1. Science 2014… and beyond

2. Agenda  Introduction – Principles  Best practice for teaching science - fundamentals  Curriculum 2014  Tea break – at some point!  Implications for science leaders – planning for change

3. The Principles of science teaching and learning… Science is going well when….

4. Maintaining Curiosity “Physicians take an oath that commits them to ‘first do no harm.’ The best science teachers set out to ‘first maintain curiosity’ in their pupils.” Ofsted 2013

5. Key Findings (in a nutshell):  Best schools – teachers and pupils understood the ‘big ideas’ of science.  Achievement highest when pupils involved in fully planning, carrying out and evaluating investigations suggested themselves.  Schools often lacked sufficient differentiation.  The quality of feedback to pupils to enhance learning often poor.  Literacy teaching with interesting and imaginative science contexts worked well.  Failure to ensure full coverage of the science NC.  Outstanding when teachers and subject leaders had received science-specific training.

6. A survey of 91 primary schools… The best teaching was:  driven by determined subject leadership that put scientific enquiry at the heart of science teaching and coupled it with substantial expertise in how pupils learn science  set out to sustain pupils’ natural curiosity, so that they were eager to learn the subject content as well as develop the necessary investigative skills  was informed by accurate and timely assessment of how well pupils were developing their understanding of science concepts, and their skills in analysis and interpretation so that teaching could respond to and extend pupils’ learning.

7. How do pupils learn science?  Exploring/noticing/observing  Identifying/classifying  Pattern seeking  Testing/experimentation/investigation  Research  Discussion/dialogue/argument  They don’t learn much by being told or filling in boxes!

8. Charles Darwin “ I love fools' experiments. I am always making them.” …I think that I am superior to the common run of men in noticing things which easily escape attention, and in observing them carefully.”

9. Common weaknesses found:  activities did not match each pupil’s prior learning, so that some pupils wasted time or did not complete work.  pupils became disengaged from learning and more able pupils in particular were not given work that was challenging enough.  teachers failed to provide pupils with feedback that really helped them to improve their work.

10. How do you teach science well?  Know the subject/curriculum  Understand pupil’s prior learning –what they know and can do already  Support and challenge  Questioning & feedback that affects learning

11. Prior learning  KWL grids  Question/statement boards  Documentaries/presentations  Be quiet and listen!!!  Mind maps Use this to these to think ahead and PLAN opportunities

12. Curiosity and child led enquiry  Get them wondering  What are their questions?  How can we find out?  What did we find out?  Pupil dialogue and discussion  This is what scientists think so far  Does that make sense?

13. Support and challenge  Let those who know and can do go ahead.  Support those who are new to it all – simplify/backtrack  Group by science ability (often maths, but not always)  Mixed ability/differentiation by outcome – does it fit?  Curiosity and finding out for all

14. The new curriculum!

15. Origins of new National Curriculum  ASE Late 1990 research into primary science enquiry.  2000s ASE Primary Science Committee initiate writing on primary science enquiry.  2011 – Is it fair or not?  2012 – Redraft primary science NC builds on ASE work from 15 years ago. Anne Goldsworthy and Brenda Keogh work on draft.

16. Curriculum 2014 Have you read it? What do you know about it? What’s the same or different? What’s the feel of it? Discuss! Use STEM document

17. An overview Year 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5Year 6 Working scientifically Living things & their habitats Plants Plants Animals, including humans Evolution and inheritance Everyday materials Uses of every day materials Rocks States of matter Properties & changes of materials Light Sound Forces and magnets Forces Seasonal Changes Earth and Space Electricity

18. What’s the same  Most of the subject knowledge and understanding.  A balance of science content and skills.  Many topics come up more than once, so there is progression. (Don’t throw away your schemes of work – they might be useful!)

19. What’s gone  No requirement to cover electricity in KS1  No requirement to cover light and sound in KS1  No requirement to cover forces and movement in KS1  No requirement to cover micro-organisms in KS2. No requirement = not statutory. You still can!

