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Padlets

Assessment in BGE Secondary Sciences (Glasgow 23.01.24): https://bit.ly/4dkyBTf

Reimaging BGE Science (ELC, Primary, ASN, Secondary) (Aberdeen 25.01.24): https://bit.ly/4dzi8ee

Raising Attainment in Secondary Sciences (Edinburgh 22.02.24): https://bit.ly/4aXmxGb

STEM Nation Expo (Cross-sector) (Glasgow 06.03.24): https://bit.ly/4drSGHx

Making Scotland’s Future event (Cross-sector) (Glasgow 18.03.24): https://bit.ly/3y2lypD

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Great discussion with all levels and sectors involved.

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That skills/ PBL/ teacher-facilitation is always the best/ the way to go and that teacher-directed learning is bad...there are subject specialists for a reason and at secondary they are 100% needed. There are also lots of studies showing that PBL leads to a decrease in pupil achievement in science - we need to ensure what we do is backed by research and not just the latest trend in education which are fleeting and will have changed again in a few years. Pupils will never gain enough knowledge to succeed in science if they are to learn it all themselves - if they could we'd be out of a job. Knowledge keeps getting diminished and I feel we're 'dumbing down'/ trying to make the secondary science curriculum easier which won't lead to our PISA/ TIMMS results increasing or allow our young people to be competitive in the workplace.

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A key theme today has been the need for consistency at a national level across ELC, Primary and Secondary. There is a wide range of resources, opportunities and experiences that students have access to across Scotland. ELC, Primary and Secondary need protected time to meet and collaborate at events such as these - would be good to be replicated at cluster or local authority level.

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I think it’s clear there are fantastic things happening with science across Scotland but it needs to be more joined up. Rather than individual schools/clusters developing lessons, etc and them going no further, they need to be shared across the country. So much reinventing the wheel continually. We need adequate funding rather than it being left to class teachers to provide resources if they want to teach lessons a certain way. We also need time - so many things jammed into our curriculum and no real time to develop ideas/knowledge or to give depth and breadth. As a class teacher it’s so frustrating.

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Challenge

BGE isn't seen as important as the senior phase in secondary schools

Solution

Reduce the accountability and pressure on schools to raise attainment. Attainment will always be important, however the direct focus on this is at the detriment of the BGE, N4 and N3. Focus on improving curriculum and pedagogy in the BGE and attainment will start to improve as a by-product.

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The thing that has came out massively today is consistency at a national level. ELC, Primary and Secondary teachers do not feel like they are being afforded the time or opportunities to collaborate with each other to understand what is important nationally and what is important and valuable to each sector. Events such as these are fantastic to discuss and would be good to have these replicated at cluster or local authority level.

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Assessment reform is really important - in secondary, the pressure of passing assessments have dictated the structure and delivery of lessons in BGE to prepare students. There should be more opportunity for young people to showcase their skills in ways that are relevant for them.

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Was a good discussion!

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make sure support for learning assistants are trained for your subject and are confident to help pupils with their tasks

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Seven recommendations for improving science in secondary schools

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Challenge

Knowledge is seen as disconnected facts to be regurgitated.

Solution

Deeper understanding that knowledge isn't a set of disconnected facts, and exists as a schema of connected knowledge that is the basis of our understanding and our skills. We need to deepen pupils' knowledge to aid their understanding and skills. If we don't then it's a social justice issue - pupils from more affluent backgrounds are more likely to get this background knowledge at home. School is likely to be the only chance to gain this knowledge for our more disadvantaged pupils.

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Interesting recommendations from EEF

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Six recommendations for improving primary science, including developing vocabulary and working scientifically.

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A fantastic day which has been of huge value for stimulating ideas and getting a better perspective of learning and progression at all stages. It has been particularly interesting to see interactions between secondary and ELC and to understand how pedagogy and strategies can be shared despite age/stage difference.

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Solution: when redeveloping science CFE in future it must also involve other areas such as social sciences and expressive arts, etc. to ensure the curriculum can better fit proper PBL. It needs to all fit together well, not add ‘yet another thing’ and there is no overlap. Can’t refresh science on its own

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National STEM Network available for all sectors

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National STEM Network available for all sectors

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Rethink the assessment and the assessment structure

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How do other stakeholders such as parents feel about the project based learning?

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- love the project based learning.
- Skills for Work courses lend themselves well to it
- hard to encourage pupil choice when restricted by SQA exams
- have a blended approach with opportunities for projects and traditional learning
- more time needed to develop resources, and more opportunities to share good practice

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Does there need to be teacher input to teach the key knowledge that is then applied in the project?

How is this assessed? Are there specific learning outcomes?

Is it applicable to all parts of the curriculum?

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Would you be able to share the STEM home link bags resource? 

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Would you be able to share the STEM home link bags resource? 

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Less choice as age increases. Need less in curriculum to provide more time. Need key learning specified, it isn't in BGE. Science basics and key ideas don't become outdated and can be applied in different contexts.

