Who should audit resources?
In some schools science resources are kept in areas that are inappropriate for children to be on their own because of safety issues. However in most school science resources can be organised in such a way that pupils can have easy access to them, and where this is the case, the science leader should delegate the task of looking after resources to pupils. One obvious reason for this approach is that teachers have enough to do without having to keep checking science resources, and, of course, it is an excellent way to develop children's personal capabilities such as independence, collaboration and responsibility.
Click on a photo below to reveal their role in suditing resources.
Teacher
The science leader has overall responsibility for science resources and where appropriate delegates the day to day checking of resources to pupils or an adult.
Child
The obvious choice for checking science resources are the children, in the classroom, when they are using the equipment during science lessons. Outside the classroom, the School Science Resource Monitors (a group of older children) have responsibility for central science resources.
Teaching assistant
In some schools teaching assistants have special responsibilities; this means that it is possible that a teaching assistant might have overall responsibility for maintaining science resources, this might be in collaboration with a group of pupils who are science monitors.
Parent
Where schools have willing parents several might agree to take on the responsibility for checking science resources on regular basis and reporting to the science leader, items that are missing, broken etc.
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