ABOUT THIS COURSE

This revised course is aimed for all teachers looking to maximise the attainment of their candidates into the top level bands in the written paper. This course focuses on meeting the demands of the higher level marking bands in component 2, examining the characteristics of work produced by candidates working at the highest levels. Delegates will take away a range of teaching approaches, ideas and activities designed to ensure candidates achieve a 7-9 grade in the AQA GCSE Dance written paper.

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BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

• Understand the assessment demands of the AQA GCSE Dance written paper.
• Develop strategies for meeting the requirements of the higher bands.
• Explore exemplar materials to identify characteristics of outstanding work.
• Increase confidence in preparing candidates to achieve grades 7-9.
• Consider examiner’s reports from previous exam sessions and discuss what they are looking to see in high quality responses.
• Understand the formats of different styles of questions.

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PROGRAMME

Achieving Grades 7 – 9 in the Written Paper: what does it involve?

10.00 – 10.45am

• Review characteristics of grades 7 – 9 candidates.
• Grades 7, 8, and 9- what are the differences between these?
• Making the transition into the top band.
• A two year course overview with the focus on top grades.
• Lessons learnt from the most recent examination series for able candidates on the written paper.
• Key considerations for the 2024 exam.

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Morning Break

10.45- 11.00pm

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Achieving Top Grades in Sections A and B

1.00 – 12.30pm

• Creative and stimulating ways to stretch and challenge candidates when linking to choreographic intent.
• Drilling the short mark answers- creating simple yet effective hypothetical choreography responses.
• Exploring AO3- Performance and Choreography terminology- how can candidates use the fundamentals within top band answers.
• Exploring AO4 and how candidates’ can comment on their own experience of performance and choreography in a succinct manner.
• Using practical lessons to assist with retrieval.
• How to write a grade 9 motif.
• It’s the little things that count – focusing on the details.
• Review examples for grade 7 – 9 section A & B responses: what top level candidates do.

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Lunch and informal discussion

12.30 – 1.30pm

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Achieving Top Grades in Section C

1.30 – 2.30pm

• Describing, analysing, interpreting, evaluating- how can candidates achieve top marks for each skill?
• Creating effective structured responses.
• Exploring AO4- the importance of a candidate’s own opinions.
• Exploring 12 mark extended questions- successful and less successful responses.
• Dissecting the two 12 mark questions, examples of top grade responses.

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Discussion: afternoon tea

2.30- 2.40pm

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Strategies to really stretch top end candidates

2.40-3.20pm

• Effective, realistic and interesting ways to stretch the most able candidates in the written papers.
• The toughest questions, the key things to avoid and common mistakes.
• Using resources, materials and technology well; organisation is key.  Using in school assessment to stretch the most able.
• Exam tactics and techniques.
• Collaboratively complete extended responses to ensure a deeper understanding of the specification.

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