Framework for Teaching Science - Years Seven, Eight and Nine (2002)

This Framework was produced in 2002 by the Key Stage Three National Strategy to provide advice on meeting the National Curriculum requirements for science, and to be used alongside the exemplar publication, Science: a scheme of work for Key Stage Three (for students aged 11-14).

Context
This Framework document was produced to accompany the launch of the Key Stage Three National Strategy for science – a school support programme involving locally employed consultants to work with science teachers and departments to raise standards in Key Stage Three science across England. The purposes of the science Framework were:
*to ensure that scientific enquiry is integrated into teaching and learning of science
*to identify the key scientific ideas that underpin science
*to set out yearly teaching objectives for Years Seven, Eight and Nine
*to advise on how teachers and trainee teachers can use the yearly teaching objectives to plan and teach
*to provide a basis for target setting
*to enable curriculum managers to set consistent expectations for students’ achievement.

As the National Curriculum changed after the development of this Framework, and a later National Strategies Framework for secondary science was produced in 2008, this 2002 version became obsolete.

Development
The Framework includes features already present in the existing Frameworks for English and mathematics and its use was piloted in over 200 schools in 17 Local Authorities up to April 2002. The approach taken was to try and raise expectations; focus on progression; to use teaching methods that engage students; and on transformation to build the capacity of teachers.

Components
The main emphasis throughout is on guiding teachers on what they might expect students to be able to learn in science at 11-14. While the National Curriculum and the QCA Scheme of Work had divided science into blocks which can be viewed as scientific enquiry, biology, chemistry and physics, the Framework introduced the notion of scientific enquiry and the five 'key scientific ideas' of cells, interdependence, particles, forces, and energy. For each of these it is made clear what students can be expected to have learned by the end of Year Six (students aged 10-11) and Yearly Teaching Objectives are provided to guide teachers in their planning, so that there is a clear progression from Year Six to Year Nine. It provides a link for teachers between the National Curriculum Programme of Study, and Levels and Level Descriptors.

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Science at Key Stage 3
Chapter 3: Raising standards in science
Chapter 4: Planning
Chapter 5: Teaching and learning strategies
Chapter 6: Assessment and target setting
Chapter 7: Inclusion and differentiation
Chapter 8: Related publications and websites
Appendix 1: From Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3
Appendix 2: Yearly teaching objectives for scientific enquiry (Sc1)
Appendix 3: Scientific vocabulary