REPORT
RESOURCING PRACTICAL SCIENCE
AT SECONDARY LEVEL
CONTENTS
Background3
What is practical work?
3
Methodology3
Resourcing at secondary level – main findings
3
Drivers influencing resourcing of practical science 10
Recommendations
11
2
Resourcing practical science at secondary level
BACKGROUND
Taking part in practical work is an integral and essential
part of learning in the sciences. It provides experiences
through which students can develop their understanding,
enabling them to make the link between subject content
and the physical and living worlds by experiencing
and observing phenomena; practical work teaches
techniques and skills for handling equipment and
materials safely; as well as promoting the development
of scientific reasoning, so that students can understand,
through direct experience, the importance of evidence in
supporting scientific explanations and theories. Therefore
it is essential that practical work is properly resourced and
that all students have access to the equipment, facilities
and opportunities necessary for a complete and authentic
education in the sciences.
In 2008, SCORE published the first of its reports on
practical work1: The associated research revealed
concerns about the provision of resources for activities in
schools. With this in mind, SCORE commissioned Pye Tait
Consulting to investigate the levels of resourcing in schools
and sixth form colleges. This report is a response to
their findings2.
WHAT IS PRACTICAL WORK?
SCORE defines practical work in science education as
learning activities in which students observe, investigate
and develop an understanding of the world around them,
through direct, often hands-on, experience of phenomena
or manipulating real objects and materials.
In order for enough of these sorts of activities to take
place, schools need resources. To assess how many
schools and sixth form colleges in England have sufficient
resources, SCORE created benchmarks3 in four areas:
• equipment and consumables, including an estimation
of the quantity required;
• laboratory facilities;
• access to outside space; and
• technician support.
These benchmarks were designed to represent an
acceptable level of resourcing, between a bare
minimum and an aspirational ‘gold standard’. From the
equipment and consumables benchmarks, a sample
of indicative items was identified. These represent the
minimum requirement for carrying out practical work in
the laboratory.
METHODOLOGY
SCORE commissioned Pye Tait Consulting to carry out
a survey of schools and sixth form colleges in England,
to gather evidence on the extent of the resourcing of
practical science. The research used a mixed methods
approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research
instruments. It comprised online surveys for primary
schools, secondary schools and sixth form colleges, with
follow-up telephone interviews and onsite visits to a sample
of establishments to explore some issues in greater depth.
The surveys garnered a total of 552 responses from 448
secondary schools and sixth form colleges.
RESOURCING AT SECONDARY LEVEL – MAIN FINDINGS
Many state-funded secondary schools and sixth form colleges lack sufficient equipment for basic
practical work:
• Basic equipment for practical work is missing or not working
• State-funded schools and sixth form colleges do not have enough funding to buy equipment
• The amount spent on science varies greatly between different institutions
• Nearly half of secondary school teachers feel they do not have enough funding for practical science.
Inadequate facilities are limiting the practical work that can take place in schools and sixth form colleges:
• Schools and sixth form colleges do not have access to appropriate facilities for practical work
• Over a quarter of respondents across all schools and sixth form colleges are dissatisfied with their
laboratory facilities
Inadequate technician support is limiting practical work:
• Just over a quarter of respondents within state-funded schools report that they need at least one
additional technician.
• Good technician support is being lost because of poor working conditions.
1
SCORE’s research on practical work can be found at http://score-education.org/policy/curriculum/practical-work-in-science
The full reports from Pye Tait, Under the Microscope, can be found on the SCORE website at http://score-education.org/policy/curriculum/
practical-work-in-science
3
The benchmarks are available on the SCORE website to assist schools with their resourcing; they can be found at http://score-education.org/policy/
curriculum/practical-work-in-science
2
Resourcing practical science at secondary level
3
MAIN FINDINGS
1. Many secondary schools and sixth form
colleges lack sufficient equipment for
basic practical work
Specifically:
• Over 60% of schools and sixth form colleges
cannot provide reasonable access to equipment to
measure changes in the body for pair work.
• Almost 50% of schools and sixth form colleges
lack sufficient ecological sampling equipment for
pair work.
• 45% of schools and sixth form colleges do not have
access to water baths for small groups to carry out
controlled temperature experiments.
• Nearly 40% of schools and sixth form colleges are
not enabling their post-16 students to carry out
basic genetic experiments (due to the lack of gel
electrophoresis equipment).
• 30% of schools and sixth form colleges do not have
enough example slides for pair work.
