I love teaching Sam. He's a kind, happy 15 year-old boy who,
despite his intellectual limitations, remains largely cheerful.
This triumph of character should be acknowledged. His school day
is an almost constant cognitive struggle, yet he can laugh and
smile and treat those around him with the sort of respect that
is not often associated with boys of his age. He is also a
source of considerable mirth. Recently I asked him to design a
leaflet to describe energy transfers in the home. A look of
pained consideration came over his face—not surprising as energy
is one of the more abstract concepts in physics. "Sir," he asked
eventually, "what's a leaflet?" Sam is not unusual, so it is
unsurprising that he struggles to cope with learning about
energy, regardless of his experience of leaflets. If Sam were to
sit an exam it is likely that he would only be able to recall
basic facts. However, Sam is lucky. He is doing the BTec Applied
Science course, which does not have exams. This is an important
point. To pass, Sam