Trust Projects - Canterbury Christ Church University College

In partnership with Kent and Medway Schools

This innovative project based at Canterbury Christ Church University College is designed to promote a whole school approach to teaching science in primary schools in Kent and Medway.

Programme

The distinctive elements of this project are:

• a combination of using newly qualified expertise and Science Coordinator confidence and experience

• supporting NQTs through distance learning and use of the Internet and an Intranet

• supporting the development of science subject leaders in primary schools.

Initially, the project will focus upon twenty schools within Kent and Medway in such a way that the schools and individual teachers involved in the project will be able to continue to develop in science after the end of the project. One major focus will be to support NQTs. All NQTs now enter their first teaching post having already demonstrated a sound grasp of science subject knowledge and high level skills in ICT such as data logging and a familiarity with web-based teaching and learning materials.  

We anticipate that children will benefit from the project by increasing their confidence and enthusiasm for science and how it relates to the real world, by developing their investigative skills and conceptual understanding, through greater use of aspects of ICT to enhance their learning in science and in increasing their performance in terms of teacher assessment and SATs results especially in relation to the assessment of aspects of scientific investigation.

Evaluative data will be drawn cumulatively from a wide range of sources within the programme. Internal evaluation will be carried out by the College Science Link Tutors. External Evaluation will be carried out by Professor Carl Parsons of Canterbury Christ Church University College who is an experienced evaluator of curriculum development projects.

Canterbury Christ Church University College will also pursue research into some aspects of development within the initiative.

Contact

Judith Roden, Principal Lecturer, Faculty of Education
email: J.Roden@cant.ac.uk