Differentiation strategy
Every science teacher knows that students don't learn in the same way or at the same pace. Some arrive with rich prior knowledge while others struggle with basic concepts. Some quickly grasp abstract ideas while others need more concrete examples and time to process. Students also differ in non-cognitive factors like motivation, self-confidence, and understanding of themselves as learners.
It's possible to accommodate these differences when you're teaching 1:1, but how can you do this in a class without creating 30 different lessons? Many conclude it's almost not worth trying - renowned cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham recommends focusing on what students have in common rather than their differences.
But there is a practical solution Benjamin Bloom's mastery learning approach from the 1980s, made both time and teaching methods variable - giving students more time to master material when they need it and alternative methods when the one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work.
We have updated Bloom's approach to create the5As mastery teaching sequence, a combination of:
- a 3-stage teaching progression: Acquire → Apply → Analyse
- embedded assessment (Activate and Assess)
Activate Stage
Many Year 7 students lack essential prior knowledge, and if we don't fill these gaps, they'll just memorise new content without being able to apply it. Our pre-assessments help teachers check understanding of essential prior concepts.
Those with gaps can get targeted re-teaching, while students who demonstrate solid understanding move to a stretch task. This strategy ensures everyone has the foundation they need to succeed with new learning.
Acquire Stage
While all students get similar high-quality instruction, our structured enquiry approach allows for variation in the amount of scaffolding and independent thinking students do. The teacher's guide sets out ideas for the more supported pathway for students who need extra help - from doing demonstrations instead of independent practicals to identifying specific difficulties and how to address them.
Building on this foundation, we've also streamlined our materials to reduce cognitive load with simplified task explanations and clearer visual layouts.
Apply Stage
GCSE requires students to go beyond recalling knowledge - we want students to apply what they know. This is challenging as it involves identifying when and how to apply concepts in new situations.
To help all students do this, not just the most able, we teach general cognitive strategies for solving unfamiliar problems and specific strategies for the kinds of problems likely to appear in exams, as well as providing extensive practice.
Assess Stage
Topics usually end with a test and then move on. But what about students who haven't had enough time to learn? Assess provides our checkpoints, with a diagnostic quiz to pinpoint whether they have grasped the concept and reveal misconceptions.
After that, you can decide if students need a 'rethink' - and then a second chance quiz - or whether they can move on to the more challenging Analyse stage.
Analyse Stage
Students who passed the diagnostic quiz are challenged with tasks that require them to apply knowledge and higher-order thinking - like the AO3 questions in GCSE. These can also be set for homework.
Once students reach this stage, they're working with genuinely challenging material that stretches their thinking through complex problem-solving scenarios rather than just 'more of the same'.
The beauty of this system is that it makes differentiation systematic and manageable while preserving the best aspects of quality-first teaching for everyone. **Time becomes the variable, not the learning outcome.