Introducing the New A Level Specifications‎ (science, including psychology) Event

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)

	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 .‎