Supporting teachers through GCSE
reform
Crispin Edgell – Qualification Manager
Elise Reece – Qualification Manager
Alex Holmes - Teacher
January 2014 v1.0
Slide 1
Confidential – internal use only
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Aims
• Outline the key changes to the assessment of
Science at GCSE for 2016
• Demonstrate how schools might address the
additional challenge of reform in the
classroom
• Explore alternative models for the provision
of Science
Up in the air
A-level reform
GCSE reform
KS3 levels
New Programmes of study
School accountability measures
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What do we know at the moment
• Triple and Double award
• Draft GCSE subject criteria and assessment
objectives – DFE
• Resits ?
• Tiering ?
• Grade 1 – 9
• First teaching 2016 – no legacy overlap
Managing change through reform
Keep what is working well!
Good specifications, question papers, mark schemes, high quality
resources, accurate and consistent marking and support through
change.
Science for Scientists
Science for All
Progression - a clear line of sight
Progressive development of skills
• Working Scientifically
• Written communication
• Mathematical
KS4
KS3
KS2
Tracking progress through skills & content
Supports assessment for learning
Post 16 - A levels
- Vocational
Support through change
1.
A bank of specimen questions and mark schemes
2.
Exemplars (marked candidate answers with exam board
commentary)
3.
Updated Schemes of work
4.
Taster lessons
5.
Teaching and learning resources, developed by teachers for teachers
6.
Expansion of our pilot Hubs school network
7.
Resources to support our low achiever offer
8.
Updated exampro , Alfie soft & teachit
9.
Launch meetings, preparing to teach , CPD to support teaching and
learning
Motivating Physics
Alex Holmes
Davison CE High School for Girls
An all-girls comprehensive in Worthing, West Sussex
How can we keep the world-weary teens
engaged in a subject they cannot see
the point of?
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Make it relevant to the
less obvious (and more
realistic) jobs…
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Stage lighting engineers
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Seabed mapping
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Designing playgrounds (oh, how our babies suffered)
Creativity and
imagination
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Home Insulation
(2D)
Home Insulation
(3D)
Merlin contacts Arthur (without using his phone)
(light and mirrors)
A little bit of magic
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Failing everything else,
make it about food
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The rice krispie atom bomb
Neutron
36 Krypton
92
+ 3 neutrons
92
235Uranium
56
141Barium
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The recipe for the rice krispie atom
bomb
Ingredients:
1. Melt toffee in microwave
• ¼ box of rice krispies
• ¼ box of cocoa pops
• Bag of dairy toffees
Each uranium nucleus is made
from
1 barium nucleus
1.9g rice krispies (56 protons)
2.84g cocoa pops (85 neutrons)
2/ toffee
3
1 krypton nucleus
1.2g rice krispies (36 protons)
1.9g cocoa pops (56 neutrons)
1/ toffee
3
2. Divide into 2/3 and 1/3
3. Melt 2/3 until almost liquid (not
burnt!)
4. Mix with barium particles.
5. Cool.
6. Repeat with 1/3 toffee and
krypton.
7. Cool.
8. Repeat until you are left with
two toffees
9. Melt these gently and use to
glue barium to krypton to make
uranium.
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Which cools fastest?
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Physics will always be less of a challenge if
there is opportunity . . .
•
•
•
•
For realistic jobs
To use creativity and imagination
For a little bit of magic
For food
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Activity : Are there alternative models for Science
provision at KS4?
In groups:
Consider those students in your school who are unlikely to
attain C grades in Double or Separate sciences. What type of
course could AQA offer to best support their progress in
Science?
1. What type of content?
2. What type of assessment?
3. What pathways might students follow afterwards?
4. What type of resources
would
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Supporting teachers through GCSE
reform
Thank you
Crispin Edgell – Qualification Manager
Alex Holmes - Teacher
January 2014 v1.0
Slide 26
Confidential – internal use only
Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.