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Hands using a calculator - Maths newsletter
Total Maths - April

Dear Colleague,

How are you? We hope that the return to classrooms has gone smoothly and that you’re currently enjoying the longer days and blooming spring flowers following a relaxing Easter break. There’s just one more term to go before we get to the summer break…

JCQ has now published detailed guidance & templates for centres to support them through this summer. Please see the first article below for more information.

In last month’s newsletter we told you that the deadline for entering private candidates into the summer 2021 series was 21 March. This was true at the time, however please be aware that the deadline for entering private candidates into the summer 2021 series has been extended and is now 26 April 2021.

Also remember that for GCSE (9-1) Maths you have until 21 April to change the tier that candidates are entered on. Changes can be made after these deadlines, however late fees may apply.

As ever, if there is any further support that we can provide for you in this current period then please do contact us. Our role is to support you as you deliver our qualifications.

Neil, Ruth, Caroline and Steven - your OCR Maths Subject Advisors

maths@ocr.org.uk
@OCR_Maths
01223 553998
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Summer 2021 updates
Happy students receiving exam results

On 26 March JCQ published detailed guidance for centres to use throughout the process to determine grades this summer.

You can download the full guidance (along with several templates for you to use) at the JCQ website.

To help you get up to speed with it all, we’ve also published a summary on our website.

The guidance provides:

  • information and templates for centres to use in creating their Centre Policy (to be submitted in the window 12-30 April via the CAP),
  • information for determining grades,
  • grade descriptors for GCSE, AS and A Level,
  • information for reasonable adjustments, access arrangements and special consideration,
  • information on submitting grades
  • and more.

Additional detailed guidance on appeals will follow from JCQ shortly.

Further support from us will be published in April. As always, keep an eye on @OCR_Maths and the dedicated support hub on our website for the latest information.

Find out more
Supporting you with summer 2021

Support and guidance for summer 2021 is available from the teachers and heads of department area of our website.

You can now view our updated timeline of the processes.

We’ve also published quick guides summarising the guidance for determining grades here and here.
maths teacher with 2 students

Further support explaining the process set out in the JCQ guidance (see the above article) will be released in April. As ever, keep a watch on @OCR_Maths and our update newsletters for the latest.

Summer 2021 information for teachers and heads of department
Additional Assessment Materials
Hands working on calculator and paperwork

On 31 March we published the Additional Assessment Materials, made up of question sets, mark schemes & mapping guides.

Using the Additional Assessment Materials is optional, they are not compulsory. They are simply one of the items you may wish to use as evidence in determining grades.

The Additional Assessment Materials can be downloaded from our Grade Submission System.

Your Centre Administrator (usually your Exams Officer) should be automatically set up with an account, so can either download materials for you or set you up with your own account. Please see our website for further information on the platform.

Performance data and marking exemplars for the Additional Assessment Materials are due to be released on 12 April, with grading exemplars to follow on 19 April.

Please see our news article for more information.

Additional Assessment Materials
Transition from GCSE to A Level Maths blog

Steven has written a new blog, this time looking at the transition from GCSE to A Level Maths.

With many current Year 11 students having lost learning over the last year, we know many of you are currently considering which topics would be best to deliver to students in the time remaining this academic year.
OCR blogs on a tablet

In his new blog, Steven looks at content that is vital to the transition to A Level and suggests resources and support to help.

For GCSE students not expecting to go on to A Level Maths, you may like to read Neil’s blog from last year on the GCSE (9-1) Maths content and how it is assessed at particular grades. This might also help you to make decisions on what content to cover with different abilities of students in the remaining time this year, to support their progression beyond Year 11.

Maths blogs
New GCSE (9-1) Maths post-16 worksheets
maths teacher helping student

A short while ago we began collaborating with Cambridge University Press on a series of worksheets for Foundation tier GCSE (9-1) Maths, with the aim of supporting post-16 students revisiting topics.

We’re pleased to say that the first batch of these worksheets is now available to download.

Each worksheet focuses on a specific topic and includes questions, tips, worked examples and more.

Further worksheets will be published soon, so keep a watch on @OCR_Maths or future issues of Total Maths for updates.

GCSE (9-1) Maths post-16 worksheets
New Further Maths B (MEI) Section Check In

We’ve published a new Section Check In test for A Level Further Maths B (MEI) (H645).

For the Extra Pure option, download the ‘Matrices’ Section Check In test now.

You can also browse the page for many more Section Check In tests for the qualification.

H645 Section Check In tests
A Level Maths student

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