Benchmarks Sciences - Education Scotland
BenchmarksSciencesMarch 20171
Education ScotlandGuidance on using Benchmarks for AssessmentMarch 2017Education Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Statement for Practitioners(Aug 2016) stated that the two key resources which support practitioners to plan learning,teaching and assessment are: Experiences and OutcomesBenchmarksBenchmarks have been developed to provide clarity on the national standards expectedwithin each curriculum area at each level. They set out clear lines of progression in literacyand English and numeracy and mathematics, and across all other curriculum areas fromEarly to Fourth Levels (First to Fourth Levels in Modern Languages). Their purpose is tomake clear what learners need to know and be able to do to progress through the levels,and to support consistency in teachers’ and other practitioners’ professional judgements.All eight significant aspects for learning for sciences are clearly embedded in theBenchmarks and provide the structure against which the Benchmarks have beendeveloped.Skills development is integrated into the Benchmarks to support greater sharedunderstanding. An understanding of skills and how well they are developing will enablelearners to make links between their current learning and their future career options andemployment.Benchmarks draw together and streamline a wide range of previous assessment guidance(including significant aspects of learning, progression frameworks and annotated exemplars)into one key resource to support teachers’ and other practitioners’ professional judgementof children’s and young people’s progress across all curriculum areas.Benchmarks have been designed to support professional dialogue as part of themoderation process to assess where children and young people are in their learning.They will help to support holistic assessment approaches across learning. They shouldnot be ticked off individually for assessment purposes.Benchmarks for literacy and numeracy should be used to support teachers’ professionaljudgement of achievement of a level. In other curriculum areas, Benchmarks supportteachers and other practitioners to understand standards and identify children’s andyoung people’s next steps in learning. Evidence of progress and achievement willcome from a variety of sources including: observing day-to-day learning within the classroom, playroom or working area; observation and feedback from learning activities that takes place in otherenvironments, for example, outdoors, on work placements; coursework, including tests; learning conversations; and planned periodic holistic assessment.Practical activities contribute in an important way to learning within the sciences and allowlearners to further develop their skills and understanding of scientific concepts. Evidenceof progress and achievement can also be drawn from practical activities too to supportBenchmark outcomes.2
Benchmarks in curriculum areasBenchmarks in each curriculum area are designed to be concise and accessible, withsufficient detail to communicate clearly the standards expected for each curriculum level.Teachers and other practitioners can draw upon the Benchmarks to assess the knowledge,understanding, and skills for learning, life and work which children are developing in eachcurriculum area.In secondary schools, Benchmarks can support subject specialist teachers in makingrobust assessments of learners’ progress and the standards they achieve. They willhelp teachers ensure that learners make appropriate choices and are presented at anappropriate level for National Qualifications in the senior phase. This can help avoidexcessive workload for teachers and unnecessary assessments for learners. For example,learners should have achieved relevant Fourth level Experiences and Outcomes beforeembarking on the National 5 qualifications. Schools should take careful account of thiswhen options for S4 are being agreed. Benchmarks should be used to help with theseimportant considerations.Literacy and numeracyIn literacy and numeracy, Benchmarks support teachers’ professional judgement ofachievement of a level. Teachers’ professional judgements will be collected and publishedat national, local and school levels. It is important that these judgements are robust andreliable. This can only be achieved through effective moderation of planning learning,teaching and assessment.Achievement of a level is based on teacher professional judgement, well informed by a widerange of evidence. Benchmarks should be used to review the range of evidence gatheredto determine if the expected standard has been achieved and the learner has: achieved a breadth of learning across the knowledge, understanding and skillsas set out in the experiences and outcomes for the level;responded consistently well to the level of challenge set out in the Experiencesand Outcomes for the level and has moved forward to learning at the next levelin some aspects; anddemonstrated application of what they have learned in new and unfamiliarsituations.It is not necessary for learners to demonstrate mastery of every individual aspect of learningwithin Benchmarks at a particular level and before moving on to the next level. However,it is important that there are no major gaps in children’s and young people's learning whenlooking across the major organisers in each curriculum area.Bundling of Experiences and OutcomesPractitioners are encouraged to bundle Experiences and Outcomes andBenchmarks together where it is relevant and meaningful to do so. This can promotea more holistic approach to planning learning, teaching and assessment and canhelp learners make connections between different concepts, knowledge and skillsin the sciences and to other curriculum areas. Practitioners are also encouraged toconsider how learning, teaching and assessment in the sciences can be enhancedthrough interdisciplinary links to other subjects, including STEM subjects such astechnologies and mathematics.3
