Case studies

Easter Booster school

About the school and the science department

Halewood is a large 11-18 comprehensive in South Knowsley, with 1,500 pupils on roll. It is fully comprehensive, with a few pupils excelling at Key Stage 3, whilst for others the attainment of a level 3 represents a real achievement. Pupils within this range reflect varied capabilities and challenges.

The science department adopted the QCA scheme of work, introducing it for all Key Stage 3 pupils from September 2000, coinciding with the school switching from a four period to five period day. In addition, the department developed a range of assessments including CAT scores to monitor pupils’ progress and set individual targets. Pupils were told their target grades and encouraged to monitor their progress towards them on progress profile cards. This close monitoring and targeting allowed the identification of pupils who might benefit from extra booster support.