candidates?

Question 2/5 focuses on the skill of Application. We can identify a number of

levels of Application skills in answers to these questions.

Level One This is the ‘pure’ methods answer in which candidates present

a list of the strengths and limitations of the selected method

with NO application to either Education or Health in general or

to the specific issue identified in the question.

Level Two At this level, candidates apply their understanding of the

method to researching Education or Health in general.

Typically, this will involve identifying a range of research

characteristics of the social groups involved in Education or

Health (eg teachers and pupils, or medical professionals and

patients) and of likely research settings (eg classrooms and

schools, or hospitals or GP surgeries). These are then linked

to the selected method. Answers that do this effectively will

score in the middle mark band.

Level Three At this level, candidates apply their understanding of the

strengths and limitations of the chosen method to the particular

issue identified in the question and Item B/D. This kind of

answer, done well, will score in the top mark band.

(iii) Reference to studies

There is no expectation that candidates will be able to refer to examples of

sociological studies that used one of the methods in the question. This would

require candidates to cover an immense range of studies in order to use

probably only one example in their answer. However, if candidates do refer

to appropriate studies they will, of course, be rewarded.

(iv) Use of the Item

Item B/D will indicate a number of relevant points about the methods and

about the particular issue specified in the question. There will be two or three

‘hooks’ in the Item for each method that will give candidates some starting

points for application but these must, of course, be developed in the

candidate’s answer.

We strongly recommend that teachers should advise their candidates to read

and use Item B/D carefully in their answers.

Teacher Resource Bank / GCE Sociology / Additional Guidance for Teaching SCLY1 and SCLY2 / Version 1.0

klm Copyright © 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 3

b) Question 1c/4c

Teachers and candidates should be aware that this question requires a short

essay response. This question has eight marks for A01 (knowledge and

understanding) and four marks for the AO2 skills (application, analysis,

interpretation and evaluation). Candidates should be encouraged to not only

present knowledge relevant to the question but to explain, evaluate and

apply it to the question.

For example, Question 1(c) in January 2009 asked:

‘’Outline some of the policies introduced by governments to create an

education market in the United Kingdom.’’

Candidates who presented good knowledge of relevant policies were placed

in the middle mark band. Those who, in addition, explained how these

policies contributed to an education market scored in the top mark band.

Answers that offered some evaluation of the effects of such polices often

moved to the top of the top mark band.

SOCIOLOGY HOMEWORK MONDAY MAY 17TH

Speciman Question Paper and Mark Scheme

http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/humanities/sociology_materials.php?id=10&prev=10

http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/pdf/AQA-SCLY2-W-SQP-07.PDF

SOCIOLOGY FAMILY QUOTES TO LEARN

Gittins- A family is a group of persons directly linked by kin connections, the adult members of which assume responsibility for the children.

Beechey 1977- argues that housewives perform major functions for capitalism e.g. providing free care for current and future male workers and being a cheap reserve army of labour.

Zaretsky= claimed that as an area of personal freedom and release, the family helps to support capitalism although often at the expense of greater oppression of women.

MARX=Linked the emergence of modern nuclear household and exploited housewife role to the development of capitalism.

Margaret Benston- Marxist feminist= family supports capitalism, men and the workforce within capitalism and women support men and reproduce the labour force. Sees family negatively.

Fran Ansley- women are the shit takers! (she s a Marxist feminist) women endure the frustration men exert when they return home.

David Cooper- Marxist= has negative view of the family. Family teaches children to conform and be a submissive workforce.

Christine Delphy – radical feminist= men benefit most from the exploitation of women. Women not only have to look after the children but also elderly parents.

Laura Purdy= questions how the media claim women can have it all- not true in the current climate. Women will be liberated when they stop having children- baby strike!

Germaine Greer= radical feminist= women’s responsibilities as mothers is a source of oppression. Women have an unequal position as wives as they always have to look after their husband; her job is to satisfy him. Best bet for women is segregation.

Jennifer Somerville- liberal feminist= There has been progress made by women. We now have great freedom and choice. Men do not take on full share of household chores. However, women need men hence high rate of remarriage.

Duncombe and Marsden 1995 = women do the triple shift

Barrett and McIntosh suggest that the nuclear family are an ideological instrument. Everyone aspires to construct the nuclear family thus it is insinuated that no other family types are as good. This allows stereotyping.

Philip Aries= Childhood is a social construct e.g. five years olds used to go to school armed and 10 year olds were sexually active.

Michael Anderson= Lancashire textile area has extended family households- common in working class communities.

Young and Wilmott- Bethnal Green in the 50s, many working class families relied on extended families for support.

Laslett 1972= Argues that the Industrial Revolution did not bring about nuclear families. He claims these were in existence before because of the late age of marrying and people’s short life expectancy. Laslett argues that the average age of the family in Western Europe has stayed constant over the period of industrialization at 4.75 persons. He said one reason why people made mistakes about this is because they counted other people living in the household e.g. slaves/ servants/ non family members. The average size of the household has therefore decreased, not the family.

Fletcher- nuclear family was geographically mobile and a stronger family unit.

Michael Anderson= 1851 Preston Census records at the centre of the cotton industry found that quarter of all households were extended family networks.

Oakley= argues that women moved from being equal partners when the family was a pre industrial unit of production, to being increasingly constricted and confined to the home by industrialization and factory legislation.

Hall- women and men operated in separate spheres.

O Day 1983 argues that women and men’s role before was quite separate.

Hareavan- extended family network can be functional for an industrial society as work opportunities can be found through relatives and a network of kin can be the basis for a stable relationship.

Sorokin- one of the first sociologists to make a connection between urban life, modern industry and a smaller family unit.

Parsons- family has two functions primary socialization and stabilization of adult personalities.

Murdock- 1949 a functionalist talks about 250 societies where there are some similar family characteristics= sexual reproductive, economic and educational.

Ronald Fletcher or Muncie et al= Family have four functions- reproductive, sexual, economic and educative.

O Connell= talks about emotional support the family should give and how the family have a central role in education and socialization and care of children.