1.1 Basic equipment for practical work is missing
or not working
On average, state-funded secondary
schools have just 70% of the equipment and
consumables they need to teach science
subjects, with four in ten state-funded schools
having less than 70% of the equipment and
consumables they require.
A wide range of equipment is necessary for the
effective delivery of practical science at secondary
level. Schools and sixth form colleges were asked
to indicate whether they had enough sets of
some commonly used and important pieces of
equipment such as microscopes, eye protection
and connecting leads for circuits. Although some
equipment is accessible in almost all schools, there
are inconsistencies in terms of the availability of other
specialist items and this is a cause for concern.
The following sections provide more detail on
equipment specifically required for practical work in
biology, chemistry and physics. However, it is worth
noting that:
• more than 35% of secondary schools and sixth form
colleges do not have enough data loggers with a
range of sensors for small group work;
• 10% do not have eye protection for every pupil;
• More than 30% do not have enough bathroom
scales (in Newtons) for students to work in small
groups to measure their weight; and
• 50% do not have enough ± 0.001g balances
for students to measure mass to an appropriate
accuracy at post-16.
Biology
Levels of resourcing across the sciences were
poorest for biology. At pre-16, 37% of schools do not
have access to sufficient quantities, in full working
order, of the indicative items needed to carry out
effective practical work in biology. At post-16, fewer
than 44% have sufficient quantities of these items in
full working order.
4
Resourcing practical science at secondary level
Chemistry
29% of schools and sixth form colleges do not have
the indicative items in sufficient quantities. In chemistry
practical work, students need to make accurate
measurements, whether that be the volume of liquids
used in an acid-base titration, ensuring they have
the correct mass of reactants required for a chemical
synthesis, or determining the pH of a solution.
However:
• 35% of schools and sixth form colleges are unable
to provide sufficient 0.01g balances for small group work at pre-16 for those doing core and additional
science; the figure rises to over 45% for the 0.001g
balances required for triple science chemistry.
• Nearly 60% of schools and sixth form colleges
lack sufficient pH meters, preventing accurate pH
measurements for the study of acids and bases.
• 40% of schools and sixth form colleges lack
enough colorimeters for students to work in small
groups to carry out measurements of concentration.
• In over 40% of schools and sixth form colleges,
molecular modelling kits, which help to illustrate complex molecular concepts, were not present in sufficient quantities at for pre-16 students.
• At post 16, about 30% of schools and sixth form
colleges lack sufficient thin layer chromatography
plates for students to analyse samples individually,
and about 40% lack enough heating mantles for
pair work.
Physics
Some of the mainstays of pre-16 physics practical
work are activities measuring forces, speeds and
acceleration, building circuits and investigating light.
For each type of activity, at least a fifth of schools are
unable to run the activity with pairs of students.
Specifically:
• 20% of schools and sixth form colleges do not
have the equipment to do simple experiments
measuring forces.
• 25% of schools and sixth form colleges do not
have enough equipment for their students to work
in pairs to build circuits.
• 40% of schools and sixth form colleges do not
have a variety of magnets for pair work.
• Around 20% of schools and sixth form colleges do
not have LV power supplies in sufficient quantities
for pair work.
• buy consumables (chemicals, plant specimens,
batteries, etc.);
• purchase new items or types of equipment (for
example, an air track costing around £215);
• replenish or restock equipment supplies (for
example, a pair of safety spectacles for
approximately £10, meaning £300 for a class set;
a microscope for £300 or more; a digital meter for
approximately £35, meaning £700 to provide
enough for a class to measure resistances using
two meters per group).
• provide apparatus for controlled assessment.
It is interesting to note that independent schools
spend more than £10 per student. However, there
is no reason to assume that these schools are being
overly generous with their funding. Instead, taking
into account responses on staff satisfaction with
spending, it is reasonable to assume that the extra
spending is something that staff consider necessary
to provide the practical opportunities that contribute
to students’ education in the sciences.
In state-funded schools and sixth form colleges, an
unexpectedly large amount is spent on photocopying
– on average, around 28% of the science budget,
compared with around 7% in independent schools.
Purchasing textbooks also accounts for around 14%
of schools’ expenditure on science. Respondents
identified the amount spent on photocopying to be
a major barrier to the resourcing of practical science,
preventing them from being able to fund large capital
pieces of equipment; to increase the quantity of or
1.2 State-funded schools do not have enough
funding to buy equipment
With limited resourcing and many demands on the
money that is available, practical science must prove
its worth. It is therefore concerning that over 80% of
state-funded schools do not formally allocate part
of the science budget specifically for practical work.
