The future of science depends on the quality of science education today

By Rosemary Feasey

As we all know, primary schools play a vital role in developing the essential scientific skills and understanding that young people need in today’s society.

Teachers work incredibly hard to deliver exciting and challenging science content for their pupils, the majority without a background in science themselves – there are currently only 6,000 science graduates distributed across 17,640 primary schools in the UK. This means that the majority of pupils do not have access to a primary science specialist. It is therefore vital that those teaching science to young children have access to appropriate professional development which helps them develop their own knowledge and skills.

To date the majority of evidence that professional development for teachers of primary science has an impact on pupils learning has been qualitative, rather than established through controlled trials. To help address this and build up a body of evidence about the impact of professional development on primary science teaching and learning, the Wellcome Trust is running one of the largest ever randomised controlled trials in educational research.

This groundbreaking study will explore the extent to which an intensive programme of continuing professional development (CPD) for primary science coordinators without a science background improves science teaching and learning in their schools. The study will span two academic years, 2012/13 and 2013/14 and three English regions – London, the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber. Participating schools will be placed into one of three groups, each receiving different levels of CPD with supply cover costs being covered for any courses taken during school time.

One group of schools will take part in the Primary Science Specialist (PSS) CPD programme, which will build science-specific knowledge, pedagogical expertise and leadership skills. Delivered at the National Science Learning Centre in York and regional Science Learning Centres, it will include courses at the centres, online activities and days working in school.

The results of this study will be used to inform the Wellcome Trust, the Department for Education and others about the best way to support primary science teaching. It will also help us to decide whether the PSS programme should be made available across the country.

This is a unique and free opportunity for schools in the three English regions to learn about and improve primary science in their schools and ultimately across the country. If you are a teacher in a state funded school in London, the North West or Yorkshire and the Humber and would like additional information or to take part in the study please contact me.

News Alert! SLCSE RCUK climate change data could save world from alien invasion

by Tom Martin

I enjoy going to the cinema. I enjoy Professional Development. I didn’t think for one minute that these two interests would ever overlap. That was until I went to watch the new $200 million blockbuster “Battleship” at the cinema last weekend. Without giving too much away it’s basically about an alien invasion and mankind’s struggle to defeat them. Sound familiar? The difference is, this time the battle is fought mainly at sea. Hence the ship bit.

Being an educator, I enjoy films that not only entertain, but that also educate and I learned a very valuable lesson on this occasion. The lesson is how to locate alien ships when you find yourself trapped at sea on an American warship within a 2 mile thick impenetrable alien force field and the alien ships don’t show up on your RADAR. (They don’t show up because they apparently use special RADAR blocking alien technology).

The answer to this problem is surprisingly simple. Access NASA “NOAA” data on the web. You can get live data from ocean buoys that measure wave-height then overlay that on your ships navigation system. Every time the aliens go past a buoy in their ocean-faring craft they will generate large waves. This wave height is measured and transmitted from the buoy via satellite to your ship and these will show as a “blip” on the navigation screen. This enables you to trace the “blips” across the sea and hence find the aliens. This in turn allows you to fire torpedoes at the aforementioned alien craft. Unfortunately on this occasion – they missed. Twice. To find out how the film ends, I recommend you go and watch it!

Now, how does this relate to a Science Learning Centre course I hear you ask? Well, it is a case of “Science Fiction meets Science Fact”. Back in March I attended a SLCSE RCUK course titled “Climate Change” at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) at the University of Southampton along with 10 keen teachers with an interest in Climate Change and how it can be used to teach Science.

It was a wonderful day – a perfect mix of theory and practical activities. Part of the day was spent visiting the NOC’s IT suite. The course tutor guided us on how to use live NASA data (similar to that featured on the film) to monitor changing sea temperatures at various locations around the world. The idea is that students can also use this open access data in class for a variety of purposes such as investigations or projects.

The day was rounded-off with a voyage into Southampton Water on the state-of-the-art research inshore vessel, the RV Callista.  It was glorious. The sun was shining and we carried out several investigations including salinity measurements and dredging the sea bed. We even had an encounter with the Navy (the Royal Navy not the American one as featured in the film!) as coincidently the nuclear submarine HMS Tireless entered Southampton on a 5-day visit to the city! All very exciting stuff.

So that’s the story of how data used on RCUK Climate Change course at the National Oceanography Centre could save the world from alien invasion. Lucky there were no aliens in the Solent on that occasion!

To use the open access NASA data mentioned above, visit here: https://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/data.html

Thanks to Dr Simon Boxall and the team at National Oceanography Centre, Southampton for providing the course in March 2012. We hope to schedule another instance of this course in Spring 2013. Watch this space for details.

Visit the Science Learning Centre website For more information on cutting edge science courses.

Design and Technology Provides Safe Lift Off

by Michelle Evans at Science Learning Centre West Midlands

Flying is relevant to most of our lives, as ‘foreign’ holidays have become the norm. Yet it is often only when we are sat on a plane and ‘past the point of no return’ that we begin to wonder if it’s safe and even about the actual mechanics of how the tonnes of metal in which we are sat (not to mention our luggage) will actually get off the ground and safely deliver us to our sun-filled destination. Even within this consideration, we tend to think of the plane being essentially a

Hercules engine

chunk of metal and don’t really consider the enormous number of processes which have been undertaken to get to that one point. We don’t think about the time and effort and quality control procedures which go into the creation of a single hole in a tiny part of a blade which is crucial for the process of flying and to improve the efficacy of the engine as well as to reduce emissions.

