Heads of science conference 2010

							Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
        Heads of science conference 2010

                                 Joanna Conn
                               Adviser for science




Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
                               Outline of the day
•   9.45-11.00 Keynote: Paul McCrory
•   11.00-11.30 Coffee
•   11.30-13.00 Workshop 1
•   13.00-14.00 Lunch
•   14.00-15.30 Workshop 2
•   15.30-15.45 Evaluation (auditorium)and FIN!



Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
                Outcomes for the conference

                                Inspired
                               Revitalised
                                Enthused
                                Updated
                                 Aware

Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
                               Updates
• New ASE website – join the region forum!
• ASE consultations:
           • The role of OfSTED
           • Wolf Review of vocational education
• New CLEAPSS website and new director
• OfSTED: Guidance for students in science
  May 2010
• OfSTED: Success in science new report out
  in January 2011

Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
OfSTED: Guidance for students in science
• Best practice:
     – Increased flexibility at KS3 being used to develop
       practical science skills
     – Taster sessions for KS4 and KS5 courses
     – Detailed guidance to students, not just sections from
       exam board material and assessment details
     – Schools are selective about students for vocational
       courses
     – Information on progression to KS5 to ensure
       appropriate choices at KS4 (esp. vocational routes)
                                                  (May 2010)

Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
                          Best practice cont…..
    ‘Group work, especially where students were
    presenting their findings to a wider audience, led
    to creative and often very entertaining responses.
    This approach was believed to take more time, yet
    the schools visited had no more hours dedicated
    to science than any other school. What was clear
    from all discussions with students was the
    importance of teaching using a whole range
    of strategies that placed practical investigative
    work at the heart of illustrating science concepts.
    Students said this was what they enjoyed most
    about science’ (p.16)
Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
  National vs. Herts courses at KS4 2010
    90               What science courses are being studied?
    80
    70 Don't know
    60Core + Appl
  Courses




    50           Core                                                       East
                                                              Herts % of cohort
    40                                                                       West
                                                              National % of cohort
               Voc Sci
                                                                            North
    30           Triple
    20
            Core + Add
    10
                          0    10    20     30     40   50
        0
                1st Qtr                       cohort
                                Percentage of 3rd Qtr
                               2nd Qtr                   4th Qtr

Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
2010 Herts courses vs. 2007 Herts courses
                                      Change in courses 2007-2010

              Don't know

              Core + Appl
    Courses




                    Core                                                 2007 Herts % of cohort
                 Voc Sci                                                 2010 Herts % of cohort

                    Triple

              Core + Add

                             0   20            40            60     80
                                      Percentage of cohort



Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
                           2007-2010 Changes
• Number of NQTs trained 186

• Number of new heads of science 44




Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
                    The future for schools…?!
There will be changes to:
• the National Curriculum
• assessment at KS4 & 5, limiting re-sits
• reporting arrangements (English Bac and triple
  science)
• vocational courses
• OfSTED

There could be structural and organisational
changes within schools

Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
               The White Paper - curriculum
• Review and reform the National Curriculum
  to reduce unnecessary prescription…create
  scope for teachers to inspire
• Encourage schools to offer a broad set of
  academic subjects to age 16, introducing
  the English Bac (only 15% ss currently)
• Ofqual will measure qualifications against
  the best in the world


Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
             The White Paper - assessment
• ‘We support the view that skilled and precise
  assessment of pupils’ work – both of the level at
  which the children are working and of what they
  should be learning next –is an essential part of
  good teaching….we will not be prescriptive about
  the use of the ‘Assessing Pupil Progress’
  materials.’ (p30)
• Ofqual will change rule on re-sits GCSEs and A
  levels (p49)
• Ofqual will consider reforming GCSEs so that
  exams are taken only at the end of the course
  (p49) …ditto linear A levels


Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
  The White Paper – vocational sciences
• Reform vocational education so that is
   supports progression
‘In some schools the number of pupils
studying stretching qualifications in science
has declines alarmingly. For example in 2009
around half of schools entered no pupils at all
for all three sciences’ (p17)


Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
           The White Paper - accountability
• Performance data available to the public
• OfSTED focus on: quality of teaching;
  leadership and management; pupil
  achievement; behaviour and safety (new
  framework 09/11)
• Floor target 35% 5A*-C incl E & M (and
  Science in the future!)
• Performance tables to record % students
  achieving triple science A*-C

Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
                      The White Paper - other
•   Increase the number of specialist science teachers
•   No funding for PGCEs for 2:2 degrees
•   More training on the job and ‘Teaching schools’
•   Greater flexibility over pay and conditions
•   Review of QTS standards
•   Leaving age raised to 17 2013, 18 by 2015
•   No requirement for SIPS
•   Schools have a responsibility for school
    improvement

Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
                           The future for LAs…
• End of centrally run school improvement
  (e.g. The National Strategies) and the
  associated support and funding
• LAs will be able to run their own traded
  school improvement service
• LAs will be responsible for supporting
  schools causing concern



Hertfordshire County Council
www.hertsdirect.org
• But teaching and learning will still be the
  most crucial aspect of school improvement;

 with teachers continuing to inspire, engage
 and enrich the experience of students.




 Hertfordshire County Council
 www.hertsdirect.org