Mike Jackson, Subject Advisor

The theme of British Science Week 2026 is Curiosity: What’s your question? One way of encouraging curiosity and research in students is through a science fair. The phrase may suggest tables of model robots and volcanoes but in practice it means students carrying out research to answer their own question.

In my previous school we set up and ran a science fair every year. I loved to see the range of questions raised and how motivated the students became. Plus they developed a real understanding of how to conduct research.

In this blog I’ll offer tips for running a school science fair and suggest how you could link it to GCSE and post-16 qualifications.

Planning and running science fairs

Teachers will need to plan and scaffold lessons carefully so students can make progress in each lesson and complete a successful science fair project.

There are lots of resources online to support both teachers and students. Science fairs are popular in the United States, and many resources can be easily adapted to use in the UK. The Sciencebuddies.org website includes a detailed guide to following the scientific method, as well as examples of questions.

Our Cambridge Advanced National (AAQ) in Applied Science includes Unit F182, “Investigating Science”. In this unit students develop their own question then research, plan and risk assess their investigation before safely undertaking practical tasks. The scheme of work and other supporting resources may also be useful, with suitable adaptation.

The following table is a suggested approach to lessons. A gap between lessons 1 and 2 will give students time to consider and finalise their questions before starting their research. Timings and number of lessons can vary.

Top tips for success

• The question doesn’t need to link directly to the science curriculum. Encourage students to ask any safe question, but be aware they may need help turning it into something that can be researched.
• Have clear safety rules, and make sure that students check with you before researching. Topics involving living things, electronics or plants (such as fungi) are examples of where guidelines are needed. CLEAPSS will be the key source of health and safety support for member schools. Always review and follow your school’s policies.
• Group work can sometimes prevent students developing their own area of curiosity and from fully participating in the process. Also they may miss out on feeling the satisfaction of completing work themselves.
• Focusing on the same task in each lesson can help provide the pace and structure needed. However this depends on your students’ independence and prior learning. Having students at very varied stages may be hard to manage: it may be more appropriate to have levels of challenge within each section.
• You may want to encourage safe research outside the classroom. It might not be practical to have 30 different chemistry experiments happening in the same lab!
• Presenting findings can be exciting but think about how much lesson time this should take. Students could use cardboard boxes to make displays but sourcing and disposing of cardboard can be an issue. A written report and a promotional poster can be a good alternative, but perhaps less exciting.
• CREST awards offer great research opportunities with supporting resources at all levels.
• Families may be keen to support. Consider whether this is a good way to celebrate students’ achievements more widely.
• Consider use of self and peer assessment, as well as in-lesson assessment. This can help reduce the marking burden.
• If you plan to use shared spaces, discuss with your premises team and other teachers to make sure you have the right access, setup and support for preparation and tidy up.

A note on artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be used positively in this type of research. There is an opportunity for students to develop important skills in using AI responsibly and to learn how to reference AI-supported research correctly. Students can be encouraged to see AI as a practical tool, for example using it to develop graphs as an alternative to Excel.

Remember, as with plagiarism, teacher supervision is the most effective way to prevent AI misuse.

Links to GCSEs

The development of questioning and research skills links closely to Working Scientifically (WS) in Gateway science specifications and Topic 7 - Ideas about Science (IaS) in Twenty First Century science qualifications.

Examiner reports show that some students struggle with deeper understanding of investigative skills. The chance to develop these skills could help to support understanding for exams as well as for the practical activities themselves. Our recently developed Purposeful Practicals resources include teacher support for questioning for understanding. This may be particularly useful for non-specialists and early career teachers.

Our GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition includes a Non-Examined Assessment (NEA) task (02 or 03) each year in which students investigate and evaluate an understanding of the working characteristics, functional and chemical properties of ingredients and ingredient groups. They use the findings of that investigation to achieve a particular result with respect to the preparation and cooking of food. Investigating food may be popular with some students and this offers an opportunity for cross-curricular collaboration.

Links to post-16 qualifications

As well as our Cambridge Advanced National in Applied Science mentioned earlier, the A Level science practical endorsement includes many of the skills students need for answering a research question. These include using investigative approaches and both offline and online research skills.

Our suggested Practical Activity Group (PAG) 12 focuses on bringing skills together into a research activity. Developing these skills earlier may help students to demonstrate these competencies and to apply them in exams.

Summary

Used carefully, science fairs can be of great benefit:

• They help students to see the relevance of the science skills they develop in the classroom and lab.
• They can result in better motivated and enthusiastic students, with research based on their own interests.
• They can support the development of key skills that are important later on in practical work, research and exams.
• They are a great chance to involve the wider school community, including families.

The key is to structure and support projects appropriately to match the learning stage and needs of your students.

Stay connected

Subject advisors are here to support you, so please let us know if you have any questions, or if you would like a chat to consider or support changing to Cambridge OCR. We also welcome ongoing feedback from centres.

Share your thoughts in the comments below. If you have any questions, you can email us at science@ocr.org.uk or call us on 01223 553998. We each have a Teams booking page which you can use to set up a virtual meeting with us too.

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About the author

Mike joined Cambridge OCR in January 2024 and is a subject advisor for A Level Physics. Mike completed an MA in Education at the University of Birmingham in 2014. Before joining Cambridge OCR, he was a teacher for over 15 years, with roles included Acting Assistant Head, Head of Science, Physics Network Lead for a trust, a STEM Learning Facilitator and an SLE for Science. Mike is passionate about inclusion in education, environment and sustainability.

• British Science Week 2025 – change and adapt: the cars of the future
• British Science Week 2024: how can the theme of “Time” be related to GCSE and A Level sciences?
• Delivering the mandatory Investigating Science unit in our AAQ Cambridge Advanced National in Applied Science