However, at Rolls-Royce they spend a significant amount of time, effort (and money) ensuring that each tiny (and huge) element is completely fail-safe, efficient, light and effective. (I, for one, am rather pleased that they do!) What we may not realise is that this technology is as relevant to our teaching; certainly in Science and Design Technology; as it is to Rolls-Royce because we are working with and developing materials.

Materials science is a growing field with increasingly interesting discoveries and developments, Carbon Nanotubes, a relatively new discovery from the 1990s, are now present in both Design Technology and Science specifications where the structure and potential and current uses are required. ‘Smart’ materials are increasingly prevalent in society and therefore our teaching should be including and considering the uses of these developments within the field; the science behind these is really interesting and ground breaking, but the uses are now quite common; even including electro-conductive lycra (presumably for warm cycling shorts)!

Rolls-Royce Materials Masterclass course 2010

All manufacturing requires materials and it is important for the future to understand the level of research and development required in these processes. World leading manufacturer of jet engines; Rolls-Royce has significant experience with materials and continue to ‘push the boundaries’ in order to develop high quality, durable, light and safe components for their products. They are, after all, the reason that aeroplanes fly!

In order to capture this relevant and essential expertise, Rolls-Royce, the department of Metallurgy and Materials at the University of Birmingham, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) and the Science Learning Centre West Midlands have collaborated to develop a two day course which brings to life this fascinating ‘topic’.

The Materials Masterclass is designed to support curriculum delivery. It draws on the areas of materials science in which Rolls-Royce has significant experience and can demonstrate examples of applications and the University of Birmingham are able to provide ideas for use in the classroom as well as discussing the science and technology behind materials and their uses.

Materials Masterclass course

This course offers an extension to your personal knowledge in the field as well as resources and ideas to take back to the classroom. This two-day course is sponsored by Rolls-Royce and The Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers and supported by the Department of Metallurgy and Materials at the University of Birmingham and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), the latter also offer free institutional membership to the Schools Affiliate Scheme for participants.

Go to the Science Learning Centre’s website for more information or to book your place on the Materials Masterclass

Progress and Progression in the new Ofsted Framework

By Ian Richardson

The word around schools and staff rooms is that satisfactory is no longer good enough. How can this be?

In January 2012 the new Framework for the Inspection of Schools came into force and it was updated in March 2012. Also in January 2012, Ofsted published supporting material such as ‘The evaluation schedule for the inspection of maintained schools and academies from January 2012’. For those in education who desire to understand the inspection process both documents need to be read.  They may be found as follows:

Framework for the Inspection of Schools

Evaluation schedule

The new framework requires fewer judgments than the previous version.

The evaluation schedule sets out the aspects of the school’s work that inspectors will evaluate, gives outline guidance about the evidence that inspectors may gather and grade descriptors to guide inspectors in making their judgements in the inspection of maintained schools and academies. These criteria are designed to be used by teachers and schools themselves in their self-evaluation activities.

The evaluation schedule should be interpreted in the context of each school being inspected. Inspectors will interpret grade descriptors in relation to pupils’ age, stage and phase of education.

The four judgments cover:

• the achievement of pupils at the school
• the quality of teaching in the school
• the behaviour and safety of pupils at the school
• the quality of leadership and management of the school.

The evaluation schedule for the inspection of maintained schools and academies only has two references to PROGRESSION which is taken to mean the next stage in education, training or employment. The word PROGRESS occurs many times and refers to progress aligned with learning and is relative to their starting point. The two areas of the schedule addressing progress are:

• Achievement of pupils at the school
• The quality of teaching

Groups of pupils:

Inspection is primarily about how individual pupils benefit from their school. It is important to test the school’s response to individual needs by observing how well it helps all pupils to make progress and fulfil their potential, especially those whose needs, dispositions, aptitudes or circumstances require particularly perceptive and expert teaching and/or additional support.

Achievement of pupils at school

This section deals with academic achievement. Achievement takes account of pupils’ attainment and their progress over time, together with the quality of learning and progress by different groups of pupils including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Inspectors will evaluate:

• how well pupils make progress relative to their starting points
• how well gaps are narrowing between the performance of different groups of pupils in the school and compared to all pupils nationally
• how well current pupils learn, the quality of their work in a range of subjects and the progress they have made since joining the school.
• how well disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs have achieved since joining the school
• the extent to which pupils develop a range of skills well, including reading, writing, communication and mathematical skills and how well they apply these across the curriculum
• the standards attained by pupils by the time they leave the school, including their standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

Ian will be running a workshop at the Science Teaching and Learning Conference on 25 June 2012, entitled Demonstrating Progress – What is Ofsted Looking For and How Can Teachers Influence the Inspector?

Have you recently been through an Ofsted inspection?  Does Ian’s article match your experience?  What can you add to Ian’s ideas on progress?