20. What’s new?  ‘Working scientifically’ and emphasis on different types of enquiry.  Seasonal change in Yr 1.  Evolution and Inheritance in Yr 6.  More naming and identifying things (especially in KS1)  More on using outdoor environment.  Some reference to how scientific ideas have changed over time.  Biographies

21. Working Scientifically  Replaces Sc1  Progression is in phase groups  The non-statutory guidance illustrates how working scientifically might apply in each topic.  Let’s compare

22. This is what the children ‘do’ in order to find out:  Observing over time  Pattern seeking  Identifying & classifying  Comparative & fair testing  Research Working scientifically covers the predicting, planning, carrying out, finding and recording of results, conclusion and presentation of these types of investigations. Working scientifically’

23. New Subject knowledge to consider  Evolution and inheritance – no genes required, but some understanding of ‘survival of the fittest’ and natural selection, but quite simple. Helpful linkHelpful link  Properties and changes of materials – new material – ‘oxidation.’ Ok? Or are we rusty?  Electricity –series circuits not parallel. Voltage introduced as a concept alongside current – potential misconception

24. Opportunities  Fair testing and other types of enquiry provide far more opportunities for children.  Working scientifically underpins all of the subject knowledge topics.  Working scientifically in three phases – more progressive/ depth to progression over time.  Strong emphasis in guidance on effective teaching and learning – worth reading!

25. Planning issues  The PoS study can be studied over two years not just year group.  Phase group skills progression.  The topic of seasonal change will stretch across a year.  In KS2 there are five areas in each year not six and there are four in KS1 – spare time? As science leader what will you suggest?

26. Our extra half terms! Ideas?  Take longer over each topic?  Make one double length topic?  Use the final half term for revision, consolidation and extension?  Independent (pairs or groups) study some of the question that came up during the year?  Create your own topic?  Do something adventurous – class science newspaper/documentary/show

27. The Local Environment! ‘ Pupils should use the local environment throughout the year to explore and answer questions about …” “They should raise and answer questions about the local environment…’ “….including those in the local environment”

28. Every year group should be out and about!  Local habitats near you?  Class photo diary of a habitat.  Yearly science diary – half term survey of an area.  Every year group should be outside poking around at least three times a year!! How could you encourage every class to be outside at least every term?

29. Biographies – science and literacy links

30. Mastery more than spiralling “ While it is important pupils make progress, it is also vitally important that they develop secure understanding of each key block of knowledge and concepts in order to progress to the next stage. Insecure, superficial understanding will not allow genuine progression…” p3 What are the implications for teachers/subject leaders?

31. NC 2014 Implementation!

32. Options: Whole School New Year group 2014-15 Topics Year 2 and 6 should cover if opting for whole school on new NC Year 1New NC Year 2 New NC  Care for environment Year 3New NC Year 4New NC Year 5New NC Year 6New NC  Micro-organisms

33. Year 2 and 6 on old 2014-15 Topics Year 2 and 6 could cover if staying with the old NC Year 1New NC Year 2 Old NC plus  Food chains  Food chains start with green plants Year 3New NC Year 4New NC Year 5New NC Year 6Old NC plus  Classification of plants and animals  Nutrients and water transportation in animals and humans  Evolution and Inheritance – whole programme of study

34. Repetition Year Group Areas of possible repetition with new NC Year 1 All new Year 2 All new Year 3 All new except Year 1 - Light Year 2 - Forces Year 4 All new except Year 1 – Sound Year 2 - Electricity Year 5 All new except Year 2 – Materials Year 6All new – spiralling knowledge

35. Whole school curriculum planning Options:  Buy in new scheme.  Updated existing scheme.  Use QCA units with topics against new PoS- add in extras!  Use Hamilton.  Create your own to go with your creative curriculum – use a mixture of above. What are you doing now? What might need to change?

36. Who’s doing what?  Have curriculum phase meetings – which topics link to their topics? Create whole school curriculum map.  Trust in a whole school creative curriculum – track PoS though scrutinies and science teaching!  Create whole school curriculum map then tell each year what they’re doing.  Will a ‘wait and see’ curriculum work – overload later year?

37. Science Curriculum across the school  Agree schemes.  Agree non-negotiable content for each year.  Have high expectations of expanded/deepened child led science curriculum beyond PoS.  Encourage cross curricular links, but keep integrity of the subject.  Ensure a monitoring system in place – book/planning scrutinies/ pupil conferencing.

38. Ways forward…  School SIP - target for curriculum implementation  Subject action plan – (another time)  Inform teaching staff before Sep 2014  Ensure resources are in place  Consider CPD (e.g. data loggers/evolution)

39. Next time?  Teaching and assessing the new curriculum?