A Catalyst article which explores how the nervous system works. Sensitivity, the ability to respond to stimulation, is a product of nervous system activity. How nerve impulses pass around the body, and why these responses are so fast are investigated in the article. Neurones, reflexes, synapses and receptors are...

A Catalyst article explaining how weather forecasts can help keep the public safe in extreme situations by providing advance warnings: for example, airline pilots rely on accurate information about the development of thunderstorms to help them decide which routes might be at risk from lightning or violent...

A Catalyst article about the safe use of radiation. Radioactive materials are hazardous because they give out ionising radiation. Like many scientific discoveries, radioactivity provokes a mixed reaction. Some seek to commercialise it whilst films and comic books emphasise its harmful effects. The article takes the...

A Catalyst article about how decisions taken about controversial issues such as the sitting of a radioactive waste store. How does a government decide where to put such a dump? And how can citizens affect the decision making process? The article examines how governments try to involve their citizens in decision-...

A Catalyst article about radioactivity that was being spread among wildlife species in the Arctic in ways that no one had detected before. The source of this radioactive contamination and how radioactivity is detected are investigated.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2004, Volume 15, Issue...

A Catalyst article about radiation and the many uses it has in medicine, both in finding out what is wrong with a patient (diagnosis) and in the treatment of cancer (therapy). The radiation used in medicine can come from electromagnetic radiation or from radioactive materials such as isotopes; the scanners using...

A Catalyst article about careers using radiography in medical procedures. The article looks at a typical working day for a radiographer, the types of radiography used, how to become a radiographer and the qualifications available.

This article is from GCSE Science Review 2006, Volume 16, Issue 3.

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This case study from Ofsted describes the development of an innovative and relevant design and technology curriculum at Turnford School, which has secured high levels of engagement and achievement.

The department formed a partnership with Mindsets to help modernise what was previously a very traditional...

This Working Paper has been written to inform all those who are concerned about the status and nature of Design & Technology in the secondary school curriculum. It has been developed in response to the serious and continuing decline in the uptake of GCSE Design & Technology since the subject was introduced...

The shortage of specialist teachers of mathematics has been a concern for many years and this resource, from the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), is designed to help organisations focus upon a plan of action, which will lead to better recruitment and retention of mathematics teachers.

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Her Majesty’s Inspectors visited nine schools and one pupil referral unit that had been judged outstanding for behaviour in their most recent Ofsted inspection to find out about their behaviour policies and to discuss exclusion. The evidence gathered from these visits is presented in this report as good practice...

This resources uses 5 key questions to develop a rationale for assessment within D&T. Through answering each question, the responses are intended to support, challenge or structure department discussions on your own assessment in D&T in your school.

• What does it mean to be a successful student...

This report by HM Inspectors begins by outlining the history of the British School Technology (BST), its terms of reference and the extent of the operation in terms of the numbers of teachers trained. Details are given of inspections carried out and a more detailed description of the work carried out by BST at...

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) established an independent Commission on assessment following the Secretary of State’s decision to remove levels and their associated descriptors from the National Curriculum from September 2014. The Commission, comprising a panel of experienced practitioners, met...

The purpose of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Mapping Review, published by the Department for Education in 2004, was broadly to:

• investigate whether STEM initiatives currently being taken forward address the concerns raised about the decline in demand of university places in...