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To enhance the transition from key stage two
to key stage three Science
with the Science Passport |
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School: Deanery High School |
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Fellow: Anthea Heaton |
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Email: sheatonac@deanery.wigan.sch.uk |
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Final Report |
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The initial focus of my Gatsby project was
to aid the transition of pupils from primary
education to secondary education, specifically
within the area of science. The issue of transfer
across the key stages and the difficulties
associated with it have received much attention,
and I was interested in developing a manageable
and realistic approach within my own practice
to improve transition between our large 11-18
comprehensive school and our feeder primaries.
During my first fellowship year I implemented
the use of the ‘Science Passport’
as a way to improve the KS2- KS3 links, adapting
the Passport to suit the particular aims of
my project. During this academic year, my
second fellowship year, I feel that whilst
the original aims of my project have remained
important, the project has evolved to address
different (although related) issues concerning
the ‘dip’ experienced by many
pupils as they enter secondary education.
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Some of the pupils I initially worked with
at primary school are now year seven pupils
at the Deanery High. In order to continue
with the transition work, I felt it to be
important to monitor the progress of these
pupils as they move through year seven and
to assess whether the Passport project had
been useful and should be continued. The largest
problem facing me at the start of this second
phase of my project was the small number of
pupils who had been involved with my primary
liaison visits who were now pupils at the
school. These pupils were spread amongst numerous
science groups, and I found it challenging
to get teachers to work with me on the project
when it was for so few pupils, rather than
the whole of their class. I also anticipated
that the pupils themselves would not be so
keen to continue using the Passport unless
others in the class were using them too. A
further problem I faced was the concern held
by science staff that with curriculum demands
making them short of time within lessons,
the use of the passports, unless directly
related to the curriculum, would not be easy. |
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In attempt to address these difficulties,
the Passport scheme has been developed to
involve every year seven pupil and is also
embedded within the departmental development
plan. My project has been combined with the
science department’s new target setting
and assessment scheme and now holds the title
of ‘Passport to Progress’. This
collaboration of two ideas attempts to provide
continual monitoring of pupil progress throughout
the year and ensures KS2 knowledge is taken
account of, built upon, valued and developed.
Pupils in year seven have been given a target
level, two sub levels above their KS2 Science
SAT level, which it is hoped they will meet
by the end of the year. This means that teachers
will have some awareness of the level of understanding
of science the children arrive with in their
class. Although there are many other influences
on the scientific knowledge base of the pupils
arriving from various primaries, and other
factors at the secondary school which will
affect progress, it gives teachers a measure
to relate future performance against. |
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At different points during the year the
pupils and science teacher have assessed the
progress made towards meeting this target
level. The target is recorded in the Passport
and after each assessment a colour code is
used to inform the teacher and pupil whether
the target has been met or exceeded, or whether
the target has not been achieved for this
assessment. The Passport with this assessment
information is then taken home as a way to
feedback information to parents. Parents are
invited to make comments within the Passport
or ask any questions they feel need answering. |
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I feel that this development
and extension of the original project has
given more and more varied information about
the transition of individual pupils across
the key stages. Not only are scores included
in the Passport, but also pupil reflections
about science topics, and evidence of science
investigation skills giving a variety of measures
about the development of scientific knowledge.
Using this method, lack of progress or underachievement
can easily be identified, and intervention
can take place in attempt to find out the
causes of this, which may vary for each child,
and address them. |
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A further challenge will be to continue
this monitoring process as pupils move into
year eight. Studies have revealed that it
is during year eight that the ‘dip’
experienced by many KS3 pupils is most profound,
with a loss of enthusiasm and motivation for
learning and school in general. In most cases
within our department, the science teacher
will change from year seven to eight, again
causing discontinuity for the pupils. In the
past the information passed on to the new
year eight teacher about the pupils was simply
test scores and occasionally brief comments.
Next year when the passports to progress are
being used for a second year, a great deal
more information will be available for the
new teacher. The Passports will contain not
only test scores, but an obvious indication
of whether the child is progressing well or
underachieving due to the colour coded nature
of the assessment material. Also available
will be examples of pupils’ work, evidence
of achievements within science outside the
classroom and parental comments from the previous
year. |
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I am currently carrying out an evaluation
of the ‘Passport to Progress’
using pupil, teacher and parent questionnaires.
A selection of pupils across a range of abilities
have been asked simple questions about the
use of the Passport, whether they have enjoyed
using it, whether they have found it useful
and whether they would like to continue with
its use. Teachers have been asked about the
impact, if any, they feel using the ‘Passport
to Progress’ has had on their pupils
achievements, whether it has helped to identify
underachievers and how they feel the Passport
could be improved. Parents have been asked
whether they value the regular feedback about
their child’s progress in science and
whether it has helped them to support their
child’s science education. I hope to
feedback the responses I receive at the annual
seminar in June, along with my own thoughts
and reflections on how the project, and being
a part of Gatsby Technical Education Projects
for two years, has improved my knowledge of,
understanding of, and enthusiasm for effective
science education. |
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