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Important to look at other avenues and choices of learning, planning but there is also need to develop skills also as students experience more science. We need to be able adapt to students needs.

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By Secondary, the BGE curriculum becomes too busy to allow too much choice to pupils.

In secondary, there is always one eye on qualifications.

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Wealth of opportunities in early years moving inti primary years, but the spectre of qualifications in senior school informs all that students will experience.

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Examples cross-sector: Science Champions - empowering everyone at every level to work together with transition. However, recovering from change post 2020 e.g. communication and staffing changes without transition. Primaries working with secondary schools to produce STEM frameworks. Key workers to ease transition to focus on change of environment. Catchment areas and applications affect transitions. Raise officers were a great support but provision removed. Ad hoc arrangements in some settings but potential. STEM needs to be on SIP.

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There's a common theme appearing about time for planning/collaborating/professional learning.

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Seems to be a theme across authorities that opportunities to work with colleagues across sectors are limited. This can come from lack of confidence, time, opportunity.

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- some issues with resources available
- it is important to plan well transition activities well in advance, must be in WTA
- cluster work variable across the group
- would like more time to share resources and develop links particularly post COVID
- transition events often not linking to the curriculum, but more experience of Science
- using YSL pupils to take on transition activities and develop the links

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Varying experiences between clusters which highlights a real need for central planning and coherence

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Clarity of knowledge/skills required at each level would make transition easier.

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Getting It Right For Every Child is an impossible task.

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Free registration, great little activities to get pupils thinking and talking

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Explorify is an exciting programme of free activities for primary school teachers. | Spark Curiosity | Develop Thinking Skills | Increase Your Impact.

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Primary and ELC use this approach well, similar to floor books, intentional/responsive planning, child centred

IDL, PBL, project, topic, big questions - sometimes time can be taken up in clarifying what these are!

Primary: international summit with a school in Malawi, has become more linked to science now, Egyptian project - P3

Secondary: 3 big questions S1 and S2. Some secondary colleagues can find this approach difficult, focused on own senior phase and attainment

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Primary Resources Science | Reach Out CPD

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Teach your primary science curriculum with confidence
Online CPD, developed with Imperial College London
Ideal for international curricula and mapped to the UK national curriculum

Why have we created Reach Out CPD?

by Professor Robert Winston

"If you're going to single out the most important job in our society, it has to be teaching.

Whenever I stand in front of a primary school class it's a bit terrifying because they will ask the most difficult questions about science.

It's often harder to teach an 8 year-old than an 18 year-old, but the rewards are massive because of the enthusiasm you gain. If we want a better society, we have to invest in these younger children.

Science isn't just for scientists

Primary science isn't just about nurturing the scientists of the future. It's about ensuring every child develops a natural curiosity about the world around them and starts to think analytically about situations.

Why should I eat this food or that food? Why is this product better than that? Why should I vote for this energy policy? Science is behind so many of today's decisions, let alone tomorrow's.

Helping teachers feel confident

Teachers are key to creating this science-literate society. They can inspire children to think more scientifically. Teacher confidence has been proven to impact children's outcomes in science, but, naturally, most primary school teachers don't have a science background.

That's why we have developed Reach Out CPD - to give every primary school teacher the professional development, support and materials they need to teach science with confidence. And to make it fun!

Imperial is proud to be championing this initiative."

Courses and resources to help you inspire young learners

Over 30 courses for teaching 5-11 year olds cover everything from plants to planets. Each one provides teachers with concise topic knowledge and a whole raft of resources to use in class, including captivating short videos, practical activities and experiments, whiteboard visuals and more.

Topics covered include:

Seasonal Changes
Environment and Habitats
Light and Sound
Forces and Magnets
Future of Energy
Working Scientifically

Food and Feeding
Body Systems
Plants
Planet Earth and Space
Animals and Humans
Rocks and Soils

A partnership between Tigtag and Imperial College London

Tigtag, a part of Twig Education, is an award-winning provider of captivating short films and resources for primary schools. Reach Out CPD includes a whole series of brand new films created by Tigtag to inspire teachers with imaginative classroom ideas.
Learn more about Tigtag
Imperial College London is one of the world's leading science universities. Imperial's move to support primary education is an extension of its existing outreach work, aimed at raising the aspirations of students and inspiring them to study science, technology, engineering and medicine. Through Reach Out CPD teachers will learn directly from Imperial experts about the science they need to cover in the classroom.
Learn more about Imperial College London

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Primary Resources Science | Reach Out CPD

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Primary school teachers, sign up now for free 20-minute chunks of subject knowledge and classroom resources.

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- surprising that S1’s didn’t enjoy group work as primaries use this approach so would expect that they are used to this
- very similar to primary approach to STEM
- would be good to share resources to help with workload

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Could we have one teacher completing the IDL like done in primary

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More time from LAs to collaborate with colleagues from ALL settings.

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Logistics might be an issue in terms of time and organisation.

“:Science is everything’ has to be the premise when engaging all stakeholders when working on IDL