Equipment and consumables account for 39% of
the science budget in state-funded schools. Given
the average funding per student, this amounts to
approximately £4 per head to spend on consumables
and equipment. These limited funds are needed to:
Resourcing practical science at secondary level
5
working order
Post-16
Example slides - pair work
Masses and hangers - pair work
Have enough but
Don’t have
not all workingenough
Ninhydrin - demo/large group
Ammeters and voltmeters, or multimeters - pair
work
Colorimeter
- small group work
Gram Stains - demo/large group
Variety of magnets including alnico, magnadur and neodymium
- pair
work - demo/large group
Spirometer
Digital microscope with visualiser/flexi-camera/stagePost-16
micrometers - demo/large group
Eye piece graticular - pair work
EHT power supply - demo/large group
Gel electrophoresis equipment and centrifuge - demo/large group
Haemocytometer
- demo/large group
Air track + blower - demo/large
group
Top pan balance ± 0.001g - pair work
Trolleys
- pair work kits - small group work
Genetic engineering
Millisecond timer - demo/large group
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Loud speakers - small group work
0%
20%
Have enough but
not all working
40%
60%
80%
Don’t have
enough
Have but
don’t use
Have but
don’t use
Don’t have
but need
Don’t have
but need
Don’t have
but don’t need
Don't know
Don’t have
but don’t need
Don't know
100%
Physics
Physics
Figure 1: Resourcing levels
for biology – equipment and consumables
Chemistry
Pre-16
Types of equipment and consumables
Food tests (e.g. Biuret) - small group work
Pre-16
Plastic petri dishes (and inoculating loops) - pairPre-16
work
Leads, wires (resistance and conducting) and switches Visking
- pair work
tubing -- pair
Leads, wires (resistance and conducting) and switches
pair work
work
Working
autoclave/pressure
cooker
-work
demo/large group
Working
bulbs and holders
- pair
Pre-16
Appropriate
dissection
kits -holders
small group
Working
bulbs and
- pair work
Eye protection
- for every
student
Force
meters
- pair
work
Plants (e.g. Cabomba,
geranium,
cress)
- small group work
meters
- pairgroup
work
Titration
equipment
-Force
pair -work
Models
(of organs)
demo/large
Ray boxes and accessories - pair work
Balance ± Optical
0.1 g (for
core and additional)
- small
group
work
microscopes
x400
(andand
lamps)
- small group
Raymax
boxes
accessories
- pair work
work
Masses
andthermometers)
hangers
pair work
work
Molecular
modelling
kit -- pair
Water
bath (and
- small group work
Masses and hangers - pair work
Digital
microscope
with glass
visualiser/flexi-camera
demo/large group
Ground
gas syringe -- pair
pair -work
work
Ammeters
and voltmeters,
or multimeters
Gas exchange
or triple
breathing
change
equipment
- small group
Ammeters
and
voltmeters,
or
multimeters
- pair work
work
± 0.01
g (for
chemistry)
- small
group
work
VarietyBalance
of magnets
including
alnico,
magnadur
and neodymium
Potometers
- small
group work
- pair work
Variety
of magnets
magnadur
and neodymium
Variety
of smart including
materials alnico,
- demo/large
group
pair work
work
Ecological sampling equipment -- pair
Post-16
Post-16
Equipment to measure changes in
the body - pair
work
Post-16
EHT Eye
power
supply
demo/large
group
protection - for every student
Post-16
EHT power
supply
- demo/large group
Titration
for every
student
Example
slides - pair work
Air trackequipment
+ blower --demo/large
group
Molecular modelling
- pair -work
Air trackNinhydrin
+kitblower
- demo/large
demo/large group
group
- pair work
work
Colorimeter
- small group work
Balance ± 0.01 g Trolleys
- small
group
Trolleys
pair
work
Gram
Stains
-work
demo/large group
Millisecond
timer
demo/large
Ground glass
gas-syringe
- pairgroup
Spirometer
Millisecond
timer -work
- demo/large
demo/large group
group
Colorimeter
- small
group
Loud speakers - small
group work
Digital microscope with visualiser/flexi-camera/stage
micrometers
- demo/large group
TLC plates - for every student
Loud
- small group
work
Eyespeakers
piece graticular
- pair work
20%
pH meter - pair work 0%
Gel electrophoresis equipment and centrifuge - demo/large group 0%
Balance ± 0.001 g - small group work
Haemocytometer - demo/large group
Heating mantle - pair work
Top pan balance ± 0.001g - pair work
Genetic engineering kits - small
0%group work
20%
Physics
Pre-16
Chemistry
Leads, wires (resistance and conducting)
and switches - pair work
Chemistry
0%
40%
20%
60%
40%
80%
60%
100%
80%
40%
60%
80%
100%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Have enough in
working order Have enough in
working order
Have enough but
Have enough bu
not
all
working
