Strictly speaking, Key Stage 3 lasts for three years: spanning Years 7 to 9. But over the last decade, an increasing number of schools have switched to offering a two- or two and a half-year KS3 programme. This has allowed schools to redress the difficulty of covering the lengthy GCSE specification content in only Years […]
Read more Cognitive load relates to the amount of information that a person can hold in their working memory at any one time. During learning, information is held in your working memory until it has been processed enough to transfer into your larger capacity long-term memory. If new information is not transferred, it will most likely be […]
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As every learner is unique, so is every science teacher. Each with their own specialisms and areas of interest, there are always going to be parts of the science curriculum in which science teachers are more-confident and others in which they need more guidance. Adding to that, teacher recruitment and retention being an increasing concern […]
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What was happening in the UK in 2015? Justin Bieber was storming the charts with not one, not two, but three Number 1 hits. Dinosaurs were running amok again in Jurassic World. The polls opened for the general election. As all this was happening, school were preparing to update their KS3 science curriculum, in line […]
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Oxford Smart Activate is the next evolution of the best-selling KS3 series, Activate. From the initial discussions of the Curriculum Development group, through to the testing phase with over 20 Pioneer Schools working with Year 7 groups, the development of Oxford Smart Activate has been a team effort. We wanted to shine a light on […]
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In this blog, Dr Andrew Chandler-Grevatt exemplifies how the KS3 science curriculum behind Oxford Smart Activate supports science departments to enact the recommended practices regarding intent, implementation and impact.
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In this new Oxford Smart Activate resource hub, hear from a range of expert voices who discuss and delve into the research behind the Oxford Smart Curriculum Service for Science and what makes Oxford Smart Activate stand out for the KS3 Science.
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Andy Chandler-Grevatt explores the important role in teaching and learning. played by curriculum narratives.
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Martin Saunders, Head of KS3 Science, Chichester High School I work at Chichester High school which is a school of approximately 1500 students in West Sussex. Rated “Good” in our most recent Ofsted inspection, the journey continues on towards “Outstanding”. In light of this, we approached OUP to push forward our teaching and learning, along […]
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Find out more about Oxford Smart Activate Metacognition is commonly thought of as ‘learning about learning’. Whilst this is an oversimplification of what metacognition truly is, it is a helpful point to start from when looking at building a curriculum which enhances students’ metacognitive learning skills. There are two main parts to metacognition, metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive regulation. Metacognition is one of […]
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