Assessing practicals for student progress and lower teacher work load

Practical work is a key element of science across Key Stages, developing hands-on skills alongside investigative approach and analytical skills.  The aims for this session are to: -reflect on the focus of practical work Key Stages -share effective assessment (including questioning) methods -share available resources OCR have developed "Purposeful Practical" integrated worksheets for GCSE which have comprehensive teacher and technician support, including questioning suggestions. We have also been trialling a set of new practical activity resources at A Level which support effective questioning. These resources will support all teachers and technicians but may be particularly useful to ECTs and technicians developing their knowledge. By using effective questioning and contemporaneous assessment teachers can work towards ongoing development of student skills without creating more marking! There will be opportunities to share and discuss through the session.