The future of A level science - a series of stakeholder conferences aimed at informing practice and policy. (360G-Wellcome-080973_Z_06_Z)

We intend to set up a programme of stakeholder conferences to inform the new Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Psychology A level courses due to be introduced in 2008. The National Science Learning Centre will host four events leading to the publication of a report informing practice and policy, and implementation of the new courses. We anticipate that 240 key education, science and other stakeholders will be involved in the programme directly, and that the outcomes and outputs will affect many thousands over the subsequent years. This systematic approach is long overdue and would help to ensure that the content and approach at A Level better meets the needs of science, the FE and schools sector, young people and industry. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has expressed enthusiastic interest in this model and were it to be successful, we would expect it to be adopted more widely as mechanism for informing curriculum development in science and beyond. The Stakeholder Conference Programme will achieve the following objectives: To identify priorities, themes, core issues and contexts for each of the four science A levels, amongst each of the stakeholder groups; To develop a methodology to inform curriculum development that could be replicated and extended; To act as a forum where research scientists can work with science educationalists to illustrate curriculum content with contemporary examples; To professionalise and make more transparent the curriculum development process. Main audience: 1. Conference attendees and the organisations they represent. 2. Post-16 lecturers and teachers. 3. Policymakers.