These diagnostic questions and response activities (contained in the zip file) support students in being able to:

• Describe constellations of stars in the night sky.
• Describe the planets that can be seen with a telescope.
• Describe evidence that shows the Earth is shaped as a sphere and...

This APU report for teachers gives information about what was assessed in the APU monitoring of students’ performance aged 11 (a short-hand for children between the ages of 10 years 9 months and 11 years 8 months). After a brief summary of the background to the APU...

This APU report for teachers describes the aspect of the science surveys where the science project broke new ground. The reason for including practical tasks was the emphasis placed on practical work in science, requiring a range of skills.

It was considered that science performance could not be adequately...

This APU report for teachers focuses on students’ planning of investigations. Although considered important in several respects, Rep...

Produced in 2009-2010, Assessing Pupils Progress (APP) was produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and is a structured approach to periodic assessment, written to enable teachers to use diagnostic information about students’ strengths and weaknesses and to track students’ progress.

[b]...

These activities from the BEST project can be used with primary pupils. The diagnostic question probes pupils' understanding of how biologists can sort organisms into groups based on their characteristics. The response activity helps to develop pupils' understanding of this further by allowing them to sort...

This diagnostic question is part of a series adapted for primary aged pupils from the Best Evidence Science Teaching project for ages 11 to 14.

It helps students to understand that...

This diagnostic question is part of a series adapted for primary aged pupils from the Best Evidence Science Teaching project for ages 11 to 14.

It helps students to understand how...

This diagnostic question is part of a series adapted for primary aged pupils from the Best Evidence Science Teaching project for ages 11 to 14.

It helps students to explain what a...

This diagnostic question is part of a series adapted for primary aged pupils from the Best Evidence Science Teaching project for ages 11 to 14.

It helps students to...

This diagnostic question is part of a series adapted for primary aged pupils from the Best Evidence Science Teaching project for ages 11 to 14.

It helps students to understand how scientists classify organisms into groups based on their observable characteristics. It targets any misunderstandings pupils may...

This diagnostic question is part of a series adapted for primary aged pupils from the Best Evidence Science Teaching project for ages 11 to 14.

It helps students to understand how...

This set of subject criteria were produced by the Ofqual, the Welsh Assembly and CEA (Northern Ireland) for Awarding Bodies to produce subject specifications for use in 2011 GCSE Science, GCSE Additional Science, GCSE Additional Applied Science, GCSE Biology, GCSE Chemistry, and GCSE Physics. GCSE specifications...

Produced in 2007, this is an an International Review of Curriculum and Assessment (INCA) thematic probe to compare compulsory assessment systems which the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) asked National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to undertake. It gathered information via the 20 INCA...

These diagnostic questions and response activities (contained in the zip file) support students in being able to:

• Describe how the seasons change through a year.
• Describe the movement of the Earth through a year.
• Describe evidence that shows the Earth moves in a circular orbit...