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On 12 June 2008, the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) published a report (Success in science) which argues that many teachers, particularly in primary schools, lack the confidence to teach science well because they do not know enough about the subject and have had insufficient professional training.
The report shows that the most stimulating and engaging teaching occurs when science is brought to life and pupils are given the chance to conduct, evaluate and record their own investigations rather than rely solely on textbooks.
Although teaching and learning were at least satisfactory in almost all of the schools visited and around three quarters of the lessons were deemed to be good, Ofsted finds that standards in science have remained substantially unchanged in recent years and inspections highlight recurring weaknesses, particularly in planning and assessment.
The report looks at why standards have not improved significantly in the last three years at key stages 1 and 2 (pupils aged between 5 and 11). It also highlights the strengths and weaknesses of science teaching in primary and secondary schools and gives examples of schools where young scientists excel.