Introducing the New A Level Specifications (science, including psychology) Event
Event details
This A-level specifications event has all 4 major Awarding Organisations in one place to answer your queries about Post 16 Science (including psychology). The event is designed to allow schools access to subject specific specialists from AQA, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC. Learned societies and publishers will be available to share their offers of support to participants thinking about the changes they need to be managing. Feedback from our first event suggests that maximum benefit is to schools and colleges who can send three or more subject specialists to the event to cover all aspects and subjects.
Programme
9.00 Registration
9.15 Welcome and housekeeping arrangements
9.30 Session 1: The challenge of change – headline features of the new arrangements for A level science courses
A summary of the key changes being implemented and the challenges presented to the awarding organisations with regard to new specifications in A level sciences.
9.45 Session 2: The responses – inputs from the four AOs on their overall offers in sciences
Presentations by each of the awarding organisations highlighting how they have responded and the particular features of their new specifications.
11.05 Session 3a: Coffee, networking and displays from publishers, AOs and learned societies
11.30 Session 3b: Support from learned societies
Learned societies and publishers will be able to share their offers of support to participants thinking about the changes they need to be managing. Each of the LSs will be able to present a summary of their offer; both they and the publishers will be able to run stalls to display products and materials and talk to customers over coffee and lunch
11.45 Session 4a: Breakout sessions 1 and 2 (each @ 30 mins)
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| AQA | Edexcel | OCR | WJEC |
| 11.45 – 12.15 | Biology | Chemistry | Physics | Psychology |
| 12.15 – 12.45 | Psychology | Biology | Chemistry | Physics |
12.45 Lunch, networking and displays
1.30 Session 4b: Breakout sessions 3 and 4 (each @ 30 mins)
|
| AQA | Edexcel | OCR | WJEC |
| 1.30 – 2.00 | Physics | Psychology | Biology | Chemistry |
| 2.00 – 2.30 | Chemistry | Physics | Psychology | Biology |
Breakout sessions on each of the science specifications by each of the awarding organisations, thus enabling participants to attend detailed briefings and Q&A sessions.
2.30 Session 5: Action planning
An opportunity for participants to consider their responses and identify key development points.
2.50 Session 6: Expert panel from AO reps
Opportunity to put questions and issues to a panel of awarding organisation representatives and share views about key development priorities.
3.15 Plenary
3.30 Close
Objectives:
- Understand changes being applied to A level science courses
- Be familiar with responses of the awarding organisations
- Consider key decisions for schools regarding courses offered to students
Outcomes
- Clear understanding of key changes to A level science courses
- Familiarity with the courses offered by various awarding organisations
- Identification of key questions and issues to resolve to ensure effective implementation of new courses by 2015
Fees
£50.00 plus VAT Maintained and non-maintained
To book on this event, please go to the Science Learning Network course programme page.
Key feedback
Schools sending three heads of subject reported: Opportunity to see all the exam boards, compare them and make changes to existing A level offer.
Where only one member of staff was sent from a school they were more likely to be looking at their current exam board rather than thinking about change.
It was really useful to have all the exam boards together so we could compare them directly.
Good opportunity to talk to colleagues about their thoughts on the new specifications.