Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1

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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1

• What sources of evidence were available to you
  last year when you had to finalise science
  teacher assessments?

How did you best fit levels to individual
pupils?
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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1

• How much did evidence for Scientific Enquiry, Sc1
  contribute to overall judgements?

What sources of evidence for Sc1 were available
to you?
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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1

• How can evidence be collected for Scientific
  Enquiry, Sc1?

• Since many children are more capable / willing to
  contribute verbally, jottings made by the CT or
  TA of what children say can be invaluable, such
  as responses to oral questioning, comments and
  explanations during practical tasks, feedback
  from groups after a group task, any relevant
  science vocabulary used in context.

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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1
How can evidence be collected for Scientific
Enquiry, Sc1?

• In a prediction based activity, children could
  write down their predictions on post its or
  speech bubble shaped bits of paper that can then
  be stuck into a large class book of predictions.
  This can be done fairly quickly, without the
  pressure of neatest writing required in their
  books. Similar books can be made for What did
  you find out? or Ask a what if question.

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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1
Use evidence from Numeracy to inform your
judgements

• Measuring of length, mass, capacity

Ability to record into a table. Ability to
devise own table
Using tables to draw graphs and interpretation of
graphs
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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1

• Pupils who could be Level 3

• To make writing less onerous, an investigation
  could be written out by the teacher, leaving only
  the interpretation of the results for the
  children to write

• Knowledge of fair testing could be assessed
  during practical investigations

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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1

• What a level looks like in science

Recording Work
Behaviours
Independently
Independently
With help
With help
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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1
Level 3 (KS1) and Level 3 (KS2)

• A distinction has been made between Level 3 (KS1)
  and Level 3 (KS2) to help teachers appreciate
  that pupil recording of their work is expected at
  KS2, but not needed at KS1

Recording of work is not required at KS2
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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1
Strands of Scientific Enquiry, Sc1

• Planning
• Obtaining and presenting evidence
• Considering evidence and evaluating

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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1
Different ways of finding out about the world

• Classifying things according to characteristics
  (materials/minibeasts) or according to behaviour
  (materials which do/do not allow light to pass
  through)

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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1
Different ways of finding out about the world

• Carrying out a survey and looking for trends in
  populations e.g. do taller people jump higher

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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1
Different ways of finding out about the world

• Observing or measuring something over time e.g.
  how does a growing plant change what happens to
  the temperature of hot water when we leave it in
  the classroom

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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1
Different ways of finding out about the world

• Problem Solving e.g. can I find a way to..
  (separate salt and sand, make a bulb light)

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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1
Different ways of finding out about the world

• Carrying out a fair test, where we change one
  factor, measure or observe the effect it has on
  something else whilst keeping all other factors
  the same e.g. which type of paper absorbs most
  water

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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1
Questions for the teacher

• What type of activity is this?
• What questions can I ask? What Sc1 evidence can
  I get?
• Is the planning and writing frame I want some of
  them to use suitable for this activity?

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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1
Post it note planning for fair testing

• Teaching science without effective teaching on
  planning and carrying out fair tests will
  seriously affect pupil progress through the Sc1
  levels. The ceiling on attainment in Sc1 without
  any experience of fair testing is Level 2

• Teaching science skills in the classroom could
  focus exclusively on planning and carrying out
  fair tests without detriment to pupil progress as
  measured by the Sc1 level descriptions

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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1
Post it note planning for fair testing

• 2006 End KS2 SATS over 40 of the questions
  were Sc1 attributed. Of these, over half relate
  directly to planning and carrying out fair tests

• An inconsistent approach to teaching fair testing
  from year group to year group causes confusion
  and poor pupil understanding.

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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1
Post it note planning for fair testing

• Post-it note planning for fair testing has been
  included in a lot of recent science inset,
  particularly Anne Goldsworthys courses.

The aim for all schools should be that their
pupils can plan and carry out a simple fair test
by end of Year 4
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Teacher Assessment in science at End KS1
Finally, remember
LA Audit moderation of science will be a new
experience for us all in Haringey
Improving the teaching, learning and assessment
of scientific enquiry, Sc1 will have a
significant impact on science end of key stage
assessment outcomes for all pupils at all ages
Rise to the challenge, but dont kill yourself in
the process!