Have enough in
not all working
working
order Have enough in
Don’t have
working
order
Don’t have
enough
Have enough but
enough
not allbut
working Have
enough bu
Have
not
allbut
working
Have
don’t
Don’t use
have
don’t use
enough
Don’t have
Don’t have
but
need
Don’t have
enough
Have
but
but need
don’t
Don’t use
have
Have but
but don’t need don’t
Don’t use
have
Don’t have
but don’t need
but
need
Don't
know
Don’t have
Don't
know
but
need
Don’t have
but don’t need
Don’t have
but don’t need
Don't know
Don't know
100%
Working bulbs and holders - pair work
Types of equipment and consumables
Figure 2: Resourcing levels for
chemistry
–work
equipment and consumables
Pre-16
Force
meters - pair
Pre-16
Eye protection - for every student
Ray boxes and accessories - pair work
Titration equipment
- pair work
Eye protection
- for every student
Masses and hangers - pair work
Balance ± 0.1 g (for core and additional) - small
group
work
Titration
equipment
- pair work
Molecular
modelling
kit - pair work
Ammeters
and voltmeters,
multimeters
Balance
± 0.1
g (foror
core
and additional)
- small group work
Variety of magnets including
alnico,
magnadur
and neodymium
Ground
glass
gas
syringe
- modelling
pair work kit - pair work
Molecular
- pair work
Balance ± 0.01 g (for triple chemistry)
- small
group
Ground
glass
gaswork
syringe - pair work
Post-16
Variety
of smart
materials
- demo/large
Balance
± 0.01
g (for triple
chemistry)group
- small group work
EHT power supply - demo/large group
Post-16
Variety of smart materials
- demo/large group
Eye protection
for every student
Air track
+ blower --demo/large
group
Post-16
Titration equipmentEye
- forprotection
every student
- for every student
Trolleys
- pair work
Molecular Titration
modellingequipment
kit - pair work
- for every student
Millisecond
timerg -- demo/large
group
Balance ± 0.01
small group
work kit - pair work
Molecular
modelling
Ground
gas
syringe
- pairgwork
Loudglass
speakers
- small
group
work
Balance
± 0.01
- small group work
Colorimeter
- small
group
Ground
glass
gaswork
syringe
0%- pair work
20%
TLC plates - for
every student
Colorimeter
- small group work
pH meter
pair
work
TLC plates - for every student
Balance ± 0.001 g - small group work
pH meter - pair work
Heating
mantle
- pairgwork
Balance ± 0.001
- small group work
Chemistry
Heating mantle
0%- pair work
20%
0%
Physics
Have enough in
working order
Have enough but
not all working
Don’t enough
have in
Have
enough order
working
40%
60%
80%
100%
40%
60%
80%
100%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Have enough in
but
Have enough
butworking order
don’t
not
alluse
working
Have enough bu
not all working
Don’t have
but need
enough
Don’t have
enough
Don’tbut
have
Have
but don’t
don’t
use need
Have but
don’t use
Don't have
know
Don’t
but need
Don’t have
but need
Don’t have
but don’t need
Don’t have
but don’t need
Don't know
Don't know
100%
Pre-16
Figure 3: Resourcing levels
for physics
equipment and consumables
Eye protection
- for every–student
Types of equipment and consumables
Pre-16
Titration equipment - pair work
Leads,
and conducting)
and switches
- pair work
Balance
± 0.1 wires
g (for (resistance
core and additional)
- small group
work
Molecular Working
modellingbulbs
kit - pair
and work
holders - pair work
Ground glass gas syringe - pair work
Force meters - pair work
Balance ± 0.01 g (for triple chemistry) - small group work
Have enough in
working order
Ray boxes
and accessories
- pair work
Variety of smart materials
- demo/large
group
enough
Have but
don’t use
Don’t have
but need
Loud speakers - small
group work
0%
20%
0%
6
Resourcing practical science at secondary level
Chemistry
Have enough in
working order
Have enough but
not all working
Have enough bu
not all working
Don’t have
Post-16
Masses and
hangers - pair work
Eye protection - for every student
Ammeters
and voltmeters,
or multimeters
- pair work
Titration equipment
- for every
student
Variety of magnets
including
alnico,kitmagnadur
and neodymium
Molecular
modelling
- pair work
- pair work
Balance ± 0.01 g - small group work
Post-16
Ground glass gas syringe - pair work
EHT power
demo/large group
Colorimeter
- smallsupply
group -work
TLC plates
- for+every
student
Air track
blower
- demo/large group
pH meter - pair work
Trolleys - pair work
Balance ± 0.001 g - small group work
Millisecond
demo/large group
Heating
mantle -timer
pair -work
40%
20%
60%
40%
80%
60%
Have but
don’t use
Don’t have
but need
Don’t have
but don’t need
Don’t have
but don’t need
Don't know
100%
80%
Don’t have
enough
100%
Don't know
upgrade existing equipment; or invest in different
types of equipment and consumables.
