Science Network Pilot Evaluation for SUMMER 2016

Pilot Evaluation Contents  Context of the pilot  Pilot changes  Outcome measure  Results  Conclusion and Implications

Context of the pilot Where and when did the pilot take place?  Cranbrook Primary September 2015 – July 2016 Year 2 Class (30 pupils)  The science subject leader was on the Gants Hill Alliance as part of CPD in Cranbrook School.  The subject leader was also a year 2 teacher in which the pilot study took place.

Pilot changes What were the pilot changes?  Use of concept maps to promote discussion and debate.  Encourage generating questions for enquiry and children to be able to choose which enquiry they will pursue to find answers and understand this can be done through – research, observations, comparative test, research, sorting & classifying.  Encourage independence in different types of recording.

Pilot changes Why were these changes chosen? Results from the staff and children survey showed didn’t know what the different types of enquiry were (most thought of it as fair testing only). Children were often given the enquiry instead of pursuing their own interests or questions. Children were always told how to record. Evidence in books looked identical and children didn’t understand the purpose of recording results.

Pilot changes -Concept map. Details of how the changes were delivered.  During planning, the teachers effectively used concept maps (generated by pilot teacher) at the beginning of the topic to illicit what the children know or want to find out. Using the concept maps allowed for children to express clearly what they previously understood (prior learning) as well as showing where the misconceptions were. The hook allowed them to think of their own enquiry questions and possible ways of finding out.  See examples of concept maps:-

There’s a terrible storm. I’m cold and wet in this suit! I thought it was waterproof. If I use the sails, they will make a good umbrella or a new wolf suit! The rain is splashing on my wolf suit. The waves are crashing. How will I keep dry? I’ve got a very long journey. This wolf suit is made of cotton. I thought it would keep my dry. I wonder if I should use a foil to cover myself. Maybe I could use the leaves of the tree to cover myself. I think wool would make a good wolf suit. Materials: Concept map.

Is it alive? Concept map. I don’t think the plant is dead. In my opinion it’s just unhealthy looking! Emma I think the plant is still alive because it’s leaves are green. Emma The plant must be dead because it’s winter and the frost killed it. Lucy Maybe it just needs water and sunlight to get healthy again. Then it will stand upright and tall again. Bob If a plant is dead it will be brown or black and it will have no leaves on it. Bob. I believe that it can’t come back alive. Lucy In my opinion, I think this plant is dead because it got too tall and now it’s flopped. Lucy.

Observing over time and pattern seeking Use of concept maps to promote debate and discussion. Generate questions and understand what is the best way to find answers. Independence in recording Sorting and classifying plants and seeds Allowing children to pursue own questions. Pilot Study Areas Pilot changes Researching, observing and note taking

Pilot changes  Were any alterations made to the changes during the course of the pilot (and why were they made)? One of the changes that was made during the course of the pilot was to have an end outcome which links the science learning to a purposeful design and engineering task. This would allow the children to understand the focus of their learning and be able to apply the learning in the end. e.g learn about best conditions to grow a seed – Outcome - Design a closh or a pot to germinate seeds quickly. Materials – find out about waterproof and transparent materials through comparative testing. Outcome - design a vehicle to get teddy of a tree without bumping, he must be able to see, he must have a smooth transition, he must land safely, he must remain dry.

We made a cable car. It didn’t land with a thump. We made a car and put a seat belt on to keep him safe. I put a plastic tub on top so the driver can see where he is going. I made a glider with wings so he can have a smooth landing. I made a parachute so he can land slowly on the ground. Pilot changes: Have an engineering outcome.

Outcome measures Prompts:  Explanation of the measures used to assess impact (see your planning for impact sheet)  How was the data collected?  Is the data complete?  What were the limitations of your measures? Were there any issues along the way?

Results Prompts:  What was the impact on your outcome measures?  How did the overall attainment for your pupil data in working scientifically change?  What was the impact on learners’ attitudes?  What was the impact on you? What was the impact on other staff?  Were there any unintended outcomes? It would be helpful to illustrate this with some case studies of children’s work (eg for a + - and = child), photographs, examples of recording, plans, videos of recording etc.

Conclusion and implications Prompts:  Overall evaluation of results: what worked well and what didn’t?  Which changes are worth rolling out across your school? If so, in which year groups (if not all) and with what modifications?  What are the potential barriers to success? How could these be overcome?  What CPD would be required to deliver these changes? How might the Enthuse partnership funding be used to assist with this?