Background
In the current climate, with the removal of ring fenced funding for specialisms, an increase in the types of schools with different licences to operate, a greater focus on the quality of teachers and teaching (Importance of Teaching White Paper 2012, the uptake and increasing recognition of Chartered Science Teacher - CSciTeach, Registered Scientist - RSci and Registered Science Technician – RSciTech, and an established Secondary Geography Quality Mark), there is increasing interest amongst ASE’s members and others in exploring the potential for a well-recognised quality mark for secondary science.
About SSQM
The proposed Secondary Science Quality Mark is an award scheme to enable Secondary schools across the UK to evaluate, strengthen and celebrate their science provision. Schools can achieve bronze, silver and gold awards.
AIMS
The proposed Secondary Science Quality Mark has the following aims:
• to raise the profile of science in secondary schools
• to provide schools with a framework and professional support for developing science leadership, teaching and learning
• to celebrate excellence in secondary science
• to work with existing and facilitate new networks across the UK and wider to provide local support for secondary science
• to assemble and make accessible to the wider science education community a rich data base of current practice in secondary science.