Gough- studied the Nayar tribes in India = paternity of the child was not relevant. Males made little economic contribution to the family. Siblings played a bigger role in this.

Gittins- divorce was an expensive luxury in 1857

Plummer argues that same sex couples don’t tend to last because of social disapproval making it difficult to meet potential partners

Burghes and Roberts 1995 argue that the media and politicians have generated the rise of single parents into a moral panic.

Gittins and Barrett and Mcintosk celebrate the diversity of family structures on modern society.

Eversley and Bannerjea 1982 = different patterns of family life can be found in certain parts of England. Many southern coastal regions have large numbers of retired couples and single households. Two parent families are more commonly found in the south east while inner city areas tend to have high levels of single parents and ethnic minorities. Strong kinship networks are maintained in rural areas.

Young and Wilmott = wrote book called the symmetrical family- balance between the roles of males and females inside the family.

Ann Oakley- disagrees = claims that 72 per cent of husbands help their wife in some domestic way and this was a loose term.

Stephen Edgell agrees with Oakley that the patriarchal family still exists.

In 1995 the UN women’s conference was held. It was proved that women still do two thirds of the world’s work, earn one tenth of the world’s income and own one hundredth of the world’s property. There are twice as many illiterate women in the world compared to men.

Linda Nicholson 1997 Feminist = alternatives to the nuclear are looked at as unworthy when in actual fact they can suit different women from different circumstances. All types of families should be acknowledged and accepted.

Cheshire Calhoun= nuclear family discriminates against homosexuals. They are just as much a family as any other sort.

Robert Chester- co habitation is temporary phase not an alternative to marriage

Mary Boulton- feminist= Although men have begun to help with some household tasks, women are still responsible for children.

Robert and Rhona Rapoport= 1982 Family diversity should be accepted as only approx 20% are nuclear families.

Elsa Ferri and Katie Smith 1996 feminists= found that working class men are more likely to make a contribution to childcare than middle class men.

Jonathan Gershuny= 1999 – found that women do at least 60% or in excess of housework but men are doing more.

Jean Duncombe and Dennis Marsden 1995- found that women do the triple shift.

Gillian Dunne- 1999 claimed it was more symmetrical in homosexual couples with no one partner being dominant.

Nicky Hart feminist= argues divorce is increasing because of the ease of getting it, marriage isn’t properly valued any more

sociology family statistics to learn

DATES / FACTS TO LEARN
1928- All women get the vote- 1918 five million women got vote dependent on age and property.
EQUAL PAY ACT- 1970
SEX DISCRIMINATION ACT -1975
2003= fathers have the right to 2 weeks paternity pay
40,000 children taken into care in 2003.
2002 average house price was 128,000 pounds
Pre industrial times average life expectancy was 45-50 years. Now it is 75 for men and 8- for women.

43% of Black households are headed by a lone parent.

In the UK in 1901, there were 360,000 marriages for a total population of 38 million; in 2001 ina population of 58 million, there were 286,000 marriages. This would signify a decrease in popularity for marriage.

In 2001 the average age for marriage for women was 28, for men it was 30.

Average marriage costs approx 15,000 pounds.

1857 Divorce Act allowed divorce for adultery.

1949 Legal aid was made available for couples getting divorced.

1923 Matrimonial Causes Act made divorce the same for men and women.

1937 Herbert Act added a range of grounds for divorce.

1969-1971 divorce could be achieved within two years if both partners consented. Five years if not. Irretrivable breakdown became the only term.

1996-2000 Fmaily Law act tried to amke divorce less confrontational introducing a range of ideas e.g. cooling off period, no fault divorce, counselling.

90% of divorcees remarry

Family Expenditure Survery from 2000 showed that the average spend on a child was 52 pounds a week.

20,315 is what it averagely costs to have a baby for the first five years.

In 1999 it was found that 50% of working parents rely on grandparents for child care because of rising child care costs, working parents, more active grandparents etc.

In 1999 nearly 40% of female murder victims were killed by their current or past partner. This figure compared with men is 6%

Zero Tolerance charitable trust found in 1998 20% of young men claimed abuse or violence against women was acceptable in some circumstances.

In 2002, the majority of victims according to the 2002 British Crime Survey were female.

In 1972 the minimum age a child could leave school was raised to 16.

Children can legally work 12 hours a week between ages of 13-16.

In 2002, 25% of unmarried adults aged 15-59 reported to be living in a cohabiting relationship.

11% of Asian families were headed by a lone parent.

1991- Marital Rape Law
1945-1950= Welfare state introduced

DIVORCE REFORM ACT- Led to no one receiving the blame for break up of marriage

The Family Law Act- tried to make divorce a less confrontational issue – have to meet certain terms first e.g. marriage counselling

1998 23% OF HOUSEHOLDS were nuclear
28% in 1998 were single parent households.
Social trends found in 1991 that there were 500,000 step families with dependent children in Britain.
In 1997 67% of marriages were civil ceremonies

22,000 more places authorised as marriage places- other than a church. Proving point about secularisation.

BENEFITS AVAILABLE FOR EXAMPLES ARE BELOW:

