Casterton College

Spellzone is for students who do not need the level of a Booster lesson intervention but would benefit from using the program to secure some spelling strategies. Our interventions are reviewed and adjusted following our mid and end of year internal testing. Spellzone progress will be monitored to ensure students are engaging and to assess impact.

Our focus is always looking to improve the spelling skills of all students in KS3. Spellzone is a complete online teaching resource which our students can complete at home. Spellzone unlocks the mystery of English spelling and adapts to all abilities. Students can work on tailored learning pathways at their own pace and on any device. Engaging with Spellzone ensures that spelling competence and confidence keeps developing to ensure that students can make good progress across the curriculum.

 

Spellzone has been proven to have a really positive impact on our student's development. We really appreciate your support in encouraging your child to engage with it at home over the coming months. Time spent developing spelling knowledge now will have a significantly beneficial effect on your child's success in GCSE and beyond in the future.

 

Getting started is easy!

Spellzone is available for use on school computers, home computers and mobile devices.

1. Launch web browser – Microsoft Edge and google ‘Spellzone’
2. Click the red ‘log in’ tab. You can then log in using your username and password.
3. A Spelling Ability Test is included as part of the spellzone resource. On completion of the test, you will be provided with a spellzone score and a 'Personal Course Pathway' which shows the units to be completed. The test is repeated at key points and the score and pathway updated according to progress made.
4. In addition to the Personal Course Pathway, you may be, occasionally, set specific tasks to be completed. These may be specific word lists to support their pathway. 
5. As well as completing any of the above, you can also play on ‘spellings games’ but this is used in addition to any work that has been set. 

Please spend 30 minutes a week on Spellzone

Reminders to use Spellzone are given by a general email/note via tutors.

At any point if a student is having any difficulties either with login, pathways or just general questions they should come to Learner Support

We receive this newspaper, aimed at Key Stage 3, in the library for students to look through.

This site has lots of current affairs activities, a 3 minute news bulletin (FNTV), competitions and more. If your child would like to receive their own paper copy of First News they can collect a subscription form from Mrs Scott in the Library.

No login required for students/parents/carers to access many of the features of the website.

http://www.firstnews.co.uk/

The PixL EGDE is a framework for schools to develop and accredit students in those personal attributes essential for employability and life. The scheme will focus on five key attributes;

• Leadership
• Organisation
• Initiative
• Resilience
• Communication

We are aware of the many activities our students are already doing, in and out of college, and this is a fantastic way of them being recognised and accredited.

Students on the PixL EDGE programme will qualify at the Apprentice Level, where they will be required to complete two activities in each of the key attributes above. There are a variety of approved activities on the activities database that the students can undertake. Once they have chosen an activity they wish to complete, they will be required to complete a short form describing the activity and how they are planning to achieve it, and a target completion date. Once they believe they have completed the activity they will submit a short evaluation form.

Progress on the scheme will be managed by the students using a specially designed online portfolio, with a one of our PixL EDGE teachers providing an oversight and awarding credits towards achieving the tasks. Students will be given a personal login and will be encouraged to update their portfolio. This can be done at the college or at home using their own devices, including tablets or mobile phones. Students will be able to access PixL Edge at https://theedge.pixl.org.uk/

https://ukhosted6.renlearn.co.uk/1985499/default.aspx

Accelerated Reader is a computer programme that helps teachers manage and monitor student’s independent reading practice and improve Literacy .

STAR Reading is an assessment in Accelerated Reader which is carried out several times a year. It has been aligned with the national curriculum to allow tutors/teachers to easily track student progress alongside the skills required in the curriculum. It reports in a number of different ways including standardised scores, percentile ranks and scaled scores.

Students will take a star test several times a year at regular intervals. Following the Star test, each student receives a reading range/Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).  The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) suggests the readability-level range from which a student should be selecting books for optimal growth in reading without frustration.

Students choose books within their reading range and take a quiz on each book when they have finished. This must be taken within 2 days of finishing the book to ensure it is a test of the students comprehension of the book. Quizzing after the 2 day rule leads to poor quiz results as it becomes more of a memory test rather than a comprehension test. All students are set a target to achieve 85% or above in their quizzes as this demonstrates a good understanding of the book. Differentiation is applied for every student via the level of the book.

The points target is generated for each individual student based on their performance in the Star test. This target is set each term and if a student achieves their target then they are usually performing well in their quizzes and are spending the recommended amount of time reading for pleasure and progress.

The Star test and quiz data generates various valuable reports which are monitored closely by the Librarian, English teachers, tutors, Student Support and the Basic Skills team. The reports make it easy to identify students that require intervention, students that aren't reading enough and students that are coasting along instead of choosing more challenging reading material.

The librarian also monitors latest quiz results of students visiting the library, to loan a book, to encourage 'Smart Choices'. Quiz score of 85% or above: students will move up in their reading range for their next book. Quiz score below 85%: discuss possible reasons for not meeting their target and decided on best level of book from there - usually moving down within their range or coming up with helpful strategies to aid success.

Parents can monitor their child’s progress towards their targets in Accelerated Reader by logging into Home Connect. They can also view what their child has been reading and quizzing on and sign up to receive automated progress emails each time their child takes a quiz.

Accelerated Reader has almost quadrupled the amount of library loans at Casterton College, Rutland and highlighted to students and parents the importance of reading for pleasure and progress.

Please note if unsure of your Accelerated Reader log in details, contact Mrs Scott, Librarian

Lexia is for students who do not need the level of a Booster lesson intervention but would benefit from using the program to secure some reading strategies. Our interventions are reviewed and adjusted following our mid and end of year internal testing. Lexia progress will be monitored to ensure students are engaging and to assess impact.

