This report from Ofsted is one of a series that were published annually in association with the Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector. The report gives the main findings of Ofsted concerning the state of science education for students aged from 11-19.

The evidence base, which the report is based...

This report from Ofsted on secondary science is the last in the series published by Ofsted over several years, based on evidence from whole school inspections and surveys by HMI. It was published in association with in association with the Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector. It draws on data from Ofsted...

This worksheet explores Ohm’s law. It provides students with an overview of the relationship between current, voltage and resistance. It also provides a reminder of how to calculate total resistance when resistors are in parallel or series circuits. The questions have worked examples, examiners top tips and answers...

This catalyst article looks at how scientists have analysed the isotopes of uranium in rocks in Gabon (W Africa) and shown that, for thousands of years in the distant past, a nuclear fission reaction occurred. 

Discovering the day of the week upon which a particular date occurred is the focus of this resource, from the Centre for Innovation in Mathematical Teaching. The Julian and Gregorian calendars, amongst others, are discussed and students are provided with an algorithm, which they use to verify the day of their own...

This Bowland assessment task is a very open task. Students are given lap times of the medal winners of the men’s team sprint cycling race from the 2008 Olympic games and are asked to create and answer two questions based upon the data provided. Students are encouraged to write questions which require a wide range...

This resource consists of a set of tasks from the Science Assessment Tasks for More Able Students collection, produced by the Centre for Science Education. The tasks have an Olympic-inspired theme and are split into three 'quests'.

Each quest is flexible in use and freestanding in that it can be used either...

In 2012, the Olympic and Paralympic games will be held in London. These resources look at a wide range of topics that can all be linked to the games. They cover science, technology, engineering and mathematics and can be used in individual lessons or as part of a cross-curricular Olympic and Paralympic theme.

Since women have been competing in the Olympics, there have been many cases where the women, at least for a while, have been improving faster than men. In this activity students explore whether this trend is likely to continue until women are out-performing men.

Students use relevant data to help model the...

From The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC), this guide provides practical information and advice about organising a visit to a local science-based industry. Visits can be engaging, stimulating and profitable for the students, teachers and companies...

These materials, from Waste Watch (part of Keep Britain Tidy), have been developed to make explicit links between sustainability and packaging for students following GCSE level design and technology courses. The scheme of learning includes suggested activities for five active learning sessions, supported by the...

This Science upd8 activity offers an opportunity to test students' understanding of the solar system, and their skills as independent enquirers, problem solvers and effective communicators. Students are part of an earth-bound team set the task of interpreting a range of data relating to the solar system/universe....

Students are introduced to 4 different scales of production that they may come across, one-off, batch, mass and continuous through a video clip showing a wide range of products which they need to categorise into a type of production. Details are given on the characteristics of one-off production, and how it can be...

This guide is suitable to support a full introductory wearable-technology project using Arduino. It gives an overview of the Arduino system as well as the key terms surrounding ‘making’ and ‘hacking’. After a brief review of basic electrical theory, a closer look at the inputs and outputs of a basic board, and of...

This resource is an introductory lesson to electronic systems. Its content looks at system diagrams (I.e. circuit diagram, flow charts), open loop systems and closed loop systems. Using the key terms input, process, output and feedback, students are given examples of products and asked to describe the system that...