Help with the cost of your child's education

Whether your child is going to school, college or university, help is available with the costs of their education.
Help with pre-school costs
Every three and four year old child in England is entitled to free part-time early education.
If you are a working parent, lone parent or student, you may be entitled to extra help with the cost of early education and childcare.
• Help with pre-school costs
Help with school costs
All children in England between the ages of five and 16 are entitled to a free place at a state school.
Depending on your circumstances, extra help might be available for with the costs of school meals, uniform or transport.
Free school lunches and milk
If you receive income support, Jobseekers Allowance or certain other benefits, your child could be entitled to free school meals.
To find out more and apply online, follow the link below.
• School lunches and nutrition
Help with uniform costs
Families who are on benefits or on low income could be entitled to clothing grants or vouchers from their local authorities to assist with the cost of school clothing.
To find out more and apply online, follow the link below.
• School uniform
Free school transport
If the nearest suitable school for your child lies beyond a set distance, your local authority must provide free transport.
To find out more and apply online, follow the link below.
• School transport
Help with sixth form and further education costs
If your child wishes to stay on in school, college or training after GCSEs, they could be eligible for Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). EMA is a weekly payment of up to £30 a week, depending on household income, which is paid directly into your child's bank account.
If you claim benefits, these will not be affected by any EMA payments.
Follow the link below to learn more about EMA and find out if your child is eligible.
• EMA: the facts for parents and carers
Help with other costs from 16 to 19
Other types of financial help for young students include special funding for dance and drama courses, help with transport costs, and help for children needing childcare or studying abroad.
Click on the link below to find out about all the help available for those staying in education after 16.
• Financial help for young people in education or training (young people section)
Claiming benefits for over 16s in full time education
If your child is aged between 16 and 19 and is still in full time education, or on a work-based employment programme, then you can still claim Child Benefit, Child Tax Credits, and any other benefits for dependants you may receive.
If your child's course continues after they reach 19, you can continue to get Child Benefit and Child Tax Credits. But once they complete their course or they reach 20, you will stop receiving these and any other dependants' benefits.
• Information on other benefits for parents
Help with university and higher education costs
Help for students in university or higher education include student loans, grants and bursaries.
To find out more about student finance, click on the link below.

Sure Start Maternity Grants (the Social Fund)
A Sure Start Maternity Grant is a payment of £500 which does not have to be paid back.
To qualify you or your partner must be receiving income based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element, or Working Tax Credit where a disabled worker is included in the assessment.
You should claim:
• anytime from 11 weeks before the week the baby is due until three months after the baby is born
• if you are adopting - you should claim within three months of adopting and your baby must be under 12 months at the date of your claim
• if your baby is born by surrogacy - you should claim within three months of the order being made and you and your partner must have a parental order
Ask at your local Jobcentre Plus office, Social Security office or at the Pension Service for the SF100 Sure Start form to claim.
• More information on Maternity Grants and to download a form Opens new window
• Sure Start Maternity Grant (money, tax and benefits section)
Funeral Payment (the Social Fund)
A Funeral Payment can help with the essential costs of a funeral, which you or your partner are responsible for arranging.
To qualify you or your partner must be receiving income based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element, or Working Tax Credit where a disabled worker is included in the assessment.
The payment is recoverable from any money available form the deceased person's estate.
Ask at your local Jobcentre Plus for a claim form and more information.
• More information on Funeral Payments (money, tax and benefits section)
• Advice on arranging a funeral and other responsibilities after someone dies (government, citizens and rights section)
Community Care Grants (the Social Fund)
A Community Care Grant (from £30 up to £1,000) does not have to be paid back.
To be eligible you must be getting Income Support or income based Jobseeker's Allowance, Pension Credit, or payment on account of one of these, or are likely to get one of these benefits or entitlements when you move out of residential or institutional accommodation.
Grants may be awarded to help people:
• who are leaving accommodation in which they receive care
• continue to live in the community
• on a resettlement programme to set up home
Grants can also be awarded to help ease exceptional pressures on families, to care for a prisoner or young offender released on temporary licence, or to help with certain travel costs.
Ask at your local Jobcentre Plus for a claim form and more information.
• More information on Community Care Grants (money, tax and benefits section)
Budgeting Loans (the Social Fund)
Budgeting loans are interest-free (from £30 up to £1,000 in total) for the cost of things other than regular expenses (eg furniture, household equipment, clothing, footwear, things to help you look for or start work).
To be eligible you or your partner must have been getting Income Support or income based Jobseeker's Allowance, Pension Credit, or payment on account of one of these, for at least 26 weeks.
Ask at your local Jobcentre Plus for a claim form and more information.
• More information on Budgeting Loans (money, tax and benefits section)
Crisis Loans (the Social Fund)
Crisis Loans are interest-free and can help if there is a serious risk to the health and safety of you or your family following an emergency or disaster. You do not need to be getting any benefits but you must be over the age of 16. Whether you can get a Crisis Loan will depend on your particular circumstances.
Ask at your local Jobcentre Plus for a claim form and more information.
• More information on Crisis Loans (money, tax and benefits section)
Tax credits
Tax credits are payments from the government. If you're responsible for at least one child or young person who normally lives with you, you may qualify for Child Tax Credit. If you work, but earn low wages, you may qualify for Working Tax Credit.
The amount of tax credits you get depends on things like:
• how many children you have living with you
• whether you work - and how many hours you work
• if you pay for childcare
• if you or any child living with you has a disability
• if you're aged 50 plus and are coming off benefits
Your payments also depend on your income. The lower your income, the more tax credits you can get.
• Tax credits (money, tax and benefits section)
Widowed Parent's Allowance

If you’re a parent whose husband, wife or civil partner has died and you have at least one child who you receive Child Benefit for, you may be able to get Widowed Parent's Allowance (WPA).
Who can claim?
You may get WPA if all the following apply:
• you're bringing up a child or young person under 19 (or under 20 in some cases for whom you're getting Child Benefit
• you're under State Pension age (60 for women and 65 for men)
• your husband, wife or civil partner died
• your husband, wife or civil partner paid National Insurance contributions (NICs)
You may also claim WPA if:
• you're expecting your late husband's baby or your late civil partner's baby (with whom you were pregnant from fertility treatment)
• your husband, wife or civil partner died as a result of their work - even if they didn't pay NICs
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (diseases and deafness)
Who can't claim?
You can't claim if:
• you were divorced from your husband or wife or the civil partnership had dissolved when the civil partner died
• you remarry or are living with a partner as husband and wife or as if you had formed a civil partnership
• you're in prison
How much do you get?
£95.25 a week is the maximum basic allowance of Widowed Parent’s Allowance. There may be an entitlement to additional pension.
What is Child Benefit?