The need for budgets to be spent within a single
year also limits the opportunities for schools and
sixth form colleges to save up in order to invest in
more costly equipment.
“The cost of resourcing a science
department is usually underestimated, as it
is expensive to replace worn out equipment,
and often money has to be spent to comply
with safety regulations. We have existed on a
culture of ‘make do and mend’ for too long”
Head of science, an academy
1.3 The amount spent on science varies greatly between different institutions
One school reported spending only 75p per
capita on science in 2011/12.
In state-funded schools, the average per capita
spend on science (academic year 2011/12) was
£8.81, compared with £27.29 for independent
schools. The average per capita spend by school
type is shown in figure 4 (institutions with pupils aged
11-18 only).
Figure 4: Average per capita spend on science
in the academic year 2011/12 (by school type,
schools with pupils
aged
Figure
Figure
4 411-18 years only)
Independent
Independent
schools
schools
Type of Institution
Type of Institution
These averages, however, conceal large differences
between schools within the same sector. Among the
state-funded schools that took part in the survey, the
per capita spend on science varied from £0.75 to
£31.25. For the independent schools that took part,
funding varied from £7.18 to £83.21. The variation in
per capita spend across schools suggests a worrying
inconsistency in the way funding is allocated both
to and by schools, which will have serious knock-on
effects on the experience of their students.
£26.99
£26.99
Other
Other
school
school
types
types
£14.88
£14.88
Free
Free
schools
schools
£11.47
£11.47
Academies
Academies
£11.16
£11.16
Sixth-form
Sixth-form
colleges
colleges
£10.24
£10.24
Maintained
Maintained
schools
schools
£10.12
£10.12
00
55
1010
1515
2020
2525
3030
Average
Average
per
per
capita
capita
spend
spend
onon
science
science
in in
££
(2011/12)
(2011/12)
Figure
Figure5 5
f satisfaction
fing
satisfaction
for science
ing for science
Very
Very
satisfied
satisfied
£16.95
£16.95
Quite
Quite
satisfied
satisfied
£14.91
£14.91
Resourcing practical science at secondary level
Neither
Neither
satisfied
satisfied
nor
nor
dissatisfied
dissatisfied
£9.97
£9.97
7
Nearly 70% of schools reported that staff
had contributed to the core science budget
for normal curricular activities by paying for
items themselves, for which they are not
always reimbursed.
sixth form colleges reported being very dissatisfied
with the available funding for science.
Qualitative feedback obtained through the survey
suggests that, among state-funded schools, funding
has remained relatively static for the last five years.
This is against a backdrop of rising costs and
increasing student numbers, meaning that there has
been a real-terms cut in funding per student. Schools
do not anticipate any increase in funding to take
account of these changing circumstances. More
than 60% of respondents were concerned about their
ability to effectively run practical work in the future,
and nearly a quarter expected funding changes to
mean less science practical teaching. Again, this
varied by school type, as highlighted in figure 6.
When considering their levels of resourcing of
equipment and consumables, around 46% of
respondents stated that they were quite satisfied
with what they had, though levels of satisfaction
were much lower in state-funded schools (10% very
satisfied) than in schools in the independent sector
(61% very satisfied). This could indicate a culture of
tolerance and coping with the levels of resources
available.
Given the increasing control schools have over their
own budgets, some variation in spend between
schools might be expected. However, the survey
revealed a notable variation by region, with statefunded schools in the North East spending an
average of only £8.30, compared with £11.64 being
spent in London (2011/12).
1.4 Nearly half of secondary school teachers feel
they do not have enough funding for practical
science.