The bundling of Experiences and Outcomes, and respective Benchmarks, haslargely been avoided in the development of these Benchmarks so as not to prescribeto schools and centres how this bundling should take place. This is best doneby schools and centres to suit the needs of their learners and their local contexts.Planning learning, teaching and assessment using the BenchmarksIn addition to the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Statement for Practitioners fromHM Chief Inspector of Education, August 2016 on the purpose and use of Benchmarks,teachers and other practitioners should note the following advice.KEY MESSAGES – WHAT TO DOKEY MESSAGES – WHAT TO AVOID Use literacy and numeracy Benchmarksto help monitor progress towardsachievement of a level, and to supportoverall professional judgement of whena learner has achieved a level. Avoid undue focus on individualBenchmarks which may resultin over-assessing or recordingof learners’ progress. Become familiar with other curriculumarea Benchmarks over time. Avoid the requirement to spend timecollating excessive evidence to assesslearners’ achievement. Use Benchmarks to help assess whetherlearners are making suitable progresstowards the national standards expectedand use the evidence to plan their next,challenging steps in learning.Discuss Benchmarks within andacross schools to achieve a sharedunderstanding of the national standardsexpected across curriculum areas. There is no need to provide curriculumlevel judgements in all curriculum areas– stick to literacy and numeracy. Do not create excessive or elaborateapproaches to monitoring and tracking. Do not assess Benchmarks individually.Plan periodic, holistic assessment ofchildren’s and young people’s learning. Do not tick off individual Benchmarks. 4
Early Level SciencesThe table immediately below has been included as a helpful guide to the scientific skills to be developed within the sciences at Early Level.Inquiry andinvestigativeskillsSkillsPlans and designs scientific investigations and enquiries- Explores and observes through play.- Asks questions arising from play activities.- Makes simple predictions of what might happen.- Makes suggestions about what to do to answer the selected question.Carries out practical activities within a variety of learning environments- Discusses obvious risks and takes appropriate steps to protect themselves and others.- Uses their senses to acquire information.- Measures using simple equipment and non-standard units.Analyses, interprets and evaluates scientific findings- Presents and sorts data/information, for example, using displays, photographs, simple charts and drawings.- Provides oral descriptions of what was done and what happened.- Recognises similarities, patterns and differences in the findings and links these to the original question.- Discusses, with support, how the experiment might be improved.- Relates findings to everyday experiences.- Identifies and discusses new knowledge and understanding.Presents scientific findings- Communicates findings to others verbally and through drawings, photographs, displays and simple charts.- Responds to questions about their investigation.Scientific analyticalthinking skills-Demonstrates natural curiosity and shows development of basic skills of analysis in simple and familiar contexts,for example, through asking questions, experimenting and making predictions.Demonstrates creative thinking by offering suggestions and solutions to everyday problems.Demonstrates reasoning skills by explaining choices and decisions.5
Skills and attributesof scientificallyliterate citizens-Talks about science, showing developing understanding of risks and benefits, and listens to the views of others.Demonstrates awareness of the importance of respecting living things and the environment and of managing theEarth’s resources responsibly.Demonstrates a developing understanding of science in the world around them.Explores the ways in which people use science and science skills as part of their job.Experiences and Outcomesfor planning learning,teaching and assessmentBiodiversityI have observed living things in andthe environment over time and interdependence am becoming aware of how theydepend on each other.SCN 0-01aPlanet EarthCurriculum OrganisersEnergysources andsustainabilityBenchmarks to support practitioners’ professional judgementExplores and sorts objects as living, non-living or once living.Describes characteristics of livings things and how they dependon each other, for example, animals which depend on plants for food.I have helped to grow plants and can name their basic parts.I can talk about how they grow and what I need to do to lookafter them.SCN 0-03aExplores, observes and discusses basic needs of plants andwhat they need to grow including water, heat, sunlight and soil.Demonstrates understanding of how plants grow from seeds.I have experienced, used and described a wide range of toysand common appliances. I can say what makes it go and saywhat they do when they work.SCN 0-04aAsk questions and describes what can ‘make things go’, for example,batteries, wind-up toys and sunlight.Talks about toys and common appliances and what they do whenthey work, for example, produce heat, light, movement or sound.6