Child Benefit is a tax-free payment that you can claim for your child. It is usually paid every four weeks but in some cases can be paid weekly, and there are separate rates for each child. The payment can be claimed by anyone who qualifies, whatever their income or savings.
Who can get Child Benefit?
You may be able to get Child Benefit if any of the following apply:
• your child is under 16
• your child is over 16 and in education or training that qualifies for Child Benefit
• your child is 16 or 17, has left education or training that qualifies for Child Benefit and is registered for work, education or training with an approved body
You can get Child Benefit even if your child doesn’t live with you. However, if they live with someone else, you can only get Child Benefit if:
• you pay towards the upkeep of your child
• what you pay is at least the same as the amount of Child Benefit you get for your child
• the person bringing up your child is not getting Child Benefit for them - if you and another person both claim Child Benefit for the same child, only one of you can get it
You can also get Child Benefit for a child even if you are not their parent, but you have to be responsible for them to qualify.
How much Child Benefit will you get?
There are two separate amounts, with a higher amount for your eldest (or only) child. You get £20.00 a week for your eldest child and £13.20 a week for each of your other children.

sociology viewpoints on education

SOCIOLOGY NOTES FOR EDUCATION

FUNCATIONALISM
• Education links to other institutions e.g. workplace or social services.
• It is the bridge!
• Education is responsible for secondary socialisation. Broadens the individual’s experiences. Parsons ‘emancipation of the child from primary attachment to the family.’
• Pupils learn at school acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Secondly, pupils learn self control at school.
• Deferred gratification: we cant always have what we want when we want it! E.g. put up with boring lessons to get your grade!
• Transmission of cultural values- children appreciate and learn about different cultures.
• School helps pupils understand that despite being individuals we have to learn to find things in common with other people.
• Schools should be meritocratic- rewards our based on our merits e.g. knowledge, skills
• Parsons ‘ It is fair to give differential rewards for the different levels of achievement, so long as there has been fair access to opportunity and fair that these rewards lead on to higher order opportunities for the successful.

MARXISM
• Cultural reproduction= Louise Althuser argues that the economic system has to be reproduced from one generation to the next. In other words, each new generation has to be taught the skills and knowledge and ideas required for them to take up positions in the workplace.
• They claim some are educated just enough for them to be useful employees and a small number are educated more than enough to take up high powered work roles.
• Education and Society- there is a correspondence between what employers want and what schools provide.
• Althusser- children learn at school skills and knowledge needed for the workplace. Children learn social control- they have to learn to respect and accept authority. Schools also commodify knowledge- testing and exams are part of a process where knowledge is given an economic value, in other words it can be bought and sold. For example your knowledge of sociology will be economically worthless unless you pass your a.s. level.
• Pierre Bourdieu 1986 schools are the natural habitat of the middle and upper classes. They reflect their interests values and beliefs. The working class is like a fish out of water. Their values and beliefs are based are difficult because of cultural capital. The idea in basic terms that our social backgrounds give us advantages and disadvantages. Thus working class children have to learn how to learn before they can actually learn the things on the school curriculum which gives them decided disadvantages in the educational game.

FEMINISM

• Eichler: the education system contributed to the way women saw their primary adult role in terms of the private sphere of the family. Traditional assumptions about masculinity and femininity continue to influence both family and work relationships.
• Norman (just a bunch of girls) In early years teaching, female roles related to mother /carer are influenced.
• Stanworth in 1981 found that A level pupils underestimated girls’ academic performance and teachers saw female futures in terms of marriage
• Woods-despite the National Curriculum, a gendered curriculum still exists.
• Spender 1983 argues that the curriculum was still geared towards the needs and interests of boys so to render girls invisible.
• Deem 1980 argued that the school curriculum and subject choices were highly gendered.
• Mahony 1985 argues that girls are frequently marginalised in the classroom by boys and teachers.
• Treneman- Will the boys who cant read still end up as the men on top? The pay gap between men and women still, for example reveals an average 20% difference over an individual’s lifetime.
• Warrington And Young 2000 claim that male and female aspirations still reflected traditional gender roles
• Gordon- although teachers praised girls’ efforts, they reported finding boys more interesting to teach and gave them more time and effort to motivate and retain their attention.

TABOO UNIT 2 WORDS

If you are revising in twos, take it in turns to describe the word and get the other person to guess.
If you are revising by yourself, work your down the list and define what each word means in no more than two sentences....

QUALITATIVE
QUANTITIVE
EDUCATION
EMA
NORMS AND VALUES
HIDDEN CURRICULUM
FUNCTIONALISM
FEMINISM
NEW RIGHT
MARXISM
MERITOCRATIC
SECONDARY SOCIALISATION
PARSONS
CULTURAL REPRODUCTION
NATIONAL CURRICULUM
DEFERRED GRATIFICATION
VALIDITY
LABELLING THEORY
SPURTERS
KEY STAGE TESTIING
FREE SCHOOL MEALS
MATERIAL DEPRIVATION
TRIPARTITE SYSTEM
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL
SECONDARY MODERN
SECONDARY TECHNICAL COLLEGE
ACADEMY
LEAS
STREAMING
BANDING
VOCATIONALISM
MAKETISATION (OF EDUCATION)
SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY
ANTI SCHOOL SUBCULTURES
PRIMARY DATA
SECONDARY DATA
HYPOTHESIS
SAMPLING
QUESTIONNAIRES
INTERVIEWS
OBSERVATIONS
LABORATORY EXPERIMENT
FIELD EXPERIMENT

SOCIOLOGY HOMEWORK TASK

EXAM QUESTION I
READ ITEM A
THEN ANSWER ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION THAT FOLLOW
ITEM A
The researchers carried out an investigation into the extent of poverty. It was based on whether or not individuals has a range of articles or possessions and, if they did not have them, whether this was because they could not afford them by choice. They interviewed 91 people between November 1989 and May 1990. They used a ‘quota sample’, selecting possible interviewees to obtain the groups they were looking for. All the interviews with the Asian families were conducted in their mother tongue of Urdu or Pakistani by Asian researchers. The interviews were lengthy and were tape recorded. The interview schedule was piloted in two areas similar to those in which the final study was conducted.
Adapted from R. Cohen, J Coxley and A, Sadiq Sandstar, Hardship Britain: Being poor in the 1990s
a) With reference to Item A, identify the kind of sample used by the researchers. Indicate why they used this technique? (2)
b) With reference to Item A, what were the two ways in which the researchers attempted to make the Asian families feel comfortable and able to communicate easily? (2)
c) Suggest one reason why the researchers piloted their interview schedule. Why might they have used areas similar to those in the final study? (2)
d) Suggest one reason why it might be better to use a relative rather than an absolute definition of poverty in this kind of study? (2)
e) Identify and explain one advantage to the researchers of tape recording the interviews? (3)
f) What advantages might face to face interviews have over postal questionnaires in this type of study? (8)

PEE FOR FAMILY SOCIOLOGY MODULE

To take PEE to the next level- you need to look at PEE for each counter argument. So you need to make a point, give evidence and then explain it. However, you then need to argue against that point give evidence and explain it. Do this for the following 10 points (remember evidence must be specific detail or a sociologist’s viewpoint- Not your waffle!)