Nearly half of the respondents from maintained
schools felt there was not enough funding for
practical science, stating that they were quite or very
dissatisfied with levels of funding.
Figure
44
Not surprisingly,Figure
levels
of
satisfaction rose with the
amount spent on science; respondents who reported
Independent
beingIndependent
very
satisfied have, on average, just £26.99
over
£26.99
schools
schools
double
theschool
per
capita spend on science as those who
Other
Other
school
£14.88
£14.88
types
types
state they are very dissatisfied, as shown in figure 5.
Free
Free
schools
schools
£11.47
£11.47
Given that funding is higher
in independent schools
than inAcademies
state-funded
schools
and in schools with sixth
Academies
£11.16
£11.16
forms, Sixth-form
the
satisfaction in these schools was generally
Sixth-form
£10.24
£10.24
colleges
colleges
higher, with 44% of maintained schools reporting
Maintained
Maintained
£10.12
£10.12 compared with 7%
schools
schools
being quite
or very dissatisfied,
of independent 0schools.
0
5 5 No
10independent
10 1515 2020schools
2525 or
3030
Type of Institution
Type of Institution
2. Inadequate facilities are limiting the
practical work that can take place in
schools and sixth form colleges
2.1 Schools and sixth form colleges do not have
access to appropriate facilities for practical
work
Teaching effective practical science lessons does not
only depend on sufficient apparatus being available;
they also require the appropriate environment. This
means pupils being taught in laboratories or given the
opportunity to access an outdoor space for learning.
As with the equipment and consumables
benchmarks, SCORE asked schools and sixth form
colleges about their ability to access a range of
facilities associated with practical science, including
appropriate storage space, fume cupboards and the
proximity of prep rooms to laboratories. Respondents
were also asked whether their institutions had
separate laboratories for each science, general
science laboratories or a mix of the two.
Laboratory facilities
Nearly a fifth of state-funded schools had access to
less than 70% of the laboratory facilities benchmarked
Average
Average
per
per
capita
capita
spend
spend
onon
science
science
in in
££
(2011/12)
(2011/12)
Figure 5: Average science budget by level of
satisfaction (state-funded schools and sixth
Figure
Figure
55
form colleges only):
Level of satisfaction
Level
of satisfaction
with
funding
for science
with funding for science
Very
Very
satisfied
satisfied
£16.95
£16.95
Quite
Quite
satisfied
satisfied
£14.91
£14.91
Neither
Neither
satisfied
satisfied
nornor
dissatisfied
dissatisfied
£9.97
£9.97
Quite
Quite
dissatisfied
dissatisfied
£10.56
£10.56
Very
Very
dissatisfied
dissatisfied
£7.86
£7.86
0 0 2 2 4 4 6 6 8 8 101012121414161618182020
Average
per
capita
spend
onon
science
in in
££
Average
per
capita
spend
science
(2011/2012)
(2011/2012)
8
Resourcing practical science at secondary level
Type of outsid
No access
but don't need
Don't know
Functioning renewable energy source
Outside resource to demonstrate
properties of rocks and monitor air quality
0
20
40
60
80
100
% of responses
Figure 6: Expected impacts on practical science as a result of future
Figure 6
anticipated
funding over the next two academic years (by school type):
100%
More science
practical teaching/
experiences
90%
80%
Same amount of
provision of science
practical teaching/
experiences
70%
60%
50%
Less science
practical teaching/
experiences
40%
Don’t know
30%
20%
10%
0%
Maintained
schools
Academies
Independent
schools
Sixth-form
colleges
Other
school types
Figure 7
Type of outside learning environment
Type of outside learning environment
Figure 7
Figure
7: Access to outside learning space at pre-16 institutions
Open space for a variety of activities
Open space
for a variety
activities
e.g. modelling
the of
solar
system,
e.g.measure
modelling
the solar
speed,
role system,
plays etc.
measure speed, role plays etc.
