1. A new taxonomy?

2. High performing systems? Ethic of excellence? Bolt-on or bottom-up?
Stick or twist?
Mindset?
Progress or a label?
High performing systems?
Ethic of excellence?
Bolt-on or bottom-up?
The “break neck” factor
Reliability?
“Discredited currency”
Deep learning?
“The curse of sub-levels”
Mastery?

3. Do we always teach…..
…..what we value?

4. What are your BIG ideas?
e.g. Science
Organising concepts
Knowledge
Skills
All materials in the world are made of very small particles
The total amount of energy in the Universe is the same
Organisms are organised from cells, are diverse, competitive and interdependent
Forces affect other objects…etc.
Data analysis & evaluation – best fit models
Experimental skills & techniques
Scientific attitudes – ethical, social, economic, political
….what about learning habits?

5. What does excellence look like?
How can we go “beyond”

6. Can cognitive psychology help?

7. Autumn Spring Summer Unit/s Core Knowledge Skills 9 8 7
CELLS 4: Genetics
PARTICLES 4:
ENERGY 4:
Cells to nucleus to chromosomes, genes and DNA
Scientific attitudes: Watson & Crick, DNA discovery 7
CELLS 1: Cells and organisation
PARTICLES 1: The particle model
ENERGY 1 etc.
Plant & animal cells
Similarities/differences
Structure & function
Structural adaptations of cells
Cells to organisms
States of matter
Changes of state
Experimental skills: using a light microscope to observe & record cell structure
Scientific attitudes: how Robert Hooke discovered cells with cork / “Micrographia” book
Demokritus, Newton
CELLS 2: Cells, systems & organisms
PARTICLES 2: Atoms, elements, compounds
Cells, tissues, organs, systems & organisms
Muscular skeletal system
Blood cells
Intro to chemical symbols etc.
Dalton’s model
CELLS 3: Cells, tissues, organs, systems
Digestive system
Bacteria cells

8. CELLS UNIT 1: Cells and organisation
Threshold
Expected Knowledge
Expected Skills
Beyond
Can “zoom in” to nucleus containing genetic material, extends knowledge to include mitochondria, ribosomes, etc.
Recognises limitations of light microscopy and demonstrates awareness of alternative techniques e.g. electron microscopy etc.
Excelling
Use of accurate and precise language when describing functions, e.g. “chlorophyll absorbs light energy” or explaining adaptations, e.g. “thin outer membrane lets oxygen diffuse through easily”
Can prepare own slides. Recognises effect of contaminants on image quality and measures that can be taken to preserve image quality.
etc.
Advancing
Can identify function of each part and adaptation in case of specialised cells
Can identify and record observed features of cells accurately in terms of size and position.
Securing
Can identify parts of plant and animal cells correctly, similarities and differences
Can use a light microscope to identify and record key features of cells. Selects appropriate lens, with accurate focus.
Developing
Can identify plant and animal cells
Can mount a pre-prepared slide and adjust focus. Records some features.
Establishing
deep
surface

9. How often do we start here?
Unit
Cells 2: Cells, systems and organisms
Links to prior learning / last interleaved sequence:
Cells 1: Plant & animal cells; similarities/differences; structure & function; structural adaptations of cells; cells to organisms
Learning episode
From core knowledge and skills
Assessment opportunities
Learning objective
Learning outcomes
Probing questions
Production 1
why specialised cells may be necessary in multicellular organisms
recalls plant/animal cell organelles; explains what it means to be ‘multicellular’; gives examples of specialist cells in both plants and animals and applies knowledge to classify; relates adapted structure to function
-what would happen if we were uni-cellular?
-are cells in multi-cellular organisms always the same?
-what jobs wouldn’t we be able to do?
-why is cell differentiation important to an organism’s development? etc. 2
zooms out to link cells to tissues to organs to organ systems & give examples...etc.
etc.

11. Tricky baselines KS2 English + Maths test scores
KS2 Teacher Assessment and dialogue with feeder schools
MidYIS / CAT3 ability testing
FFT estimates
Internal tests on entry
Reading ages
etc.
KS2 test
E/M
APS etc.
MiDYIS / CAT3 score
etc.
Ability
threshold
5a, 5a, 36
100 ….
Beyond
5b, 5a, 34
Excelling
5c, 5b, 32
Advancing
5c, 4a, 29
Securing

12. Baseline ability threshold
Keep it simple
Baseline ability threshold
Working threshold
Progress
Tracking
Securing
Expected
Developing
Less than expected -1
Advancing
Good +1
Excelling
Exceptional +2

13. Current GCSE threshold
GCSE flight paths
KS3 working threshold
Current GCSE threshold
NEW GCSE threshold
Tracking
Beyond
AS-level 10
Excelling
A*/A
9/8 9 8
Advancing
A/B
8/7 7
Securing
B/C
7/6* 6
Developing
C/D
5*/4 5 4
Establishing
E/F/G
3/2/1 3 2 1

14. Where’s your head at?