Presentation to Senior Managers and

Governors

2

A context for change: preparation for society

Young people need to develop their personal skills and a set of thinking and learning skills…

Thinking and learning skills mean knowing how to learn independently and adapt to a range of circumstances..

Together these skills are essential for raising standards, further learning, employment and dealing with a range of real-world problems….

Government White Paper February 2005

3

Developing independent learning skills These skills are not separately taught, but

brought out by expert teachers through the methods they use to teach curriculum subjects.

Proposed QCA skills framework

4

Embracing the opportunity…. Science education has two jobs to do - scientific

literacy v pre-professional training Key aspects of the previous GCSE science curriculum

did not work for many pupils - a change was needed

The new specifications offer diversity and choice -

different courses meet the differing needs of different groups of pupils

5

Entry level GCSE Science

GCSE AdditionalScience

GCSE AdditionalApplied Science

GCSE BiologyGCSE Chemistry

GCSE Physics

or

Single AwardFull range GCSE

F and H tiers

Single AwardsFull range GCSEs

F and H tiers

Single AwardsFull range GCSEs

F and H tiers

For all students For most students For some studentsFor some students

OCR’s Entry LevelCourse feeds

into GCSE Science

C21 courses

6

Relationship between the the C21 courses

7

“….secondary science on the other hand was like being on a train

in carriages that had blanked out windows. You were going in

a single direction about which you had no choice. The train

stopped at every station and you had to get off, whether you

liked it or were interested or not, and pay attention to what the

driver told you to do.

“Then you got back on the train and off you went to the next

station – but because the windows were opaque you could

not see the countryside in between, so you did not know how

the stations were linked or related to each other.”

Claxton: Educating the enquiring mind

Previously…..

8

A lot of the stuff is irrelevant. You’re just going to go away from school and you’re never going to think about it again.

It doesn’t mean anything to me. I’m never going to use that. It’s never going to come into anything, it’s just boring.

It’s all crammed in … You catch bits of it, then it gets confusing, then you put the wrong bits together …

[From: Osborne, J. and Collins, S. (2000). Pupils’ and Parents’ Views of the School Science Curriculum. London: King’s College.]

Student views of the old courses

9

Relevance?

Student: “The blast furnace, so when are you going to

use a blast furnace? I mean, why do you need to know

about it? You’re not going to come across it ever. I mean

look at the technology today, we’ve gone onto cloning. It’s

a bit away off from the blast furnace now, so why do you

need to know it?”

10

In the classroom

11

The majority study two GCSEs

“……Every young person will have a statutory entitlement to

science study leading to two GCSEs and we expect that, as

now, at least 80% of students will continue to take at least two

science GCSEs, with many progressing to science courses at

higher levels. We will take further action, if necessary to

maintain the numbers of young people taking two science

GCSEs.”14- 19 White paper February 2005

12

Science innovations and investment frameworkIn March 2006, the Government declared new ambitions to improve STEM skills:

– Achieve year on year increase in the number of young people taking A

levels in physics, chemistry and mathematics;

– Continually improve the number of pupils getting at least level 6 at the

end of KS3;

– Continually improve the number of pupils achieving A* - B and A* - C

grades in two science GCSEs;

– Step up recruitment, retraining and retention of physics, chemistry and

mathematics specialist teachers.

www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/1E1/5E/bud06_science_332.pdf

13

Current measures Make science a priority in schools by including science in the School

Accountability Framework;

An entitlement from 2008 for all pupils achieving at least level 6 at KS3 to study three separate science GCSEs, to increase progression to, and attainment at, A level sciences;

Continue to recruit science graduates into teaching via Employment Based

Routes with new incentives to providers of £1k per recruit to attract more

physics and chemistry teachers;

Develop and pilot a CPD programme, leading to an accredited diploma, to

give existing science teachers without physics and chemistry specialism the

deep subject knowledge and pedagogy they need to teach these subjects

effectively.

14