Trees/hedges
Trees/hedges
Easy access
Easy access
and use regularly
and use regularly
Easy access
Easy access
and use sometimes
and use sometimes
Not easy
Not easy
to access
to access
No access
No access
but need
but need
No access
No access
but don't need
but don't need
Don't know
Don't know
Grassland; not just the school
Grassland;
school
playing
field, e.g.not
forjust
usethe
of quadrats,
playing
field,
e.g. for use
random
sampling,
use of
of quadrats,
keys (skills)
random sampling, use of keys (skills)
A pond or other natural water habitat
A pond or other natural water habitat
Functioning renewable energy source
Functioning renewable energy source
Outside resource to demonstrate
Outside
resource
to demonstrate
properties
of rocks
and monitor
air quality
properties of rocks and monitor air quality
0
0
20
20
40
60
40
60
% of responses
% of responses
in the survey. All of the reported problems in this area
related to the design and set-up of laboratories, in
particular insufficient bench space, a lack of access to
Figure
6
fume
cupboards,
the inability to black-out laboratories
Figure
6
and insufficient space to run and store long-term
100%
100%
experiments.
10%
0%
0%
Maintained
Maintained
schools
schools
Academies
Academies
100
100
environments in order to engage with and understand
the natural world, observe and model phenomena
first hand, and develop their fieldwork skills.
90%
90%
Outdoor space
80%
80% half of the respondents reported
Approximately
70%
70%
difficulty
accessing each of the outside learning
60%
environments
60% for pre-16 provision, with over 60% of
respondents
50%reporting that they do not have access
50%
to a pond, and 80% saying they have no easy access
40%
40%
to space
for demonstrating properties of rocks or to
30%
30%
measure air quality (see figure 7). This is of significant
20%
concern.
Students must have access to, and be
20%
able to experience,
a range of outdoor learning
10%
80
80
The survey also identified problems with the provision
of appropriate learning facilities at post-16
level,
More science
More
science
practical
teaching/
with no schools reporting that they have
access
to
practical
teaching/
experiences
experiences
more than half the learning environments identified.
Same amount of
Same
amount
of
Furthermore, nearly 60% reported that
they
only
provision
of science
provision
ofteaching/
science
practical
teaching/
have access to less than 10% of the practical
outside
learning
experiences
experiences
environments needed.
Less science
Less
science
practical
teaching/
practical
teaching/
experiences
experiences
2.2 Over a quarter of respondents across
Don’t know
Don’twere
know
all schools and sixth form colleges
dissatisfied with their laboratory facilities
Over a quarter of respondents across all schools were
quite or very dissatisfied with their laboratory facilities.
Independent
Sixth-form
Other
Independent
Sixth-form
Other types
schools Resourcing
colleges
school
schools
colleges practical
school science
types
at secondary level
9
However, there was considerable variation within
the state-funded sector, with no sixth form colleges
(which have specialist laboratories for each subject)
expressing dissatisfaction.
There are further difficulties caused by inadequate
facilities, especially in relation to safe storage of
chemicals, insufficient numbers of gas taps and
inappropriate siting of the prep room and/or fume
cupboards. Technicians reported that prep rooms
are often too small, with inadequate storage and
preparation space, particularly in new buildings.
In fact, a number of respondents reported that
facilities in new build schools (including those
built through the Building Schools for the Future
programme) were often not fit for purpose. There
were issues too with older school laboratories,
which often had to be used for more students than
they were designed for. In addition, pressure on
the number of laboratories means that a significant
proportion of science lessons are being taught in
classrooms instead of laboratories, where practical
work cannot take place.
Schools were less likely to feel dissatisfied about the
access to outside learning environments, despite
the lack of access in many cases (see section 2.1),
suggesting that respondents may not have a clear
idea of what ‘good access’ looks like. This is of
particular concern as it suggests a need for Continued
Professional Development on effective science
teaching using facilities outside the laboratory. Without
access to outside space, science teaching is limited to
studying only laboratory-based aspects of science.
3 Inadequate technician support is limiting
practical work
3.1 Good technician support is being lost because of poor working conditions
“Often schools overlook the need for decent
technical support and are happy to employ
someone ‘just to do the washing up’. A
good technician will stretch the budget by
making sure equipment is used, stored and
maintained properly, carry out repairs, even
making equipment from scratch if necessary,
and ensuring new purchases are appropriate
and good value for money”
Senior science technician, maintained school
10
Resourcing practical science at secondary level
The survey found that technicians are poorly paid
and hard to replace, particularly physics specialists.
A particular problem was highlighted with training
provision and career pathways, which make
recruitment and retention difficult. Despite the fact
that many technicians were highly qualified, their
central role in science departments is often not
recognised, with schools seeking cover for absent
technicians via caretakers, kitchen or cleaning staff.
