Schemes of work: Science at key stage 3 Teacher's Guide

SECTION TWO: HOW THE SCHEME IS CONSTRUCTED

ASSESSING PROGRESS

Opportunities for assessing pupils' progress are built into each unit. The learning objectives are pitched at an appropriate level for the year group identified. They show how pupils might demonstrate what they have learnt by doing each activity. The outcomes can be used to review progress and check whether pupils are ready to move on to the next activity or need more support or challenge. They also provide a framework for giving feedback to pupils. The expectation statements for each unit are related to the level descriptions in the national curriculum and the tasks set, and allow pupils' overall progress to be monitored.

The learning objectives are written primarily for teachers, but can be adapted and given to pupils as the objectives of a lesson or sequence of lessons. The objectives and expectations can also be used to help pupils review their own progress, and as a focus for planned intervention strategies used by teachers. These could include asking questions, listening to pupils talking, or observing pupils reading their work, as a way of providing valuable assessment information about the progress of pupils' learning. Feedback to pupils, which can range from providing informal oral comments to a whole class, to closely marked individual work, should relate to the objectives set.

The 'checking progress' points within the units, and the review and consolidation activities at the end of the units, can be complemented by tests, for example by using questions from previously published end-of-key-stage tests. A judgement based on both these kinds of evidence can then be used when considering pupils' achievements in relation to the unit expectations.

Pupils' performance in relation to the expectations, particularly those in the year 9 units, will provide evidence for teachers to make end-of-key-stage assessments against the level descriptions.

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