This year, Little Green Junior School has been trialling the TAPS approach in Year 5. The Teacher Assessment in Primary Science (TAPS) project is based at Bath Spa University and funded by the Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT). TAPS aims to develop support for a valid, reliable and manageable system of primary school Science assessment which will have a positive impact on children’s learning. The Year 5 Lead and Science Lead undertook an 18 months research project with TAPS to ensure a clear understanding of this approach and has implemented and embedded this way of assessing Science across this Year Group. The focus for the next academic year is to filter this approach across all of Key Stage 2 ensuring a more skills based approach that develops disciplinary knowledge that naturally builds on substantive knowledge that creates ambitious, enquiring and challenged Scientists. 

Key strengths:

• Consistency in coverage through all year groups that maps and shows a clear progression of acquired knowledge.

• Implementation of TAPS approach in Year 5.

• Cross-curricular learning that engages and inspires learners adding a real-life context that links to other elements of their learning. 

• Support provided to teachers through open communication and transparency with planning.

• Collaborative learning and resourcing opportunities with outside agencies such as Setpoint/STEM and Leavesden Country Park.

• Theme days and weeks that have raised the profile and enthusiasm for Science.

• Opportunities for children to develop their passion for the environment by independently creating school-wide opportunities to raise awareness such as Queen Bee Day, Upcycling competition, Nature photography competition.

• Science Week.

• Loan on microscopes from The Royal Microscopic Society.

• Links with a local Secondary School to give a taster lesson using Science laboratories and Scientific equipment such as a Bunsen burner.

• Children enjoy Science lessons and find them engaging and challenging.

Key Areas for Development:

• Implementation of TAPS/Skills based curriculum progression across Key Stage 2.

• Develop structure of lessons to ensure that disciplinary skills and knowledge are taught explicitly within each topic in Science.

• Addition of reading around Science into the Year Group Reading Spines. 

• Vocabulary - ensuring we use subject specific vocabulary consistently when teaching.

• Assessment - narrating learning and finding opportunities to celebrate and share when children have achieved the learning intent.

• Termly whole school investigation to show a clear progression of disciplinary knowledge thus supporting teachers to feel more confident with assessment in Science. 

The performance of pupils who study science in England is significantly above the average performance of pupils in other countries. Over the past 10 years, there has been an increase in the number of pupils wanting to study science beyond age 16. However, there is emerging evidence from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), key stage 2 national sample tests and Ofsted’s own research into curriculum that suggests the picture is not an improving one for all pupils and may be deteriorating. This makes the findings of this review particularly significant, not only because it identifies features associated with high-quality science education but because it also shines a light on some of the barriers that prevent their implementation.