Home TAPS
Children conducting experiment

Teacher Assessment in Primary Science (TAPS)

Guidance and resources to support teaching and assessment

The Teacher Assessment in Primary Science (TAPS) project is based at Bath Spa University and funded by the Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT). TAPS aims to develop support for a valid, reliable and manageable system of primary school science assessment which will have a positive impact on children’s learning.

In this resource you will find:

  • A database of plans that focus on the assessment of enquiry skills (working scientifically) and focused assessment examples of children’s learning
  • A pyramid tool that provides a framework to help schools evaluate and develop their primary science assessment processes
  • Guidance documents on how to use the TAPS resources effectively

To find out more the TAPS project, videos can be found on the project playlist.

If you would like to offer further examples, or provide the TAPS team with feedback, please email: [email protected].

How can I find what I am looking for?

Using our five filters below, you can search for:

  1. Types of resources – Guidance documents / Focused Assessment Plans / Examples
  2. Age range – 3-5 years / 5-7 years / 7-9 years / 9-12 years
  3. Topics – several science topics
  4. Enquiry types – Planning enquiry / Doing enquiry / Reviewing enquiry
  5. Country of origin/language – England / Northern Ireland / Scotland / Wales / Welsh

You can adapt any of the lesson plans to use in your setting, regardless of where they were originally developed.

 

Please watch the video below for more guidance on navigating the new TAPS filter system.

Focused Assessment Plans, Examples and Guidance documents

  • Clear filters

O-wing

9-12 | Lesson Plan | Forces | Doing Enquiry | Developed in Scotland

Download File type icon

Bird Beaks

9-12 | Lesson Plan | Living things, habitats and evolution | Planning Enquiry | Developed in Scotland

Download File type icon

Forensic Powders

9-12 | Lesson Plan | Materials | Reviewing Enquiry | Developed in Scotland

Download File type icon

Dirty Water Filter

9-12 | Lesson Plan | Materials, Science and DT | Reviewing Enquiry | Developed in Scotland

Download File type icon

Digestion Modelling

7-9 | Lesson Plan | Animals including humans | Reviewing Enquiry | Developed in Scotland

Download File type icon

Wind Power Vehicles

7-9 | Lesson Plan | Forces, Materials, Science and DT | Reviewing Enquiry | Developed in Scotland

Download File type icon

Macintosh Waterproofing

7-9 | Lesson Plan | Materials | Reviewing Enquiry | Developed in Scotland

Download File type icon

Forensic Fingerprints

7-9 | Lesson Plan | Animals including humans | Doing Enquiry | Developed in Scotland

Download File type icon

Drops on a Coin

5-7 | Lesson Plan | Materials | Doing Enquiry | Developed in Scotland

Download File type icon

Dunlop Balls

Lesson Plan | Forces, Materials | Planning Enquiry | Developed in Scotland

Download File type icon

Scooping Sounds

3-5 | Lesson Plan | Light and sound | Planning Enquiry | Developed in Scotland

Download File type icon

Toy Forces

3-5 | Lesson Plan | Forces | Reviewing Enquiry | Developed in Scotland

Download File type icon

The TAPS Pyramid

The TAPS pyramid is a tool to help schools evaluate and develop their assessment process in primary science. Download the Guidance document to find out more about the pyramid model. Download a black and white copy of the pyramid for photocopying which you might use to evaluate assessment processes in your school. Visit the Pyramid website to see examples of science assessment taken from a range of schools.

TAPS-COVER

Guidance

Download
Pyramid_Doc

Black and white pyramid

Download
TAPS

The pyramid website

Explore

Related resources

Child with idea

New

Popular

Paid

Assessment

Updated

Bright Ideas

Bright Ideas Time is suitable for children of all ages and abilities. It does not need to take more than 10 minutes and can take place at any time in the lesson.

Explore resource
School children

New

Popular

Paid

Assessment

Updated

Explore, Engage, Extend

Eliciting children's knowledge and understanding in science to inform the planning of new learning experiences.

Explore resource
Pictures for talk logo

New

Popular

Paid

Assessment

Updated

Pictures for Talk

A collection of ten ‘Pictures for Talk’ previously featured in PSTT’s Why&How magazine.

Explore resource
Starters for Science

New

Popular

Paid

Assessment

Updated

Starters for Science

A series of five-minute videos to support teachers to get started with practical enquiry.

Explore resource

Safety Notice & Disclaimer

The PSTT advises teachers to refer to either the CLEAPSS website or SSERC website for up to date health and safety information when planning practical activities for children.

The PSTT is not liable for the actions or activities of any reader or anyone else who uses the information in these resource pages or the associated classroom materials. The PSTT assumes no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information contained in these resources. The PSTT recommends that a full risk assessment is carried out before undertaking in the classroom any of the practical investigations contained in the resources.

All materials are ©Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) and are freely available to download and share for educational purposes. Whilst educators are free to adapt the resources to suit their own needs, acknowledgement of copyright on all original materials must be included. Rights to images included in the resource have been purchased for PSTT use only – as such, these images may only be used as part of this resource and may not copied into or used in other materials.