Science Framework

Inclusion and differentiation

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.

Although setting in Key Stage 3 science varies across schools, most organise Year 9 pupils in ability sets for their science lessons. Planning tends to be easier if the attainment spread in a class is not too wide, although even in an ability set there is still a range of attainment. More than half of all secondary schools organise Year 8 into ability sets and under half organise Year 7 into ability sets.

There are several ways of meeting the needs of classes with a spread of attainment, whether they are ability sets or mixed ability. The first step is to establish a classroom climate 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 to keep all pupils involved and suitably challenged, while giving them maximum opportunity to interact with their teacher. This includes providing appropriate support, aids or interventions to give particular pupils access to the planned programme and to keep any who might fall behind in step with the rest of their class.

The success of setting depends on close teamwork, cooperative planning and careful monitoring by science staff to make sure that pupils can move from set to set as their progress demands and that expectations for all pupils are suitably high; lower expectations are not justified simply because pupils are in a lower set. Remember that pupils' performance can vary between science topics and that some pupils in lower attaining sets can perform better than expected with certain topics.

Teachers of lower sets can take account of the expectations in the QCA scheme of work for science for pupils who make less progress. Teachers of higher attaining sets, with a significant number of pupils who achieved level 5 at age 11, can draw on the expectations for pupils who make more progress, and on the yearly teaching objectives that will challenge the pupils most effectively. For example, during the autumn term, a Year 7 class in a selective school, or a Year 7 top set in a comprehensive school, is likely to follow a programme that draws extensively on the yearly teaching objectives for Year 8.