Anything written about school nowadays will include some words and phrases which may need making clear to parents. We’ve tried to explain some of them below.

Controlled Assessment this replaces traditional coursework and is carried out at the Academy and counts towards the final grade.

GNVQ or General National Vocational Qualification is an alternative to GCSE. Intermediate GNVQ is at the same level as GCSE. The difference between GNVQ and GCSE is that students studying GNVQ are working on topics from an area of employment, like business or computer work, whereas GCSE concentrates on the traditional subject areas like Maths, English, History and so on. GNVQ is also tested differently; students have got to prove that they can do a task by doing it and providing evidence that they have done it, though they also sit some examinations like GCSE.

Homework is a vital part of all GCSE courses. Students must study at home as well as at the Academy if they are to do well. As a minimum, students should have 1 hour’s homework a week in each subject. Many students do much more.

Moderation is the process by which teachers check that they are awarding marks which are fair and in line with those awarded in other schools. Teachers mark each other’s work first, and then a sample of work is sent away to be marked by the examination boards who can move all students’ marks up or down. In some cases, like Art or Languages, an examiner visits the Academy and checks the marking personally.

Modular means that the teaching is organised in modules, or sections of work, usually on a topic (like "Forces" in Science). There is often an exam at the end of the module which counts towards the final grade.

The National Curriculum is the subjects that the Government has ruled that students in schools must study. It has recently been changed to give students a bit more choice, but it still sets out what must be taught in all the main subjects.

Portfolio is another word for the collection of coursework that a student completes. It can be pieces of writing or, in the case of Art, pictures or sculptures.

Tiers mean levels of entry for examinations. In most subjects there are 2 tiers - Higher and Foundation

Twilight Courses these are taught after the Academy hours in the students’ own time