1. The family is universal.
2. Industrialisation led to a change in relationships between family members?
3. Marriage is now an unpopular choice for those in their twenties.
4. The family is patriarchal.
5. Children’s rights have increased in the last 50 years.
6. Divorce is an easy option for couples since 1996.
7. The family supports capitalism.
8. Co-habitation is preferred as an option instead of marriage.
9. The family has two main functions.
10. The nuclear family is in decline.

EDUCATION PAST PAPER- PUPILS' ANSWERS

1. Deferred gratification means you cant always get what you want in life and you have to ge through something boring to get something good.
2. Schools should use the meritocratic system as it enables the children to be praised throughout all levels as they have achieved well. Therefore by praising a child their self esteem will become stronger as they want to fulfil a self fulfilling prophecy to keep their high achievement. Parsons believes in fair choice as children need to be praised. Parsons is a functionalist therefore believing that education is important to a child through secondary secularisation. Therefore merits system would help a child to strive for achievement in school no matter what ability they are.
3. Before 1988 when the National Curriculum was introduced, teachers could pretty much teach what they want. There was no specific content that students had to learn, and in some cases, teachers would squeeze their own opinion into their teaching. Now, however, teachers are given the National Curriculum which gives all teachers a standardised content to teach. This strengthens the education system as it allows teachers to plan lessons effectively as well as to what they should be teaching. This is a good thing as it means all teachers will be on the same page in terms of teaching. It also strengthens the education system because it standardises learning for all schools and helps with national tests. Thsi is because all students will be learning the same thing, therefore making this knowledge more easily quantifiable in exams.
4. It can be argued that the current education system favours the middle classes to a huge extent. There are various aspects of it which give them advantages. Although they have the upper hand in many ways, I think that there are also things that the working classes get that help them to reach their full potential.
Admission Policies such as catchment area give the middle class a much better chance of getting their children into a good school. The schools that perform the best are most desirable and therefore house prices in the area go up. This gives the middle class the advantage as the working class will not be able to afford houses in that area, getting priced out of the catchment area.
Another policy that gives advantage to the middle class if Ofsted reports and League Tables. It is said that because the middle class are probably better educated and can make more informed decisions about what school is best for their child.
When looking at secondary schools, if your child wants to apply to a grammar school, they must sit the 11 plus examination to allow them to go. Middle class parent can afford to pay for a tutor to help their child pass the exam and get a place at a grammar school whereas working class parents are less likely t be able to afford a tutor, giving their child a lower chance of getting a place.
Education Maintenance Allowance was introduced in 2004 giving a weekly allowance to those who stay on to further education and whose parents do not earn a certain amount. This gives the working class money so that they can afford t pay for equipment for school and maybe help to support the family. This means that a lot more working class children stay on to get a levels rather than get a job.

Middle and upper class children are usually sent to private schools with better facilities and smaller class sizes. Although, they offer scholarships to private schools, working class children are at a huge disadvantage. Smaller class sizes mean that the teacher can focus on the individuals more and work one to one.
Private schools also offer much better facilities to their pupils and they have much better discipline because their parents are paying for it.
Overall, i think that the middle class pupils are at a huge advantage in the education system and although it can be argued by sociologists such as Raey that the working class parents do not care about their child’s education, they in fact care more because they want their child to have a better life.
5. The education system reinforces the traditional gender roles to a certain extent. On way in which this happens is with the number of boys and girls doing certain subjects. When we look at a survey from 2006/2007 it showed that a significant amount of boys were taking subjects like science and electronics and there was very few girls.
However, when we looked at the social subjects and food technology girls out- numbered the boys. Although, the media could play a big part in this by advertising using the Beckhams as David’s away playing football whilst Victoria stays at home with the kids. So this could be argued that it is nothing to do with the education system but they could encourage students to take different subjects.
Another way its reinforced is through text books, there are always photos of girls in food tech or with their head in a book in the library whilst the boys are playing football.
In history lessons the main focus is on the men of history i.e. Henry VII. There is never a lot of women’s history taught to students. This reinforces the typical traditional gender roles as the male is out of work.
Overall, there is a lot of evidence proving that the education system reinforces traditional gender roles and much evidence arguing against this.

RESEARCH METHODS KEY WORDS TO LEARN

Key Words in Sociology A.S. Module Research Methods

1. Sampling
2. Simple random sampling
3. Stratified random sampling
4. Cluster sampling
5. Multi stage random sampling
6. Panel sampling
7. Spatial sampling
8. Non random sampling
9. Accidental sampling
10. Purposive Sampling
11. Volunteer sampling
12. Quota sampling
13. Snowball sampling
14. Correlation
15. Quantitative
16. Qualitative
17. Reliability
18. Validity
19. Census
20. Cross sectional surveys
21. Longitudinal surveys
22. Primary data
23. Secondary data
24. Open ended questions
25. Closed questions
26. Overtly
27. Covertly
28. Ascribed
29. Achieved

FAMILY TABOO WORDS

FAMILY TABOO WORDS- EITHER PLAY THE GAME OF TRYING TO DESCRIBE THESE TO YOUR PARTNER OR BY YOURSELF WRITE A TWO SENTENCE DEFINITION OF THESE WORDS.

