With the new Ofsted inspection framework for primary schools coming in, the focus is now shifting towards a broad engaging curriculum. Ofsted inspectors will be exploring the intent, implementation and impact of the curriculum in schools. This in-depth look at specific subjects is often referred to as a deep dive (amongst other things).

For the purposes of inspection a deep dive means looking at:-

• curriculum intent – what does the curriculum intend to do?
• implementation – how is the curriculum implemented?
• impact – what progress do children make?

Intent: Consider what you want the children to learn, and the skills you want them to acquire. Be clear on exactly what these aims are. What do your teachers think is their objective in teaching that subject?

Implementation: How do you put your curriculum plans into practice, and how do you ensure that your intent is being carried out. How likely is it that the teaching methods used will deliver the teacher’s objectives for each subject?

Impact: Consider whether the children have learnt what they are supposed to. Has the intent and implementation worked? Have the children gained the knowledge and skills that they need? What is the potential impact on the subject teaching on the pupils?

Many schools are using this as an opportunity to take a fresh look at their science curriculum, in light of the changes brought in with the 2014 NC to ensure it’s as good as it can be.

If you are a science coordinator for your school here are some things to consider:

1. Curriculum Coverage and progression

Take a good look at the 2014 National Curriculum document and make sure you know what each year group should be doing. What topics there are and how they progress from year to year.

For example take a look at a theme such as Materials and track how it is taught from Y1 through to Y5:

In KS1 children are introduced to the idea of different materials, and the properties that these materials have. In Year 3 they look at properties relating to rocks and their uses. Later they are introduced to the idea of solids, liquids and gases and the properties of each. Reversible changes are also introduced at this time, with changes of state as the main example. Later, chemical changes can be introduced – non-reversible changes such as burning and rusting.

Also track how working scientifically skills are taught across each key stage. There’s a really useful working scientifically guide from CIEC which you can use to identify and track these skills. Print the “I Can” pages off to display in your classroom.

Be clear on the progression in your subject. Can you talk through your curriculum map and highlight the progression of skills?

This science route map shows how the different science units link together over the whole curriculum.

2. Scientific Vocabulary

Scientific development in children involves them developing a wide and increasingly scientific vocabulary. Ofsted will be looking for pupils using the correct science language they should be able to use scientific language to describe ideas, objects and phenomena. You could encourage this by using science word mats and having a science vocabulary wall in the classroom.

Highlight opportunities in your plans to promote communication, dialogue and reflection. Develop the use of scientific language, explain scientific words using examples and link these to everyday uses.

This blog post explains some strategies for narrowing the vocabulary gap in our classrooms.

3. Development of scientific skills and ideas

Moving from lower to upper primary, children should become increasingly autonomous in their decision-making when carrying out investigations. They should become systematic and accurate in collecting and analysing data; and able to express their ideas scientifically using scientific language and enquiry.

Children should be given opportunities to use their skills in contexts that allow for progress. Examples of this “include progressing from simple tangible ideas to complex, more abstract ideas; from investigating familiar things to investigating unfamiliar things; from observing everything to observing only what is relevant; and from testing ideas using evidence to understanding the nature of evidence, and if it can be trusted.”

4. Assessment

Look at how you are assessing the learning, how do your teachers know where the children are? A really useful resource to help support this is the Teacher Assessment in Primary Science (TAPS) project funded by the Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT). TAPS aims to develop support for a valid, reliable and manageable system of primary school science assessment which will have a positive impact on children’s learning. The TAPS pyramid tool provides a structure to help schools evaluate and develop their assessment processes.

5. Curriculum Links

List all the ways your science curriculum links with other subjects. Subjects such as maths and literacy have obvious links, but there’s plenty of opportunities to link to PE, history, music and more. Highlight these links in your lesson plans.

In this blog post Clare Sealy outlines how to build a curriculum to enhance memory that has links horizontally between subjects, vertically within a subject and also joint concepts that link diagonally across both year groups and subjects.

6. Science Books

Are the learning objectives being recorded and does the pupil activity relate to these objectives? Can you find evidence in books to show what that progress looked like. As you are teaching, try to ensure that children’s work demonstrates the skills they are learning.

7. Resourcing

How well resourced is science? Are tricky areas such as electricity well-covered? How can you cover any gaps – could your local secondary help out? Or the PTA?

This guide by Rosemary Feasey can help develop and organise science resources, so that they can be used to full potential by everyone in the school.

8. Science Action Plan

Update your science action plan and return to it regularly. Identify any weaknesses and outline steps that can be taken to address them.

If you’ve been part of a Ofsted deep dive in science recently please share your advice in the comments below. And if you get the call, good luck!

(Image source: wikimedia)