Led by NACE Associate Ed Walsh, this course is designed to guide and support current or aspiring Heads of Science to design and implement a broad, balanced and challenging science curriculum at Key Stage 3. With reference to Ofsted’s concepts of “intent, implementation and impact”, the course will consider questions such as:

• What should an effective curriculum do?
• How do we go about constructing and implementing such a curriculum?
• How will we be able to judge if it is successful?

Throughout the day, delegates will explore the foundations of an effective curriculum that successfully builds and refines skills, processes, knowledge and understanding and also aims to inspire and engage students. Participants will be supported in critically reviewing their current provision and will be given practical ideas for future implementation.

Following the course, delegates will have the opportunity to discuss, share and seek further support via an online webinar.

This workshop is aimed at:

• Current heads of department
• Senior science teachers and aspiring heads of department

9.00am: Registration and introduction

Exploring the aims of the science curriculum

• What should a high quality KS3 course do and what should it achieve in relation to able learners?

Aims to practice

• Having established aims, how do we then turn those into effective practice?
• How can we ensure that able learners’ needs are catered for?

Coffee

Constructing and developing a curriculum

• What should the curriculum plans then look like?
• What needs to be stipulated, included and incorporated as non-negotiables?
• How does provision for able learners feature in this?

Monitoring impact

• How do we then know if our curriculum is working?
• What are the feedback systems that should be put in place and how can they be made to be efficient as well as effective?

12.45pm: Lunch

Refining the offer

• How can evidence of impact be acted upon and used to improve the quality of provision?

Action planning and next steps

• How ideas gathered and developed can be used to make an impact on practice
• Requests/suggestions to help inform support provided via the course follow-up webinar

3.30pm: Close