The end of practical work in UK schools?

By Mary Whitehouse2015-03-09T10:54:00

Source: © iStock

Mary Whitehouse considers what the results of Ofqual's consultation on GCSE science practical assessment mean for teachers and students

Given some of the comments made over the last week or so about practical work in school science, anyone who didn’t read beyond the headlines might think that Ofqual had said that practical work was no longer an essential part of science education. Nothing could be further from the truth.

On 3 March, the UK exam regulator released the results of its consultation on practical assessment of GCSE science qualifications. The new approach scraps direct assessment of practical work in favour of assessing knowledge of lab techniques in the final written exam.

The outcomes of the consultation show that the majority of the 172 respondents supported Ofqual’s proposals. I was pleased to see almost 70% of the respondents were teachers, and they were more broadly supportive of the proposals. They agreed that if practical work is assessed indirectly in examinations, teachers will ensure it continues to be part of science teaching.

Mary Whitehouse considers: do we really need direct assessment and what happens next?

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