Developing staff
Local collaborative groups and networks provide an ideal vehicle for sharing and exchanging staff development opportunities and for having a critical number of people involved in the training. Individual schools may have small numbers, with staff working in isolation.
Different members of the collaborative/ network may have affiliations with different professional bodies, external organisations and awarding bodies with access to different sources of materials to support potential training topics such as:
- new specifications
- new assessment approaches
- new teaching and learning approaches
- new content and topics
- developing new resources
- working with employers
- working with higher education
- working collaboratively with other schools
- responsibilities and duty of care when working in partnership.
Planning joint staff training activities should address the following:
- needs analysis - including a timeline to agree when specific tasks will be completed
- establishing the time on the curriculum
- planning the programme
- arranging dissemination events
- embedding the plans in individual school plans
- coordinating the activity
- funding the programme.
Staff development models could include:
- accredited programmes
- online programmes
- peer mentoring.
Related links
Professional associations
For general information relating to the changes to Key stage 4 sciences try looking at the websites of professional associations and subject associations. They may also be able to provide additional support, resources and continuing professional development.
Association for Science Education
Association for Science Education/Sheffield Hallam's Centre for Science Learning
Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries
BBC science and nature news
Becta
British Association for Advancement of Science
Earth Science Teachers' Association
Guardian Unlimited
Institute of Biology
Institute of Physics
LSN (vocational learning)
National Science Learning Centre (The)
New Scientist
Royal Institution of Great Britain
Royal Society (The)
Royal Society of Chemistry
SciDevNet
Science and Technology in Society (SATIS) from ASE
Science Learning Centres
Secondary National Strategies
SEMTA (useful for applied science)
Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
Teachers' TV
Twenty-first Century Science website, run by the Nuffield Curriculum Centre and the University of York Science Education Group