NUCLEAR
SINGLE PARENT
SAME SEX
RECONSTITUTED
EXTENDED
DIVORCE
MARRIAGE
CO HABITATION
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
MARITAL RAPE
WELFARE STATE
CHILD BENEFIT
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
MIGRATION
GEOGRAPHICAL MOBILITY
LIFE CYCLE
SECULARISATION
MORTALITY RATES
SYMMETRICAL FAMILY
PATRIACHAL FAMILY
SOCIAL CONSTRUCT

RETAKE RESOURCE UNIT ONE
FAMILY QUESTIONS
SHORT QUESTIONS (4 MARKS)

1. Is someone living on their own part of a family?
2. Is it true that the family is universal?
3. Describe four alternative models to the traditional nuclear family?
4. How has divorce become easier to obtain in the last fifty years?
5. What are the main reasons why divorces are sought?
6. Outline the different reasons to explain the changes in attitudes to co habitation.
7. Why have some people got concerns about Gay couples raising a family?
8. Name two ways that the family has become symmetrical?
9. Name two ways that the family still is not symmetrical
10. Discuss reasons why an increasing number of couples may choose not to have children?

SOCIOLOGY UNIT 2 EDUCATION QUOTES TO LEARN

EDUCATION
Abraham 1986 found that Maths text books used in a comprehensive school tended to be male dominated.
Louise Althuser argues that the economic system has to be reproduced from one generation to the next. In other words, each new generation has to be taught the skills and knowledge and ideas required for them to take up positions in the workplace.
Althusser- children learn at school skills and knowledge needed for the workplace.
Ball 1990 argues that the impression of choice parents receive is an illusion. In practice, people’s choice is restricted by the limited number of schools available in any area and the class based nature of the system of education.
Ball argues that the publication of league tables meant that schools were keen to attract academically able pupils who would boost their results.
Ball did not find that working class parents were any less interested in their children’s education than their middle class counterparts. However, they did lack the cultural capital and material resources needed to use the system to their advantage.
B. Bernstein 1972 came up with the idea of two codes in the way we speak- restricted code e.g. shorthand speech ‘she saw it’ and the elaborated code e.g. The young girl saw the colourful ball.’ School uses the elaborated code which working class pupils are not used to.

Bhatti 1999 found in a study of Asian parents that they were very concerned about their children’s education and many of the girls had ambitious career aspirations. The girls were more likely to leave education because low household income forced them to find paid work than because the family did not value education.
Blackledge and Hunt= criticise Willis’ studies saying his study was focused on 12 pupils- you c `an not generalise and other school subcultures have been ignored.
Blackstone and Mortimore 1994- found that working class parents may have less time to visit the school because of demands of their jobs- they are also put off visiting the school by the way teachers interact with them.
Bowles and Gintis 1976 education operates in the interests of those who control the work force- capitalist class.
Bowles and Gintis found that the students who were more conformist received higher grades than those who were creative and independent.
Bowles and Gintis reject the functionalist view that capitalist societies are meritocratic, providing genuine equality of opportunity. The children of the wealthy and powerful obtain high qualifications and well rewarded jobs irrespective of their abilities. The education system disguises it with the myth of meritocracy.
Pierre Bourdieu 1986 schools are the natural habitat of the middle and upper classes. They reflect their interests values and beliefs. The working class is like a fish out of water.

Bron at al 1997 argues that there is little correspondence between work and education. Much modern work requires team work, while the exam system still stresses individual competition.

Bernard Voard 1971- schools make black children feel inferior e.g. west Indian children are told their way of speaking is inferior, the word white is associated with good and black evil and the content of education tends to ignore black people.
Colley= 1998 claimed that despite all the social changes in recent decades, traditional definitions of masculinity and femininity still are widespread.
Connell- coined the term hegemonic masculinity.
Davis and Moore believe that the most talented gain high qualifications which lead to functionally important jobs with high rewards.
J. Douglas 1967 stressed the importance of parental attitudes in determining educational success.
Dukheim= saw the major function of education as the transmission of society’s norms and values.
Durkeim assumes that the norms and values promoted in schools are those of society as a whole rather than those of powerful groups.
Eichler: the education system contributed to the way women saw their primary adult role in terms of the private sphere of the family. Traditional assumptions about masculinity and femininity continue to influence both family and work relationships.

Feinstein 2002 used data from the National Child Development survey and discovered that the most important factor affecting achievement was the extent to which parents encouraged and supported their children.

Becky Francis 2000 argues that gender divisions in terms of subject choice are actually getting stronger with fewer women going on to I.T. and pure science degrees than ten years earlier.

Becky Francis 2000 argues that a combination of the career ambitions of girls and the culture of laddish masculinity are the main reasons for females overtaking males in schooling.
Fuller 1984 argues against the self fulfilling prophecy- he found that black girls in a comprehensive school resented the negative stereotypes associated with being black and female and tried to prove people wrong.
Gaine and George 1999 attack Bernstein’s arguments- they argue there is not a clear working class today and he has oversimplified things.

Gilborn and Mirza 2000 argue that African- Caribbean groups get more encouragement than other groups to stay in education.
Hargreaves= believes that most schools fail to transmit shared values.
D. Hargreaves- and Lacey found sub cultures where academic values are rejected and any form of learning was rejected which the school tried to put forward.
S. Harris et al 1993 found that boys are thought to be suffering increasingly from low self esteem and poor motivation, girls are more willing to do homework and spend more time on it and gives give more though to their futures and to the importance of qualifications in achievement of this whereas boys do not seem so concerned.
Hasley, Heath and Ridge 1980 showed that a high percentage of working class children 75% left school at the first possible opportunity
Kelly 1987 identifies how Science is more masculine- the way the subject is packaged makes them more masculine. The examples used in text books and by teachers tend to be linked to boys’ experiences such as football and cars.
Lawton 1989= National Curriculum is too bureaucratic, it centralised power and it did not affect private schools so only the rich were provided with a choice.

MacNeil 1988 argued that the National Curriculum was based on white culture and that it excluded cultural imput from ethnic minorities e.g. language component placed emphasis on European languages or in Literature, Black writers were ignored and traditional English writers like Shakespeare were studied.

