The renewed science Framework is designed to raise standards, both in terms of pupils' progress and attainment and in their enjoyment of, and engagement with, the subject. The learning objectives have a number of key features that support progression in learning.
- The objectives are arranged as clear progression routes.
- The objectives are arranged in years, as opposed to levels, to make it easier to construct a scheme of work. These assume a 'broadly typical' rate of progress in learning, moving from level 4 in Year 7 to grade B in GCSE, and should be interpreted as indicative. It is not the intention of the Framework to restrict the rate of progress of pupils who achieve faster than expected, or to impose a structure that is unhelpful to pupils who are not ready to progress to the next level.
- Progression will become embedded in practice if it is informed by effective day-to-day and periodic assessment. Teachers need to know the level of skill, knowledge and understanding that pupils have reached in order to plan the next steps in learning. In autumn 2008, the Framework will be supported by Assessing pupils' progress in science materials that will enable teachers to make reliable periodic assessments of pupils' progress, and to identify where there are gaps in learning or which aspects may need either consolidation or extension.
- The yearly learning objectives in the Framework are not intended for use with individual lessons. It is the skilled interpretation of the yearly objectives that will enable a teacher to devise appropriate learning objectives and outcomes, or success criteria, for individual lessons.
For more specific details on how the progression develops through different concepts go to:
Progression has been built into the learning objectives using some key words as stems (79.41 KB) to frame these objectives. The key words are based on Bloom's taxonomy, moving from 'recognise and describe' to the more demanding skills of 'evaluate, apply and use'.
