This section includes guidance about inclusive, quality-first teaching and Wave 2 and 3 interventions so that pupils make effective progress. There is guidance on meeting the needs of particular groups of pupils, including:
There are three essential principles for an inclusive curriculum:
In practice this means that consideration must be given to all learners, including those who:
Consideration should also be given to the different needs of boys and girls.
Young people will also bring a range of different cultural perspectives and experiences, and these should be reflected in the curriculum.
Your vision for planning and teaching science will apply to all classes, groups of pupils and to each individual pupil. It should start from the assumption that all pupils are entitled to our highest expectations and that all will have access to learning through the objectives. Some will need additional support and others will need to be challenged and extended. The emphasis is on entitlement, inclusion and holding pupils into learning through high expectations, attention to prior learning and effective scaffolding and differentiation. In the main you will adapt existing planning and teaching principles in order to include all pupils, but these issues require particular consideration.
Science has the potential to engage and inspire all pupils. Try to ensure that, as far as possible, pupils work together through the planned programme for their class so that all of them are included in each unit of work, take part fully in lessons, and benefit from the discussion and interaction with their teacher and their peers.
The first step is to establish a classroom climate (303.2 KB) where all pupils feel that they can contribute and which secures their motivation and concentration. The next step is to adopt teaching and organisational strategies, including using group talk and argument (314.65 KB), to keep all pupils involved and suitably challenged while giving them maximum opportunity to interact with their teacher and peers.
Good pupil progress depends on a number of factors, including close teamwork, cooperative planning, appropriate intervention and careful monitoring. Remember that pupils' performance can vary between science topics and some lower-attaining pupils can perform better than expected with certain topics.
The attached document Inclusion in science (81.41 KB) summarises guidance on strategies to support the progress of pupils who have a particular need, for example pupils learning English as an additional language, and for all groups of pupils at risk of underachievement, including those with special educational needs, of Black and minority ethnic heritage, and pupils who are gifted and talented.
In addition to securing the learning of all pupils in mainstream lessons, tailored intervention support programmes (Wave 2) and specialised, individualised provision (Wave 3) should be available to accelerate and maximise pupils' progress in order to minimise gaps between expectations and performance.
The attached document Intervention in science (67.71 KB) summarises guidance on strategies to support actions to take if any individual pupil or groups of pupils are not making the expected progress.
Intervention teaching (66.26 KB) is usually associated with the additional 'sticking plaster' or 'quick fix' approach. Although this has a valuable place, it does not on its own guarantee that pupils make good, sustainable progress. The broader definition of intervention recognises that underachieving pupils need relevant, focused teaching at all times. There is a clear and important link between attainment in science, and other subjects, at Key Stage 3 and later success at GCSE. Pupils who make the transition into the sort of abstract thinking required from level 5 onwards are well placed on the ladder to success.
