Trust Projects - Bath Spa University College

Improving Science Together

Project Outline

This project is a collaborative venture between South Gloucestershire and Bristol LEAs, Bath Spa University College and Airbus UK. There are twenty primary schools in two LEAs, and four secondary schools, two that each cluster of primaries feeds into.

Programme

There are two main dimensions to the project:

• supporting subject leaders in primary schools in developing the teaching and learning of scientific enquiry within their schools, through a particular focus on formative assessment

• improving continuity and progression between Key Stages Two and Three.

We are asking the primary schools involved to identify the science subject leader and also another 'key teacher' to be involved in the project. One of these two teachers is teaching a year 6 class because of the KS2-3 liaison dimension to the project.  

The project will involve 4 professional development days and at least four twilight meetings to introduce and develop ideas. A significant part of the project will involve a Bath Spa University College tutor in working alongside the subject leader and key teacher in the primary schools to develop teaching strategies and consider how the needs of each school can be best met. There is also provision for non-contact time for the two teachers to work alongside each other to improve their own teaching and to develop their skills in supporting colleagues.

Science teachers from the secondary schools will visit primary science lessons and one of the two primary teachers will visit science lessons in the secondary school in order to develop each other's understanding of the neighbouring key stage. There will also be a bridging project that is started by year 6 children in the second half of the summer term and continued into year 7. The theme of this project is intended to be 'flight', for which Airbus UK. have offered support, but there will be room for interpretation to fit the planning needs of each school.

This project is aiming to develop effective strategies for improving teaching and learning in science that can be more widely disseminated as well as provide support for the project schools, so there will be a need for data collection and evaluation. The subject leaders will play an important part in collecting evidence in the form of a portfolio. There is time built into the schedule to support this.

The teachers involved will have the opportunity to accredit work based on the project in the modular programme for professional development at Bath Spa University College.

Contact

Kendra McMahon, Lecturer in Education k.mcmahon@bathspa.ac.uk