Forces, electricity and wavesProcessesof the planetBy investigating how water can change from one form toanother, I can relate my findings to everyday experiences. SCN 0-05aInvestigates the different properties of water and shares their findingswith others.Talks about water in nature and how it influences their everyday lives.Identifies three main states of water (ice, water and steam) and usesscientific vocabulary such as ‘melting’, ‘freezing’ and ‘boiling’ to describechanges of state.SpaceI have experienced the wonder of looking at the vastness of thesky, and can recognise the sun, moon and stars and link themto daily patterns of life.SCN 0-06aDescribes how the rotation of the Earth in relation to the sun gives us dayand night.Talks about how the pattern of night and day changes over the courseof a year.ForcesThrough everyday experiences and play with a variety oftoys and other objects, I can recognise simple types offorces and describe their effects. SCN 0-07aExplores and sorts toys and objects into groups according to whetherthey need to be pushed or pulled.Measures, using simple equipment, how the movement of an objectis affected by the size of the force or the weight of the object.Demonstrates, through play, how a force can make an object stay still,start to move, speed up, slow down and change shape.ElectricityI know how to stay safe when using electricity. I have helpedto make a display to show the importance of electricity in our daily lives.SCN 0-09aGroups objects into those which get electricity either from mains electricalsockets or alternative sources, such as batteries and solar cells.Talks about the importance of electricity in their daily lives.Identifies the risks that can be caused by electricity and recogniseshow to stay safe.Vibrationsand wavesThrough play, I have explored a variety of ways of making sounds.SCN 0-11aPredicts, then investigates, ways to make sounds louder and quieter.Identifies different sources of sound.7
BiologicalsystemsMaterialsTopicalscienceBody systemsand cellsI can identify my senses and use them to explore the world around me.SCN 0-12aIdentifies specific parts of the body related to each of the senses.Uses their senses to describe the world around them, giving examplesof things they see, hear, smell, taste and feel.HWB 0-47bInheritanceHWB 0-47aPropertiesand uses ofsubstancesThrough creative play, I explore different materials and canshare my reasoning for selectingmaterials for different purposes. SCN 0-15aTopical scienceI can talk about science stories Talks about the science they encounter in their everyday experiences.to develop my understanding Explores, through role-play, how science and science skills are usedof science and the world aroundin a variety of jobs.me.SCN 0-20aExplores and sorts materials into different groups depending on theirproperties, for example, whether they are strong, smooth, rough andif they float or sink.Justifies the selection of appropriate materials for different uses basedon their physical properties.8
First Level SciencesThe table immediately below has been included as a helpful guide to the scientific skills to be developed within the sciences at First Level.SkillsInquiry andinvestigativeskillsPlans and designs scientific investigations and enquiries- Collaborates with others to identify questions to find out more about a specific scientific concept, idea or issue.- Makes predictions about the scientific investigation/enquiry being planned.- Contributes to the design of procedures for carrying out scientific investigations.Carries out practical activities in a variety of learning environments- Identifies risks and hazards and ensures safe use of all tools, equipment and procedures.- Collaborates to undertake investigations.- Observes and collects information and makes measurements using appropriate equipment and units.Analyses, interprets and evaluates scientific findings- Records and presents data/information using a range of methods including tables, charts and diagrams,using labelling and scales.- Organises data and information and identifies significant patterns and relationships.- Interprets findings and discusses links to the original question.- Reports on limitations of their investigation and possible improvements.- Relates findings to their wider experiences of the world around them.- Identifies and discusses additional knowledge or understanding gained.Presents scientific findings- Presents data/information using a range of methods including tables, charts and diagrams, using labels and scales.- Reports in writing, orally or visually using a variety of media.- Structures a presentation or report, with support, to present findings in a coherent and logical way.Scientificanalyticalthinking skills-Applies learning in the sciences.Provides creative solutions to scientific issues and problems.Contributes to the design processes and uses components to make models.Demonstrates reasoning skills and draws on understanding of science concepts to make and test predictions.Provides explanations which are supported by evidence.Skills andattributes ofscientificallyliterate citizens-Expresses informed views of scientific issues, both orally and in writing, and respects the views of others.Makes connections between science and their own health and wellbeing.Demonstrates awareness of their own impact on the world.Demonstrates awareness of how people use science in their everyday lives and in a variety of jobs and careers.Discusses science topics in real-life contexts including those appearing in the media.9
