Focus4TAPS supports teachers to use assessment for learning for the teaching of science in their classrooms. The programme particularly focuses on assessing practical enquiry tasks to help pupils develop scientific reasoning skills, and the use of self and peer-assessment to develop pupils’ metacognitive skills. Focus4TAPS was developed by Bath Spa University, and typically provides three days of face-to-face professional development (PD) for two teachers from each school (usually a science subject leader and one other, which was a Year five teacher in the evaluation), over the course of an academic year, with in-school tasks in between training sessions. Focus4TAPS resources cover ages five – 12 years, but the version described here that EEF has tested is the primary programme. It was delivered to Year five pupils over one academic year, through the equivalent of six remote PD sessions due to COVID-19 restrictions at the time of the trial.
Wider evidence demonstrates the importance of formative use of assessment, and EEF’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit shows that feedback, which is part of the formative assessment process, can have a high impact on pupil outcomes.
EEF trialled this specific programme at efficacy level. This means EEF has trialled this programme in a smaller number of schools in best possible conditions. The evaluation found that pupils in Year five who received Focus4TAPS made an average two months’ additional progress in science compared to children in comparison schools. These findings have a high security rating achieving four padlocks, meaning we are confident that this difference was due to the intervention and not to other factors. This impact was the same for pupils eligible for free school meals. Teachers in the intervention group also reported greater confidence in teaching and assessing science compared to the equivalent comparison group.
These positive results have led EEF to designate this as a ‘Promising Programme’.
Since that trial, Bath Spa University has developed a more scalable model to deliver to a larger number of schools. This includes training new facilitators, who will deliver to schools as part of an effectiveness trial. This trial will test whether a scalable version of the training and resources can produce similar results.
- This completed trial was an efficacy trial that took place in 121 schools. The schools were located in Birmingham, Coventry, Northwest London, Plymouth, Reading, Somerset, and Swindon.
- 21% of the pupils in the trial schools were eligible for FSM. This is slightly lower than national average.
- 88% of the schools involved were Ofsted-rated Good or Outstanding schools. This is around national average.
The Focus4TAPS programme supports science subject leaders to evaluate and develop their primary science assessment processes and supports teachers to select a focus for teaching, learning, and assessment in each practical science lesson. Teachers then use their new understanding of Working Scientifically and formative assessment strategies to adjust support and challenge levels. By focusing on different elements of Working Scientifically each lesson, teachers cover the full range of enquiry skills over the year.
Focus4TAPS professional development was delivered to a Year five teacher and the science subject leader. It included an introductory meeting, three training days which was adapted to six remote sessions during the pandemic, science leadership guidance, new resources, and support for embedding practices. The Year five teachers selected five TAPS plans from a bank of over 40 to implement in between training, using everyday materials found in school. The TAPS approach is integrated into regular science lessons and doesn’t require significant changes to the amount of science taught unless the school teaches less than the recommended hours per week.
The evaluation was delivered during the pandemic which brought a host of delivery and interpretation issues. The pandemic hindered some schools from fully adhering to intervention tasks, reducing time for practical and collaborative work. Despite the challenges, teachers managed to largely attend the training and run the programme. Higher participation in the programme was associated with better science attainment scores. The current EEF effectiveness trial will tell us more about implementation in a standard context.
As trialled in the evaluation, the average cost of Focus4TAPS for one school was around £1,355 or £18.82 per pupil per year when averaged over three years.
This is an estimate of holistic school costs to implement the programme at the time of the evaluation and includes costs for associated supply cover. Schools will need to check the current purchase cost of the programme by contacting primary.science@bathspa.ac.uk.
Focus4TAPS is available to schools nationally from the academic year 25/26 onwards where recruitment allows, with some availability in limited areas for the 2024/25 academic year whilst an effectiveness trial takes place. Schools can register interest for Focus4TAPS professional development.
The programme adheres to the original delivery design, providing three days of face-to-face training to two teachers per school. Guidance and resources to support teaching and assessment using the Focus4TAPS approach can be found at TAPS – Primary Science Teaching Trust (pstt.org.uk).
EEF’s Improving Primary Science Guidance Report draws directly on the Focus4TAPs approach in recommendation five ‘Use assessment to support learning and responsive teaching’.