Our focus is always looking to improve the reading skills of all students in KS3. Lexia Power Up is a complete online teaching resource which our students can complete at home. The programme is written for adolescent learners and builds and develops skills in vocabulary development, grammar and comprehension through targeted reading practice. Engaging with Lexia ensures that reading competence and confidence keeps developing to ensure that students can make good progress across the curriculum as reading requirements in all subjects becomes more challenging.

Lexia has been proven to have a really positive impact on our student's development. We really appreciate your support in encouraging your child to engage with it at home over the coming months. Time spent developing reading now will have a significantly beneficial effect on your child's success in GCSE and beyond in the future.

Getting started is easy!

 

1. Using a desktop or laptop computer, open web browser Microsoft Edge and google www.lexiapowerup.com Please note that mobile devices are not supported.
2. The first time you use Lexia Power up at home you will need to enter a teacher’s email - the email to use is lexiasupport@pe94at.com . You can then log in using your user name and password.
3. The first time you use Lexia Power Up you will sit a placement test. It is extremely important that you take your time, focus and listen carefully to instructions to ensure that you are set on the level most appropriate to support and extend your knowledge in all three areas

Please spend 30 minutes a week on Lexia Power Up – start with the reading comprehension section and when this is completed follow on with the grammar and then word study sections

www.pearsonactivelearn.com

Students are required to complete several tasks online through the Pearson Active Learn website, based on the topics that have been taught over recent weeks.

Students have been issued with their login details.

Students are encouraged to ask for help if it is needed.If there are any IT issues at home the work will need to be completed at school during social times.

Browser support:

• Internet Explorer 9 and higher
• Firefox 3.0 and higher
• Google Chrome
• Safari 4.0 and higher

Tablet compatibility:

EdexcelGCSE Mathematics 9–1 works on the tablets listed below.

Tablets running iOS 5.1 and later: iPad 2.0 and later, iPad Air, iPad Mini.

Tablets running Android 4 and later: Samsung Galaxy Tablet and other android tablets with 10-inch display.

ActiveLearn works best on these devices using Chrome or Firefox rather than the standard browser.

The Nexus-7 and other 7-inch tables are not supported.

Recommended software to make full use of our resources:

• Adobe Reader 8 and higher
• Adobe Flash Player v10 and higher
  Latest versions of Adobe software are available at

Microsoft Office 2003 and higher (and compatible alternative)

Support for ActiveLearn

Bringing Casterton College Library to every students home. Students and parents/carers can search books to view Accelerated Reader book levels, look at the ‘Who Next’ button for suggestions of what to read next, manage their library account, keep track of overdue books, view past and current loans, write book reviews, access thousands of websites, view author videos, see news from the library, access competitions and more. 

The login for Eclipse has been set as:

Username: same username that students use to access their school account in College.
Password: Date of birth (eight digits e.g. June 24 2002 – 24062002)

https://app.readingcloud.net/

Eclipse Student Guide:

https://www.microlib.co.uk/MyMLS/TutorialVideos/Eclipse.net%20Guide/eclforstudents.htm?v=0.1

Watch the video for an overview of the features of Eclipse.

Eclipse Library System App:

Bringing Casterton College Library to every student and parent mobile device.

The IMLS APP (Mobile version of Eclipse Library System) is available FREE from the App store for all android/i-phones and other mobile devices.

 Logon detail are the same as for full Eclipse (above).

 The App has lots of useful features including the ability to record video book reviews to appear on Eclipse, search the library for books from anywhere and reserve them. You can also receive notifications of overdue books - great if parents download the app too. Parents can then ensure students return books when they should and avoid books becoming lost.

Home Connect allows parents to view their child’s progress towards their points target and quiz score target and parents can sign up, in Home Connect,  to receive immediate email updates each time their child takes a quiz.

Login: Use your child’s Accelerated Reader login details to log into Home Connect.

Once logged in, click ‘Help’ at the top of the page for information on how to use Home Connect.

https://ukhosted6.renlearn.co.uk/1985499/HomeConnect/

http://www.arbookfind.co.uk/UserType.aspx

This website will tell you whether a book has a quiz and, if it does, what level it is.

 Once you have selected parent or pupil from the homepage and clicked submit you will be taken to a quick search page.

If you are checking a particular book that your child already has or desires to read – use this search page. If there is no quiz available based on searching the title, try the subtitle e.g. Tom Gates books often don’t appear if you put Tom Gates at start but if you use the subtitle e.g. ‘Excellent Excuses’ the quiz will appear. If you still can’t find a quiz, search the authors full name. All the books they have written, that have quizzes, will appear and you can then search through the results. The results are organised alphabetically and can often have more than one page of results. If you still can’t find a quiz for that book it may be that that there isn’t a quiz available (not all books have quizzes) but if in doubt tell your child to speak to Mrs Scott in the Library and she will double check for you.

• If you are looking for ideas for books in your child’s reading range then click the ‘Advanced Search’ tab that appears in grey.
• From there you can leave the top section blank except for quiz type – select ‘Reading Practice’.
• Next select interest level
• Then in the ATOS Book Level section put your child’s lowest number of his/her reading range (ZPD) in the first box and his/her highest number in the second box.
• There are further options in additional criteria that you may want to select.
• In the last ‘Sorted’ section, sort by book level then you can decide how challenging you want the book to be. I do advise students to start at the lower end of their reading range and work up from there based on the success of their quiz scores.
• Finally click ‘Go’.

You should now have several pages of results of books with quizzes in your child’s reading range at their interest level. Various information is included along with a description of the plot for each book. If you click on any book that your child is interested in, a little more info appears which includes the genre, isbn and word count. Just click the back button to return to the original results.

 Hopefully this will allow you to find new and exciting books that your child can enjoy and be successful in Accelerated Reader.