AQA GCSE Psychology: Aiming for Grades 7-9

Course Code: T0324 £249.00

ABOUT THIS COURSE

This course, new for Spring 2025 is focused on meeting the demands of the higher-level marking bands across all components. It examines the characteristics of work produced by students working at the highest levels and provides a range of teaching approaches and materials designed to ensure students achieve 7-9 in AQA GCSE Psychology.

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

  • Gain an informed understanding of what is required to achieve grades 7-9
  • Understand the assessment demands of the AQA GCSE Psychology specification
  • Develop practical strategies for meeting the requirements of the higher bands across all components
  • 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

PROGRAMME

Focused deep dive on the demands of the AQA GCSE specification

10.00am

  • Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of our own teaching practice
  • Examine the assessment demands of all components including the use of assessment objectives as a framework for assessment
  • Consider the most effective models for delivery of the course to ensure effective assessment practice across 2 years and in all components
  • Exploring the Examiner’s Reports from previous exam sessions -what students need to do to ensure that they achieve the highest grades

Break

11.00am

Strategies to stretch top end students

11.15am

  • Review characteristics of Grade 7-9 AQA GCSE Psychology students
  • What the highest achieving students can do
  • What does a grade 7-9 student do differently to other students?
  • What are the main reasons why a student may fail to gain a 7-9 grading?
  • What is the best pedagogical culture to have in your Psychology department to help to achieve success
  • An approach to extended writing that aims for 6/6 or 9/ 9

Lunch

12.30pm

Strategies to Achieve Grades 7 – 9 in Paper 1

1.30pm

  • Exploring practical activities for teaching movement analysis with able students l Examining strong exemplar responses
  • Typical questions that may come up in Paper 1
  • Structuring your essay – What examiners are looking for
  • New and innovative ways to help the higher ability students to scaffold their extended answers

Break

2.30pm

Achieving in Paper 2: Stretching and Challenging Able Students for a Top Grade

2.45pm

  • What is excellent – unpicking the descriptors for a top band performance
  • Teaching techniques that challenge and push the most able students
  • What does a top band Paper 2 performance look like?
  • It’s the little things that count – focusing on the detail
  • Creative methods and approaches which engage higher ability students
  • Tried and tested methods

Depart

3.45

GCSE - Code: T0324

AQA GCSE Psychology: Aiming for Grades 7-9

Course Leader

Ali Abbas is a regular speaker at Educational Conferences and has been providing INSET to schools and colleges nationally, and now internationally since 2003 and was a key speaker at the Visible Learning World Conference, Edinburgh 2019 and the Aspire Psychology Conference, Dubai 2019. Ali is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors (FCIEA) and is a published author at A level and GCSE Psychology. He has taught for over 20 years and was a Principal Examiner with 13 years’ experience in writing Psychology exam papers and awarding grades for a major exam board, he was also part of the team that wrote the current A level specification.

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