1. Science Learning Visit 2017
Rachel Carrington, Jenny Walker and Becky Moore

2. We carried out our own pupil voice survey before the faculty learning visit, here are some of the positive things that the students said about their Science lessons. Many students stated that teacher expectations were clear, work was challenging and regularly marked.

3. We were pleased that the faculty review mirrored what the pupils had said with regards to teaching, learning and assessment.

4. We were extremely proud of our outcomes last year which came at the end of 2 years of many changes and a drive for changing of old habits. The biggest change came from the use of cumulative assessment and the embedding exam questions throughout the lessons to take away some of the ‘fear factor’

5. There have been many changes over the last 3 years, we feel we have now reached a period of stability. We feel we know what the Science department needs to work on and where we are going - we have indeed been on a journey!

6. Action points
Develop the awareness and use of AfL strategies throughout the faculty CPD plans over the summer and into the new academic year.
Purchase of class based whiteboards and RAG cards
Purchase a range of teacher resources on differentiation in science and general approaches in learning to provide a base of techniques for staff to reflect on and experiment with.
In the Autumn #1 term our CPD focus will be differentiation in the faculty
Continue with subject specific CPD linked to Physics
Focus on adding excitement and a little bit of wonder into Science lessons
Some general action points are to develop AfL within the faculty, we also would like to add some excitement to Science lessons as the focus for the last 2 years has been in getting the assessment and marking right.

7. Key Stage 3
Ensure Key Stage 3 curriculum maps onto the new GCSE course
Use of assessment booklets to monitor quality and quantity of marking
All Key Stage 3 formatively assessed tasks will continue to be a full practical write up
Different skills will be assessed throughout the year; planning, analysis, concluding and evaluating
Identify students underperforming more quickly and put intervention in place
The new 9-1 course brings with it new challenges and we need to make sure that our KS3 curriculum is up to scratch, the language - particularly around the physics content has changed significantly. We still have a strong desire to embed practical skills throughout the course as although the ISA is no more, 40% of the new assessments will test working scientifically skills

8. Key Stage 4
In Years 10 and 11 for each 15 lesson module there will be 3 IMP tasks that are centrally directed.
One task will be skills based around the new practical assessments, one will be knowledge based and the final IMP task will be a formal end of unit assessment
There will be a continued department focus for the foreseeable future on ensuring positive outcomes for Combined Science students; these students are finding the new course particularly difficult

9. Key Stage 5
Rebecca visited Parkside during Year 11 Mock exam week to find out more on the use of the assessment systems for KS5 and the strategies for managing the IAs. We have opened up the channels of communication for a working relationship and have set up subject specific groups to allow for this.
We are working on standardising the assessment across the subjects at KS5. In September we are going to implement an assessment policy to ensure IMP tasks are relevant, varied and appropriate for the course; taking a similar approach to IMP task for KS4.
Rebecca has delivered an IA specific CPD session to ensure staff are happy delivering this particular element.

10. What’s next? IoP sessions Ogden Trust partnership
STEM day with SmallPeice Trust
Geneva trip
Silver CREST Award