Mac an Ghaill 1994= established 4 different groups: Macho Lads, Academic Achievers, The New Enterprisers and the Real Englishmen.
Mac an Ghaill- the Macho lads were into the three F’s!
Mac an Ghaill- the Real Englishman were under pressure to be effortless achievers and reject a good work ethic.

Mitsos and Browne 1998 said girls have improved due to the women’s movement and feminism having raised their expectations and self esteem of women. Sociologists have drawn attention to some of the disadvantages faced by girls. As a result, equal opportunities programmes have been developed.
Mitsos and Browne accept that the boys are underachieving because teachers are less strict with boys, tolerating a lower standard of work and missing of deadlines. Also, boys are more likely to disrupt classes. They are more likely to be sent out of the classroom and expelled from school.

Norman (just a bunch of girls) In early years teaching, female roles related to mother /carer are influenced.

Norman 1988 argues that before children start school sex stereotyping has begun.
Parsons- ‘Education is a bridge’
Parsons =‘emancipation of the child from primary attachment to the family.’
Parsons ‘ It is fair to give differential rewards for the different levels of achievement, so long as there has been fair access to opportunity and fair that these rewards lead on to higher order opportunities for the successful.’
Pilkington 1997 argues that cultural explanations should be treated with caution: There are not clear boundaries between ethnic minority groups. There is a great deal of difference within ethnic minority groups.
Rosenthal and Jacobson 1968- (Pygmalion in the classroom) self fulfilling prophecy= conducted a survey in the USA where they pointed out some pupils who should have rapid intellectual growth.

Sharpe 1976 found that working class girls were concerned with love marriage, husbands, children, jobs in that order. However, in the 1990s Sharpe repeated the research and found that the girls’ priorities had changed.
Smith and Noble 1995 reassert the importance of material factors in influencing class differences in educational achievement e.g. having money allows parents to provide educational toys and books.

Smith and Tomlinson 1989 studied 18 comprehensive schools and found that ethnic minority students who went to good schools would do as well as white students in these schools. However they have been criticised as there sample of schools was low and not nationally representative.
Spender 1983 argues that the curriculum was still geared towards the needs and interests of boys so to render girls invisible.

Spender 1983 claims that male dominance in society is the cause of the girls’ difficulties in education but schools help to reinforce that dominance.

Stanworth in 1981 found that A level pupils underestimated girls’ academic performance and teachers saw female futures in terms of marriage

Stanworth 1983 found that teachers held stereotypical views of what the female pupils would be doing in the future.
Woods-despite the National Curriculum, a gendered curriculum still exists.
Mahony 1985 argues that girls are frequently marginalised in the classroom by boys and teachers.
Taylor 1981 points out that many teachers are actively concerned to develop a fair policy towards ethnic minority groups.
Treneman- Will the boys who can’t read still end up as the men on top? The pay gap between men and women still, for example reveals an average 20% difference over an individual’s lifetime.

Toyna and Carrington- 1990 also point out that the r.e. of the national curriculum had to reflect the dominance of the Christian religion.
Warrington And Young 2000 claim that male and female aspirations still reflected traditional gender roles

Weiner, Arnot and David 1997 are sceptical about the sudden discovery of male underachievement. They say the failure to celebrate girls’ achievement is part of a backlash against female success as men feel threatened by the possibility of women becoming equal.

Willis 1977 shows that many pupils do not accept the hidden curriculum in schools. They have little respect for teachers or school rules.

Willis 1977 accepts the Marxist view that education is closely linked to the needs of capitalism but he does not believe there is a simple and direct relationship between education and the economy.

Willis argues that there is a counter school culture- pupils avoid going to lessons and challenge authority by smoking and misbehaving. Does this really show conformity as described by Bowles and Gintis.
Wilkinson- Women’s aspirations and their image of themselves have profoundly altered in the past quarter of a century.’
Gordon- although teachers praised girls’ efforts, they reported finding boys more interesting to teach and gave them more time and effort to motivate and retain their attention.

Tuesday, 11 May 2010

ICT EXAM AT ERITH TOMORROW!

IF YOU ARE STUDYING APPLIED ICT and are RESITTING the paper from January, you MUST go to Erith at 8.30am for the retake.

EMAIL Miss Beer asap if there are any issues with this.

RACE FOR LIFE- GIRLS EVENT!

JULY 4TH 2010

10.30AM

HELP RAISE MONEY FOR BREAST CANCER!

Many teachers and pupils have signed up to take part in this event on Blackheath Common.

If you have not signed up yet to run, jog or walk 5/10k, please follow the link attached:

http://www.raceforlife.org/

See Miss Beer or Mrs Brady for more info.

Monday, 10 May 2010

UCAS Conference - Getting into Competetive Subjects

Key findings from overview and introduction

· 47,000 students accepted places through clearing in the summer of 2009.

· Only 400 students took up places through the new adjustment (trading up) process.

· Applications are increasing year on year and early indications for 2010 are that this trend will continue. Competition for certain competitive courses is also increasing.

· “Unistats” is a new and vital area to use through the UCAS website. There are also student networking sites available through UCAS to provide peer to peer advice. The one currently being piloted is called “yougo”.

· Approximately and very interestingly only 7% of students take up their insurance offer if they do not meet the requirements from their firm offer.

Workshop session 1 – Applying to Oxford and Cambridge

Admissions decisions are based on:

1/ A’Level grades and subject combinations
2/ AS grades and unit marks
3/ GCSE grades
4/ UCAS school / college reference
5/ UCAS personal statement
6/ Submitted work (where requested)
7/ Test Results (where applicable)
8/ Interview performance

· Across all courses chances of being offered a place at Oxbridge is approximately one in five. This varies from course to course though. For example Economics and Management at Oxford as approximately a 10% success rate.

· Most candidates would be expected to achieve 5-8 A*’s @ GCSE Level.

· In terms of the personal statement this should provide clear evidence of where and how the student is engaging in the subject / degree choice outside of the classroom.

· No real advantage of undertaking more than three subjects at A2 level.