Experiences and Outcomes forplanning learning, teaching andassessmentBiodiversityI can distinguish between living andand non-living things. I can sortinterdependence living things into groups andexplain my decisions. SCN 1-01a Planet EarthCurriculumOrganisersEnergysources andsustainabilityBenchmarks to support practitioners’ professional judgementExplains the difference between living and non-living things, taking intoconsideration movement, reproduction, sensitivity, growth, excretionand feeding.Creates criteria for sorting living things and justifies decisions.Sorts living things into plant, animal and other groups using a varietyof features.I can explore examples of food chains and show an appreciationof how animals and plants depend on each other for food.SCN 1-02aDemonstrates awareness of how energy from the sun can be takenin by plants to provide the major source of food for all living things.Interprets and constructs a simple food chain, using vocabularysuch as ‘producer’, ‘consumer’, ‘predator’ and ‘prey’.I can help to design experiments to find out what plants needin order to grow and develop.I can observe and record my findings and from what I havelearned I can grow healthyplants in school.SCN 1-03aObserves, collects and measures the outcomes from growing plantsin different conditions, for example, by varying levels of light, water,air, soil/nutrients and heat.Structures a presentation or report, with support, to present findingson how plants grow.I am aware of different types of energy around me and can showtheir importance to everyday life and my survival.SCN 1-04aIdentifies and talks about types of energy that we get from different energysources, for example, light, sound, heat and electrical.Uses knowledge of different energy sources, for example, sun, food, fuel,wind and waves, to discuss the importance of different types of energyfor everyday life and survival.10
Processesof the planetBy investigating how water can change from one form toanother, I can relate my findings to everyday experiences.SCN 1-05a SpaceBy safely observing and recordingthe sun and moonat various times, I can describetheir patterns of movement andchanges over time. I can relatethese to the length of a day,a month and a year.SCN 1-06aForces, electricity andwavesForces Uses more complex vocabulary to describe changes of states of water,for example, ‘condensation’ and ‘evaporation’.Contributes to the design of an experiment to determine the temperatureat which water boils, freezes and melts, ensuring appropriate use of units.Knows that pure water boils at 100 , melts at 0 and freezes at 0 .Describes how the Earth spins around its axis in 24 hours resulting in dayand night.Observes and records the different patterns of movement of the moonand explains why the moon appears to have different shapes and positionsin the sky at different times in a lunar month.Demonstrates understanding of how the Earth takes one year to completelyorbit the sun.Demonstrates understanding of how the tilt of the Earth on its axis asit circles the sun causes the pattern of the seasons and chang
Benchmarks for literacy and numeracy should be used to support teachers’ professional judgement of achievement of a level. In other curriculum areas, Benchmarks support teachers and other practitioners to understand standards and identify children’s and young people’s next steps in learning. Evidence of progress and achievement will
Education Scotland Guidance on using Benchmarks for Assessment March 2017 Education Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Statement for Practitioners (Aug 2016) stated that the two key resources which support practitioners to plan learning, teaching and assessment are: Experiences and Outcomes Benchmarks
On electronic versions if you click the legislation name it will link to the law. 1. Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 2. Mental Health (Scotland) Act 2015 3. National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 4. Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 5. Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 6. Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 7.
Accessible Travel Annual Delivery Plan 2021-22 Transport Scotland 4 Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to pay particular thanks to the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS), Disability Equality Scotland (DES) and all the members of our Accessible Travel Steering Group. All of whom have
FOOD STANDARDS SCOTLAND Interventions Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) Laid before the Scottish Parliament pursuant to section 40(1) of the Act1, regulation 24(1) of the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 20062 and regulation 6(1) of the Official Feed and Food Controls (Scotland) Regulations 20093 1 1990 CHAPTER 16 2 SSI 2006 No. 3 3 SSI 2009 No. 446
to help monitor progress towards achievement of a level, and to support overall professional judgement of when a learner has achieved a level. Avoid undue focus on individual Benchmarks which may result in over-assessing or recording of learners’ progress. Become familiar with other curriculum area Benchmarks over time.
The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) standard is a descriptive scale of language ability in English as a Second Language (ESL) written as 12 benchmarks or reference points along a continuum from basic to advanced. The CLB standard reflects the progression of the knowledge and skills that underlie basic, intermediate and advanced ability
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WORK PROGRAMME 2014 – 2015 7. Innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises Revised This Work Programme was adopted on 10 December 2013. The parts that relate to 2015 (topics, dates, budget) have, with this revised version, been updated. The changes relating to this revised part are explained on the Participant Portal. (European Commission Decision C (2015)2453 of 17 April 2015) HORIZON .
