Published in 2015, a working paper from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia investigated the persistence of effects of early childhood interventions and asked whether these effects fade systematically. The study found that “by the end of kindergarten [Year 1] children who attended preschool...

This is a report on a pilot study by the Best Evidence Science Teaching (BEST) project based at the University of York, funded by the Salter's institute, to explore primary school teachers’ responses to a selection of BEST resources adapted from BEST age 11 to 14 resources and see how teachers used the resources in...

This report, based on a scoping study carried out for the Wellcome Trust by Queen’s University Belfast and St Mary’s University College Belfast, set out to explore teachers’ views and experiences of primary science across the United Kingdom and to identify ways in which it could be improved.

The publication...

This report summarises the discussions from a seminar held at the Nuffield Foundation on 18th September 2012. It was held in response to the publication in July 2012 of a report written by a working group of primary science specialists entitled ...

This report presents the findings of an online survey during July 2011 for The Wellcome Trust. The survey asked primary school teachers for their views on the status of primary science, the opportunities available to their students and themselves as professionals, and how these things may have changed since the...

The Wellcome Trust commissioned this research in May 2004. The Graduate School of Education at Queen’s University Belfast and the Science Department of St Mary’s
University College Belfast carried out the work. The Wellcome Trust was seeking to
establish an overview of the current status of primary...

This set of reports and case studies commissioned by the Wellcome Trust explore the nature of science delivery across the UK capturing baseline metrics prior to the full implementation of it's UK wide Primary Science Campaign in autumn 2017 and reports on the progress of the campaign...

Published in September 2014 this report details the findings and recommendations of a study carried out by the Wellcome Trust on the deployment of science and maths leaders in primary schools. The study carried out in 2013 explored how science and maths expertise is currently used in schools and looked at...

This report, edited by Wynne Harlen in 2009, sets out the principles that should underpin the science education of all students throughout their schooling. It argues that students should be helped to develop ‘big ideas’ of science and about science that will enable them to understand the scientific aspects of the...

A Catalyst article about the human gut and the many microbes it hosts, mainly bacteria. Probiotics are live bacterial ingredients or supplements designed to multiply in the colon and have an impact on health. A prebiotic is a carbohydrate that is not digestible by humans. The article examines the role they play,...

This ACME report from June 2016 looks at problem solving in mathematics, with particular focus on summative assessment.

Within the report ACME welcomes the strong emphasis on problem solving in recent reforms. It calls for "strong collaboration between the mathematics community, the Department for Education...

A Catalyst article describing how process chemists work in the pharmaceutical industry, devising methods of making new drugs. Process chemists are a link in the chain from an initial idea to a new drug making it to the market. It generally takes at least 10 years from an idea by a medicinal chemist to a new...

‘Quality assurance of teachers’ continuing professional development’ looks at lessons from other quality assurance systems, and how they could be applied to teachers’ CPD in England.

Published in 2014, an OECD report on data from the PISA survey looked at homework among 15-year-olds and asked whether homework perpetuates inequalities in education. According to the report, in 2012 students in the 38 countries covered by the survey spent an average of an hour less on their weekly homework than...

This report from Ofsted is a review of science in Key Stage Three and is concerned with students’ attainment and progress and the quality of teaching. It is intended to help school managers and teachers improve standards and raise the quality of work in Key Stage Three.

The report is based upon evidence form...