DONNA BEDFORD HEADTEACHER TADCASTER EAST COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL STAR SCIENCE NETWORK DONNA BEDFORD HEADTEACHER TADCASTER EAST COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

INTRODUCTION First termly meeting was held in January 2017. 8 Science Leaders attended. Lead by LYNSAY MACKAY-TGS SCIENCE LEADER SARAH OLIVER RIVERSIDE SCIENCE LEADER. Agreed aims Improve transition between KS2 and KS3. Explore and share teaching approaches and development of the new curriculum. Explore, share, compare and moderate assessment strategies. Building on the success of the networks for English and Maths this group was the next natural step. Aim to improve the attendance of the network. Happy to take any feedback that will help with this issue. Any science leaders present had they heard about the meeting what had stopped the attendance. For me the timing (morning) was an issue.

First meeting http://starteachingschoolalliance.org Minutes from the meetings available on the STAR website. http://starteachingschoolalliance.org MEETING FORMAT Sharing best practice and alternative teaching approaches. Year 7 work and assessment What next? Engaging others Anyone not getting access to the bulletin leave name and email an Liz will add you to the circulation. STICKY NOTES ON TABLE Click link From home page select training and CPD scroll down and find the science icon. As the group was new and sharing of best practice is intended to become a key feature of the network Lynsay shared some activities around natural selection and evolution.

Teaching approaches and best practice. NATURAL SELECTION https://youtu.be/U_z4wjECNI4 Say it with pictures activity. Working in twos collect a pen and piece of paper. As I read the story I want you to make a pictorial representation of it. Now see if you can use the pictures to retell the story to your partner. Consider how you would use this activity in the classroom. MOVE TO 1.54 If you GOOGLE search LIFE FANTASCTIC NATURAL SELECTION CHRISTMAS LECTURES 2013 There are teaching notes and question prompts. CHRISTMAS LECTURES are a fantastic teaching resource. Once there were lots of rabbits living in a field. Some of them were white and some of them were grey. One day a fox moved into the field. The white rabbits were easy to spot on the dark nights when the fox went hunting so he ate them first. Soon there were no white rabbits left. Only the grey rabbits survived to have OFFSPRING Their OFFSPRING INHERITED the GENES from their parents so all had grey coats. Over time all the rabbits were grey and had adapted to survive as they blended into their surroundings better in the dark. The key words are in bold capitals to help the children to secure use of good vocab. Children who are used to talk for writing or working with prompts will find this a good way to remember the important facts and vocab.

Year 7 work and assessment DISCUSSION Range of skills and knowledge coming up from primary Varied curriculum coverage-smaller schools rolling program Develop a list of prioritised skills and knowledge for Year 6 staff to complete? Visits to primary schools in June each year. YEAR 7 BOOKS Quality of work and presentation Coverage ASSESSMENT Assessment is more restricted to knowledge rather than practical application at KS3 and 4 Some schools focus on and develop some topics more than others-curriculum development. BOOKS Assessments that go to the science department don’t deliver on expectations of quality of work or presentation etc. Need to share Year 6 assessment strategies with TGS and consider what to provide the science department that will be useful.

NEXT STEPS Promote attendance – encourage each school to send the most relevant person according to the agenda, doesn’t have to be the Science Lead. NEXT MEETING Thursday 22nd June 1-3.30pm TGS Bring Year 2,6 and 7 books to demonstrate working towards, working at an working beyond. Sample of Science KS2 assessment to be discussed

QUESTIONS FROM ME TO YOU FROM YOU TO ME? What were the reasons for not attending the network? What would you like to see covered in the future? Ideas for developing a sharing of information with secondary school science departments going forward. FROM YOU TO ME?