3.2 Just over a quarter of respondents within
state-funded schools stated that they need at
least one additional technician
A number of schools, however, recognise the value
that effective technician support can add to their
science departments in terms of facilitating practical
work, for example, ensuring that equipment is used
and stored correctly, and playing an active role in
preparing experiments. Some schools are also
making increasing use of their technical staff to:
• give advice on effective practical work and
assemble complex equipment;
• demonstrate practical science to pupils;
• support the development of inexperienced
teachers; and
• ensure that practical experiments can be
managed effectively and within budget.
DRIVERS INFLUENCING RESOURCING
OF PRACTICAL SCIENCE
1. Curriculum changes
Ongoing change to the curriculum was the most
commonly cited factor driving the resourcing of
practical science (by 65% of respondents), causing
wasted expenditure on textbooks that needed
replacing regularly, a rising proportion of the budget
being spent on photocopying, and an inability to
plan ahead.
2. Controlled assessments
Controlled assessments present a particular burden
for schools, because they require specific pieces of
equipment in sufficient quantities for all students to
use at the same time, which many schools struggle to
provide. Over 68% of schools reported that controlled
assessments were a major driver of the amount and type
of equipment resourced for practical science. Controlled
assessment is currently being reviewed by Ofqual, so it is
not yet clear what the impact will be of anything replacing
this form of assessment.
3. Economic factors
Over 45% of respondents reported reduced or static
budgets, despite rising numbers of students taking
sciences. This is having wide-ranging impacts on the
number of technician working hours, the type and volume
of equipment and consumables that can be purchased
and on investment in training.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The research has highlighted an acute shortage in schools and sixth form colleges of essential
equipment and consumables for practical work in science, as well as access to outside space.
SCORE recommends:
1a.The Department for Education should carry out further work to identify the number of schools in each of
three categories: a severe shortage of equipment, a shortage of equipment, and meeting the benchmark.
They should determine remedial funding needed for the science departments in each category to bring them
up to a satisfactory level of provision.
1b.The Department for Education should develop a proposal for equitably funding the necessary remedial action
across all schools.
1c.Schools should give higher priority to ensuring adequate access to outside learning space, and provide
CPD to support teachers in identifying opportunities for effective outdoor learning experiences in science.
2. Every student should have to access the equipment necessary to carry out a core set of practical
activities in biology, chemistry and physics. To ensure this happens SCORE recommends:
2a.Those responsible for setting resourcing levels in schools and sixth form colleges should be expected to use
the benchmarks provided by SCORE to determine their resourcing needs.
2b.The adequate resourcing of practical science and its impact on the quality of teaching and learning should
form part of Ofsted inspections. There should be high expectations of ‘outstanding’ schools, and it is
anticipated that ‘good’ schools will have met the benchmark criteria outlined by SCORE.
2c.Awarding organisations should include the printing, photocopying and assessment requirements for schools
in their headline qualification costs.
3. Technicians play an integral role in science departments in schools and sixth form colleges, but
they are often less valued than their teaching colleagues. The role of technicians needs to be fully
and properly recognised and funded. SCORE recommends:
3a.Terms of employment for technicians should be improved, in particular salary and working hours.
3b.Senior leadership teams should be made more aware of the value of investing in their science technicians,
particularly in supporting their career development towards Registered Science Technician status, and
ensure that their institutions have sufficient technician provision in line with the benchmark factor established
by the Association for Science Education, and supported by SCORE.
3c.The Department for Education should publish disaggregated data on science technicians in the annual
School Workforce Census.
4. Access to laboratories in schools and sixth form colleges is essential for practical work to
take place, but too many lessons are taking place in classrooms rather than properly equipped
laboratories. SCORE recommends:
4a.Science lessons should be timetabled in laboratories rather than classrooms, and school facilities, where
possible, brought up to a standard that meets the SCORE benchmarks.
4b.Architects and suppliers who have responsibility for designing school laboratories should refer to existing
best practice and consult with science teachers and technicians to ensure the designs meet their – and the
legal – requirements.
Resourcing practical science at secondary level
11
SCORE - Science Community Representing Education
6-9 Carlton House Terrace
London SW1Y 5AG
tel:
+44 (0)20 7451 2252
email:[email protected]
web:www.score-education.org
Publication date: April 2013
Funders
SCORE is funded by the five SCORE organisations,
the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the
Department for Education (DfE).
12
Resourcing practical science at secondary level
SCORE, a collaboration of organisations working
together on science education policy:
Association for Science Education
www.ase.org.uk
Institute of Physics
www.iop.org
Royal Society
www.royalsociety.org
Royal Society of Chemistry
www.rsc.org
Society of Biology
www.societyofbiology.org
DES2921