Science: Access for All Pupils

Sections 3 and 4 of the 1988 Education Reform Act include science as one of the compulsory core subjects in the National Curriculum and empower the Secretary of State to specify attainment targets, programmes of study, and assessment arrangements for science for children of compulsory school age. The Science Working Group appointed to advise the Secretaries of State on science reported in June and its recommendations for attainment targets, programmes of study and statements of attainment were published in August alongside the science proposals of the Secretaries of State for Education and Science and for Wales, in Science for Ages 5 to 16 . Alan Jones, head, physical science department, Trent Polytechnic, Paul Denley, south west regional project officer, Secondary Science Curriculum Review, and Christopher Butcher, senior lecturer, Trent Polytechnic, discuss the report.