HLTA Case Study - Science Specialism

Sarah Van Baalen, Camborne Science and Community College

Key aspects of role in which candidate is currently deployed

Sarah is based solely in the science department at Camborne Science and Community College. She works with individuals, groups and whole classes with in her role as 'project coordinator' and has gained Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) status. Sarah teaches whole classes in Years 7 and 8 for the 'Cognitive Acceleration in Science Education' programme (CASE). Sarah completed the training for this at Bristol University and her expertise has been used to train her science colleagues in using CASE. The lessons for CASE are pre-planned and focus on key concepts of science such as variables and graphs. By working with the students on this programme Sarah helps them to get a better grounding in these skills and the programme also helps the students to reflect on their own thinking. Sarah leads whole class learning when a colleague's absence is planned. This ensures that there is continuity in student experience. She also supports Key Stage 4 (KS4) students in their course work and case studies, as some students have difficulty in getting balanced arguments across and Sarah helps them with this. She supports the department by inputting Key Stage 3 (KS3) data into the computer, makes resources for the KS3 booster classes and takes departmental minutes. Her Deputy Head of Science, Paul Preece, says that, "Sarah develops resources for students with special educational needs (SEN) and carries out targeted intervention work for students in KS3 who are working at levels 4, 5 and 6, which I am unable to do myself because of timetable commitments. Sarah also extracts students from lessons to do 'catch up' work if they have missed school."

Benefits to school and department of developing an HLTA

Sarah has a Bachelor of Science honours degree and feels that because of her science knowledge, the teachers are able to rely on her to work with the students at an appropriate level. The students see her as approachable and they are happy to come to her for support. Her colleague, Paul Preece states that, "Sarah has a good understanding of the science curriculum and she sees things more from a student's perspective, which is an advantage to the students." He goes onto say that, "All the little things that you would like to do with the students can be taken on by Sarah, who has the specialist knowledge."

Training and development undertaken

Sarah started at Camborne Science and Community College in 2003 and had fully intended doing the Graduate Teacher Training Programme for initial teacher training. However, she has enjoyed her role so much that she has put this idea to one side for the moment. Sarah's degree in Coastal Zones and Marine Environment Studies has played a large part in her subject specific knowledge, but she has recognised the need to keep up to date and strengthen her knowledge in science. Sarah has accessed enhanced subject training in science, made available to her from the Training and Development Agency (TDA) grant through the HLTA mathematics and science programme. The areas that she has covered in this training are both subject specialist in nature, such as progression for learning and information technology, as well as generic skills, such as behaviour for learning and developing resources. Whilst undertaking this training the college provided Sarah with a mentor who she could work with her to fill any gaps in her subject knowledge and understanding, which had been identified through the subject audit carried out at the start of the HLTA mathematics and science programme.