· What is being looked for at interview stage:

1/ Genuine subject interest
2/ Appropriateness of chosen course
3/ Enthusiasm for complex and challenging ideas
4/ Clarity of thought and analytical ability
5/ Intellectual flexibility
6/ Vocational / professional commitment (where appropriate)
7/ Interviews are a discussion to enable students to think through problems for themselves.
8/ The interview may act like a tutorial which is unique and typical of the teaching and learning at Oxbridge.
9/ Interviewers are not looking for a smooth performance.

· Standard offer at A2 – Cambridge A*AA – Oxford AAA

Workshop session 2 – Differentiation

· The most popular universities in terms of applications per place in 2008 were:

1/ LSE
2/ Bristol
3/ Edinburgh
4/ Warwick
5/ Kings
6/ UCL
7/ City
8/ Bath
9/ Oxford
10/ Cambridge

· The most popular subjects in terms of applicants per place for 2008 entry were:

1/ Medicine
2/ Dentistry
3/ Veterinary Science
4/ Classics / Greek
5/ Dance
6/ Drama
7/ Nursing
8/ Social Work
9/ Aural / Oral Science
10/ Architecture

· Possible tools for differentiation:

1/ GCSE and or AS grades
2/ A’Level predicted grades including A*
3/ Unit grades
4/ Diploma transcript
5/ Subject combination and suitability
6/ Personal statement ad reference
7/ Admissions tests – where appropriate

· Possible future implications:

1/ Increased use of A* grades
2/ Wider range of entry qualifications – i.e. Diploma
3/ Self selection – (Adjustment)
4/ The impact of a potential change in government?

Workshop session 3 – Getting in Psychology

· This session was run by senior admissions staff from Bath university and Lancaster university.

· Bath is now looking for A grades in GCSE English and Maths if not being studied at AS or A2 Level.

· Bath does not require AS/A2 Level Psychology but does like this to be included in the subjects being studied at A’Level.

· Both universities are aware that is difficult for an A’Level student to find work experience within the area of Psychology but what is key is how that young person has developed outside of the classroom.

· Both universities are therefore looking for evidence of transferable skills and relevant extra-curricular activities.

· Both universities indicated that they would expect two-thirds of a personal statement to provide evidence of the student’s interest in Psychology.

· There were over 73, 000 applications for Psychology courses in 2009. This was a 4% increase from the year before.

· Lancaster University indicated that they fear the impact on applications to UCAS generally if tuition fees are raised.

· There is a real fear this may drop by approximately 10% across all courses if the tuition fee is raised to £6000 PA.

Workshop session 4 – Writing UCAS personal statements

· There are 4000 character spaces and 47 lines available.

· Paragraphs are really important.

· Spelling, grammar and punctuation should be perfect!

· There is now a sophistaced plagiarism detection software system in operation.

· Students are therefore advised to avoid any internet based support around personal statement development.

· Should include commitment, interest and enthusiasm.

· Should be analytical and reflective, not merely descriptive.

· Should include relevant and transferable skills and abilities and work experience.

· Should demonstrate a clear understanding of the course / subject choice.

· Extra curricular activities such as Duke of Edinburgh, Young Enterprise, part-time work and volunteering and community engagement are also crucial and should be explored with the personal statement.

· Students should be encouraged to start thinking about personal statement development in year twelve and not just at the start of the autumn term in year thirteen!

Workshop session 5 – Getting into History

· University admissions staff and university historians are looking for the following skills and qualities in potential students:

1/ Critical and analytical and problem solving abilities.
2/ The ability to ask awkward questions, challenge established opinion and think creatively outside of the box.
3/ Self motivated and willing to work independently for long periods.
4/ Ability and willingness to work with others.
5/ Good organisational skills.

· A history degree can lead to the following careers:

1/ The Civil Service, quangos and local government.
2/ The Legal profession – i.e. (Postgraduate Law conversion courses)
3/ Private sector graduate training schemes.
4/ Libraries, archives and the heritage industry.
5/ The Media.
6/ Teaching – more primary and less secondary.
7/ Postgraduate study – approximately 20% and rising.

CALLING ALL IN THE NEW PREFECT TEAM!

We will be delivering all assemblies from years 7-11 next week. It is important that we meet to discuss this.
TUESDAY AT 3PM = For a short meeting regarding planning our assembly presentation

Please ensure that all in the new prefect team know that they need to be present for this.

TUESDAY 8TH JUNE
Mrs Khanna would like the following sixth formers to join in with a meeting to the governors on TUESDAY 8TH JUNE AT 4PM:
SAM MARCHANT, EMILY PRESTIDGE AND LIAM FLETCHER= To discuss their recent efforts in the school election.
ABIGAIL GRANGER AND GEORGE BURKE- To give an update to governors on the progress in the sixth form.

REMEMBER LAURA

Friday 14th May 2010

Sixth Form will be encouraged to wear a 'splash of pink' on Friday to celebrate Miss Popkin's life. All sixth form, like the rest of the school, will be asked to contribute a £1. The money will go towards a plaque to remember Laura and also money will be donated to the hospice which cared for Laura in the final stages.

Laura's passion was Drama and the Sixth Form. She helped many of the sixth form at Welling by reading through personal statements or helping the prefects for key speeches. She was well liked and will be missed by all.

The year 13 Head boy and girl (CHELSEA FULLBROOK AND JAKE SAUNDERS) will be joining Miss Beer and Mrs Moore at Laura' s funeral on Friday.

Sixth Form Summer Ball 2010

SUMMER BALL 2010

CHARLTON ATHLETIC MILLENNIUM SUITE

£15 A TICKET

PARTNERS WELCOME

BLACK TIE/ SMART DRESS

7.30PM-12 MIDNIGHT

Please pay cheque/cash into the office as soon as possible.
Please can prefects also ensure sixth form teachers and tutors are personally invited.

Tory Glory!

Congratulations to Sam Marchant, Emily Prestidge and Liam Fletcher for their fantastic efforts towards the in-school election. Sam successfully won the majority with Labour falling just short of the Conservatives. 49% of the school community voted, and you put politics firmly in the minds of the younger students. Well Done!