Kings Group Science Meeting 11th May 2015

1.0 - The New Science Curriculum

1.1 -

What is new?

CR and JK explained the new curriculum and gave a brief summary of the
main points.
1.2 -

Are there any differences between Key Stages?

CR explained the main difference between the Key Stages, with particular
mention to the movement of topics from KS1 to KS2 (that most of the
physics and chemistry side of the curriculum has been moved to KS2 and
content in KS1 is less than the previous curriculum)
The Curriculum overview from SOTO was shared with the other schools
and explained.
CR and JK explained that due to the lack of content in KS1 that there
was some room to be creative with the curriculum. JK explained the idea
of having a block of six weeks in each year group for just experimenting.
VM from Charmartin explained the idea that they had been using for
experiments, which was resource boxes for experiments. Each teacher at
the start of the year has to choose an experiment and resource it. These
boxes are then used throughout the year with each class doing each of
the different experiment boxes. JK and CR liked this idea and wanted to
bring it to SOTO.
ZG mentioned the idea of a Science Character that all the schools could
adopt that helps the children with the investigative process. We said we
would investigate this.

1.3

What has been done so far in the individual schools?

SOTO Going ahead with a plan of implementing the new science

curriculum in Primary starting Sept 2015. CR has reorganised the topics
within each Key Stage and a new assessment pro forma is to be trialled
which covers Year 1 through to Year 6.
MORALEJA Not currently thinking about changing to the new curriculum
as there have been lots of changes at the school already. They aim to

have a focus on investigating and trialling one or two aspects of the new
curriculum.
CHARMARTIN Will probably take what SOTO have said on board and
reshuffle their topics and look at their planning.
JK mentioned if Moraleja dont go to the new curriculum what impact
would this have on transfer between schools.
2.0 - Planning
2.1 -

Suggestions of what needs to be re planned

It was agreed that wherever possible that we would reshuffle resources

and planning across year groups and avoid having to completely restart
from scratch. There were however some completely new topics (in Year 6)
that will have to be planned from scratch.
BD mentioned of the importance of cooperating with KS3 in the changes
being made in KS2, so that no content is repeated.
2.2 -

Where can we get the information from useful websites with new
resources for the new curriculum?

CR and JK provided some useful websites for planning and resourcing the
new curriculum.
It was mentioned how beneficial it would be to set up a Google Drive Kings
Group Science space so we could share all the resources and planning.
2.3 -

Miss Russells Science Course

CR gave a brief description of the course that she has recently attended
and the merits of it.
CR mentioned that the man who ran the course was DR Mark
Winterbottom and was very good at giving ideas for both primary and
secondary.

Everyone came up with a list of important aspects of Science we would

like a speaker to cover at the PDW.
- Questioning
- Practical Investigative Skills

- Assessment
- Teaching games
- Use of technical language in Science
3.0 -

Assessment

3.1 -

How are we going to assess the new curriculum with no current guidelines
or level descriptors from the government?

It was agreed by all this is the most important aspect of the new
curriculum as there is not much guidelines out there to say what we should
be doing.
It was agreed unanimously that we would keep levels until the whole group
decide to do away with them across all the subjects.
It was mentioned that the levels were good to demonstrate the skills of
science but not understanding of knowledge.
JK mentioned that the skill of science within KS1 was much more
important the understanding knowledge.
It was agreed that in the end of year reports we would report the
following.
KS1 Just level 1 or 2
KS2 Sublevels
3.2 - What are we doing for the End of KS2 assessment test? Are the 2
schools in line with each other?

Moraleja Teacher assessment at the end of Year 6

Soto Teacher assessment + an old KS2 SATs paper
It was agreed that both schools would give the children an old KS2 SATs
paper as it would be good to moderate the Teacher Assessment of
individual children.
There was a debate over the usefulness of Rising Star Tests to check the
attainment of children after each unit.
BD also mentioned the possibility of a web based assessment tool.
3.3 -

End of KS1? How are we assessing the childrens levels?

SOTO currently assessing children though old level descriptors and

Teaching assessment
CHARMARTIN APP and TA through Class
It was agreed that the assessment pro forma that SOTO have developed
would be used by both school to assess KS 1.

Action Points

SOTO to pass on I CAN sheets to other schools

ZG to set up Google drive and then everyone to share resources
from meeting.
BD to investigate online assessment opportunities
Everyone to quiz staff on what the need in terms of CPD
JK and CR to investigate the science boxes @ Chamartin