How do I plan a programme of practical activities for the Practical Endorsement?

How do I plan a programme of practical activities for the practical endorsement?

The simplest way would be to select an option from each of the Cambridge OCR PAGS 1 to 12, ensuring that you have covered the range of 1.2.2 apparatus and techniques (and making adjustments if not). The practical activity groups (PAGs) are organised conceptually and designed to make it easy for you to find an activity to support the course content you are teaching. We give you at least three example activities in each PAG; using the activity selection spreadsheet in the tracker you can check that your selection will cover all the required skills. 

The “Planning your practical scheme of work” chapter of the Practical Skills Handbooks and Practical Activities Support Guides provide further support and guidance in the Cambridge OCR A Level Science specification you are teaching.

Any practical work done with candidates can be counted towards their progress in the practical endorsement. Any practical activities done in addition to the Cambridge OCR suggested practical activities can be mapped to the criteria as listed under 1.2.1 and 1.2.2. This can be easily be done using the flexible or portable trackers. The mapping of the Cambridge OCR activities can also be edited if you do not want to assess all the suggested skills in a particular activity.

Do I have to use the activities provided by Cambridge OCR?

No. These activities are provided as supporting materials to assist you to whatever extent you require. The activities have been cross-referenced to the practical endorsement criteria, trialled, and reviewed by CLEAPSS. 

You may use the activities 'as is', adapt them to suit your situation, or use them as exemplars in your planning. Alternatively, you may select other activities provided by third parties or that you have developed yourself, as long as these cover the requirements of the practical endorsement. 

However, centres should trial and risk assess practical activities themselves, even if they have been reviewed by Cambridge OCR and CLEAPSS, before undertaking any activity with students.

If I do not use the activities provided by Cambridge OCR, how do I know the activities I am selecting are suitable?

Many of the required skills will be covered routinely using any practical activities, e.g. following instructions, making observations and measurements, and keeping records. 

Select the activities that you wish to undertake and then check these against the assessment criteria (CPAC) and the skills, techniques and apparatus listed in 1.2.1 and 1.2.2 of the specification. 

Check that students have opportunities to routinely and consistently demonstrate the competencies described.

Note that it is the teacher’s responsibility to make sure that the activities give full opportunities for candidates to demonstrate skills. Furthermore, it is the teacher’s responsibility to make sure that assessed criteria entered on the PAG tracker are in full alignment with guidance in the Practical Skills Handbook. Teachers need to check the skills entered, even if the practical activity has come from a reputable published source. If you are unsure whether the practical activities you have selected meet certain criteria, you can ask Cambridge OCR for advice through science@ocr.org.uk. 

Do I need to ask Cambridge OCR's permission to use activities not provided by Cambridge OCR for assessment?

No. You may check yourself whether they are suitable by cross-referencing against the assessment criteria. Select the activities that you wish to undertake and then check these against the assessment criteria (CPAC) and the skills, techniques and apparatus listed in 1.2.1 and 1.2.2 of the specification. Check that students have opportunities to routinely and consistently demonstrate the competencies described.

Can I use the Cambridge OCR activities but adapt them to better suit my students’ needs?

Yes. You can adapt the activities provided by Cambridge OCR and make sure that they are still mapped to existing assessment criteria or if your activity is assessing a different set of skills map it yourself to the relevant criteria.

Can the published lab books for the Cambridge OCR practical endorsement be used in place of the Cambridge OCR suggested activities? 

Activities from these books can be used but it should be noted that these lab books are not endorsed by Cambridge OCR. Some published lab books may overly scaffold the provided activities, for example providing candidates with pre-prepared tables, which prohibits candidates from independently demonstrating competence in some aspects of the endorsement. The mapping provided in the published lab books needs to be carefully evaluated and modified if necessary to make sure it is in line with the requirement for the skills as specified under 1.2.1 and 1.2.2 in the Practical Skills Handbook.

Can I use the activities I have already been using?

Yes. You can map them against the assessment criteria. You may also find that some existing centre activities work better, so use them instead.

What if we change our planning and hence have to change the practical activities, must we report this?

No. There is no need to report every change in your planning to Cambridge OCR. If you decide to change the activities that you will be doing, then just continue as normal and ensure that you have recorded the competencies that have been met in the new planned activities.

How does practical work relate to preparation for practical questions in the written exams? 

The work done for the practical endorsement will be excellent preparation, but not necessarily completely prepare students for the exams. In terms of skills, the practical endorsement will prepare students well for the implementing skills and to an extent for planning skills. However, bear in mind that students may be asked to demonstrate these skills in any practical context. Analysis and evaluation skills can easily be developed through the practical work done towards the endorsement. 

Many of the Cambridge OCR PAG activities contain sections of analysis and evaluation questions which can help with this teaching and learning. Additionally, there are some areas of practical work that are not covered in the practical endorsement, e.g. redox titrations in chemistry, which also need to be taught. The practical planning tables in the practical skills handbooks can be used to fully plan a practical scheme of work. These can be found in Teach Cambridge.