Science not included in 90 per cent of primary Ofsted reports, study suggests
The study was conducted by the biomedical research charity the Wellcome Trust, who first examined the inspection reports of 770 schools.
According to the Wellcome Trust, 93 per cent of the reports did not include the word ‘science’, which prompted a more thorough analysis of a further 100 papers. Of these further 100 papers, 73 per cent did not reference science, yet 100 per cent mentioned maths.
The findings have prompted the charity to raise serious concerns about the subject and to question the government’s manifesto pledge to make the UK the best place in the world to study science.
Dr Hilary Leevers, head of education and learning at the Wellcome Trust, said: “This analysis suggests that the accountability system as a whole has eased off science. If we were to ensure that Ofsted made comments about science, ensuring that schools offered a broad and balanced curriculum, it would lead to a change in primaries and their approach to delivering science.”
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