The Assessment of Performance Unit (APU) was set up in 1975 within the Department of Education and Science (DES) to promote the development of methods of assessing and monitoring the achievement of students at school, and to seek to identify the incidence of under achievement. The APU commissioned research teams to...

This APU report for teachers gives information about what was assessed in the APU monitoring of students’ performance aged 11 (a short-hand for children between the ages of 10 years 9 months and 11 years 8 months). After a brief summary of the background to the APU...

This APU Science report for teachers is based on a selection of the questions used in the surveys of students aged 13 and 15 in the surveys carried out in 1981 and 1982 to assess the performance of investigations. These were complete investigations carried out individually by students working alone. Reference is...

Purpose: Digital tools have radically changed the way that fieldwork data can be recorded and saved. There is no longer a need for clipboards and pencils in the field, as digital technology can record details of observations, times, location and images within a single app. This data can be saved to an online data...

The BBC micro:bit is a great tool for carrying out surveys that involve quickly counting and recording one or two variables. Using the button inputs provides a simple interface to the device allowing, for instance, quick tallying of the numbers of two different types of bee around a plant. Other examples might...

In this Bowland assessment task, students are presented with the results of two surveys aimed at determining whether a new drink was preferred by teenagers or adults. The task is to determine whether or not the two surveys were fair and to suggest improvements to the method of testing. Students are required to show...

As LSIS STEM Support draws to a close, the Learning Legacy document aims to share the approaches, consider the lessons learnt and signpost resources and the ongoing support infrastructure available to improve teaching and learning across STEM in the Further Education and Skills sector. The Final Impact Review shows...

This resource from Ofsted accompanies the survey report Tackling the challenge of low numeracy skills in young people and adults, published in April 2011, and summarises the characteristics of good practice in adult numeracy tutors under the following headings...

This report, commissioned by the Wellcome Trust, evaluates Big Picture, its free publication on bioscience, and explores ways in which it could be developed. It was hoped that this summary of the main findings would be of use to other organisations developing materials for teachers and students, particularly those...

The aim of this survey was to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken by local authorities in relation to children and young people who are missing from education or in danger of becoming so. It considers whether legislation and guidance support the local authorities effectively in protecting and educating them...

This student facing information sheet explains the term 'ethical research', why it is important and what pupils undertaking an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) need to consider in this area when undertaking research which uses an experiment, survey or observational study. It guides students through a series of...

The ten activities within this pack investigate environmental issues including: the greenhouse effect, recycling, sustainable energy sources and thermal insulation. Aimed at primary level, they are designed either for use in class or within a science week or club. The activities promote investigative work and...

The Nuffield Foundation provide this resource for students to collect data and then use statistical methods to analyse the results. The activities require that students investigate the extent to which people follow the advice from the Department of Health, which recommends that everyone eats at least five portions...

Produced by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), this wall chart describes the space mission to Mars, the experiments aboard, whether there is water on Mars, Britain's Beagle2 lander and the search for life on Mars. Mars Express was the European Space Agency’s first mission to Mars. Its role is to...

This report draws upon evidence from design and technology (design and technology) subject survey visits by Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) to primary and secondary schools between September 2007 and July 2010. The inspections evaluated how well the subject was meeting its National Curriculum aims and promoting high...