Presentation to Senior Managers and Governors

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Presentation to Senior Managers and Governors
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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

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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

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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

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C21 courses
GCSE Additional Science
GCSE Biology GCSE Chemistry GCSE Physics
Entry level
GCSE Science
or
GCSE Additional Applied Science
For all students
For most students
For some students
For some students
Single Award Full range GCSE F and H tiers
Single Awards Full range GCSEs F and H tiers
Single Awards Full range GCSEs F and H tiers
OCRs Entry Level Course feeds into GCSE Science
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Relationship between the the C21 courses
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Previously..

• .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

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Student views of the old courses

• A lot of the stuff is irrelevant. Youre just
  going to go away from school and youre never
  going to think about it again.
• It doesnt mean anything to me. Im never going
  to use that. Its never going to come into
  anything, its just boring.
• Its 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 Kings College.
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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? Youre not going to come
  across it ever. I mean look at the technology
  today, weve gone onto cloning. Its a bit away
  off from the blast furnace now, so why do you
  need to know it?

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In the classroom
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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
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Science innovations and investment framework

• In 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

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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.

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