APECS

The APECS Project was set up as a collaborative research project between the Universities of Cambridge, Reading and Roehampton. The project is intended to explore the issue of providing suitably challenging experiences for the most able pupils in science lessons.

The project was supported by the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education through its research seminar series: 'Meeting the Needs of the Most Able in Science' which ran over three academic sessions. The seminar series provided a forum for the research team to meet with interested practitioners - to discuss the issue of meeting the needs of the most able pupils in science classes, and to plan and facilitate classroom-based teacher-research. The seminar series is providing the basis for a forthcoming book from Routledge: Science Education for Gifted Learners.

Project directors:
Dr. Keith Taber - University of Cambridge
Prof. John Gilbert - University of Reading
Prof. Mike Watts - University of Roehampton

SEN Consultant:
Carrie Winstanley - University of Roehampton

Action Research Consultant:
Matthew Newberry - The Cams Hill Science Consortium

Other outcomes:

Cambridge-based work has looked at how aspects of the nature of science can be a focus for challenging and engaging science education for the most able.

We contributed to a KS3 National Strategy project on Teaching About Ideas and Evidence in Science at KS3. Materials from this project were reported on the Strategy website, and distributed by SEP.

During 2004-5 we ran ASCEND (Able Students Collectively Exploring New Demands) - an SEP-funded project. The Faculty of Education worked with the Cambridge Federation of Secondary Schools to develop enrichment provision to challenge high attaining science students at KS4. The ASCEND project is supported by the Gatsby Technical Education Projects' Science Enhancement Programme. SEP intend to publish and distribute materials from the ASCEND project early in 2007.