Weak teaching, curriculum planning, and assessment "often" limit pupils' progress in science at schools across Wales, a damning report from education watchdog Estyn has warned.
Variable Quality in Science Provision
Science teaching and the quality of science provision "remains too variable" in classrooms, inspectors found. The report, titled Teaching and Learning Science: Teaching for Understanding Science in Classrooms, examines the quality of teaching and learning in science across primary, secondary, and all-age schools in Wales.
"Weaknesses in curriculum planning, teaching, and assessment often limit pupils’ progress, particularly in developing conceptual understanding and scientific reasoning," the report published on Tuesday says. "Arrangements to support progression between primary and secondary schools are frequently underdeveloped, leading to repetition, gaps in learning, and uneven levels of challenge."
Recruitment and Retention Challenges
Inspectors highlight problems facing schools, including difficulties recruiting and retaining specialist science teachers, particularly in Welsh-medium provision. Estyn said stronger collaboration between schools to support pupils' progression in learning is needed.
The report notes that despite improving national outcomes in science, international evidence from the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) indicated "a long-term decline in science performance, particularly among higher-attaining pupils." Between 2012 and 2022, the performance of Welsh pupils in science declined in Wales and on average across the UK.
Exam Pressures Narrow Teaching
In around half of secondary schools, exam pressures in Year 10 and Year 11 "narrows the range and depth of science teaching." In these schools, lessons often focus strongly on covering specification content, practising exam questions, and securing marks, which reduces opportunities for pupils to explore ideas in depth or apply their learning in varied contexts, the report adds.
Estyn also highlights "important strengths" in science education across Wales while at the same time "identifying inconsistencies in curriculum design, teaching, and assessment that limit how effectively pupils develop secure scientific understanding and reasoning."
Examples of Strong Practice
Inspectors looked at how effectively schools are developing pupils’ scientific knowledge, understanding, and inquiry skills through the science and technology area of learning and experience within the Curriculum for Wales – a keystone of education reforms brought in by the last Labour Welsh Government. They found "examples of strong practice" in both primary and secondary schools where leaders have developed coherent curriculum plans, strengthened subject expertise, and supported pupils to deepen their understanding of scientific concepts.
However, the report concluded the quality of science provision remains too variable. "In a majority of schools, progression is not planned securely enough. Teachers often address misconceptions reactively rather than anticipating them through curriculum design, and assessment does not consistently capture how pupils’ understanding deepens over time," the report adds.
Common Features of Strong Teaching
Highlighting how the best science teaching they saw works, inspectors said: "The strongest teaching in science shares a number of common features. These features reflect the ways in which teachers support pupils to develop secure conceptual understanding and apply their learning over time." The findings are based on visits to 16 primaries, 19 secondaries, and four all-age schools. Estyn inspectors interviewed school leaders, teachers, and pupils and observed science lessons.
Chief inspector Owen Evans said: "Science plays a vital role in helping young people understand the world around them and preparing them for future study and employment. While we saw encouraging examples of effective practice in schools across Wales, too many pupils experience an inconsistent science curriculum that does not build their knowledge and understanding systematically enough over time."
"There is scope for schools to strengthen curriculum planning, teaching, and assessment in science and work more closely together to support progression from primary to secondary education. At the same time, continued investment in professional learning and specialist expertise will be essential to ensure that all learners have access to high-quality science education."
Recommendations
The report recommends that schools strengthen teachers’ subject knowledge and improve curriculum planning. School leaders should also evaluate the impact of provision on pupils’ learning more effectively, inspectors said. Estyn also called on local authorities, school improvement services, and the Welsh Government to provide stronger science-specific professional learning, improve collaboration between schools, support Welsh-medium science provision, and address ongoing shortages of specialist science teachers.
