We’re committed to supporting and improving practical science in schools and colleges.
Practical work is at the heart of science education. It helps students to gain:
Teachers must have the skills, confidence and resources to deliver high-quality practical work, as well as enough time and support to prioritise it.
Since 2013, there have been changes to the way practical science is assessed at GCSE and A level. To help us explore the best way to assess practical science skills we are:
We’re supporting the Institute for Research in Schools(opens in a new tab), so that more school children have the opportunity to do authentic independent research projects.
In April 2016 we published a rapid evidence review of the value of student-led independent research projects [PDF 873KB]. We also published our reflections on the review [PDF 2.08MB], highlighting the key findings and possible next steps.
We’re continuing to explore the impact of independent research projects on students’ attitudes towards and understanding of science.
We’ve developed a number of resources for students interested in carrying out independent research projects, including the Extended Project Qualification. These are available on the Big Picture website(opens in a new tab).