Project Qualifications in Science

The Project Skills programme provides the ideal pathway for students to achieve Higher Project Qualifications (HPQ) in science. Rather than leaving teachers to navigate project-based assessment alone, Project Skills offers structured support that makes HPQ both achievable and rewarding for science departments.

HPQ can transform how students experience science while providing formal recognition for their investigative work. Unlike traditional science assessments that test memorized content, HPQ rewards the thinking skills, independence, and curiosity involved scientific enquiry – which Project Skills develops systematically. These are also the capabilities students need for success in A-levels, university and future STEM careers.

Why HPQ Works for Science

Real Scientific Process: HPQ mirrors how professional scientists work – identifying questions, designing investigations, analyzing results, and communicating findings. Students experience authentic research rather than following prescribed practicals.

Curriculum Integration: HPQ fulfills investigation requirements within your existing scheme of work while providing students with a nationally recognized qualification worth half a GCSE.

Student Engagement: Research consistently shows that project-based learning increases student interest in science. HPQ gives students ownership over their learning, often rekindling enthusiasm in those who find traditional science lessons uninspiring.

Future Preparation: Many universities value HPQ as evidence of independent learning capability. For students considering science A-levels, HPQ demonstrates exactly the kind of thinking skills they'll need for success.

What students actually do

HPQ follows a structured but flexible process that aligns perfectly with scientific methodology:

• Select a scientific topic that genuinely interests them
• Develop a focused research question through background reading
• Plan their investigation including methodology and risk assessment
• Conduct primary research through experiments, surveys, or fieldwork
• Analyze and interpret their findings using appropriate scientific techniques
• Produce a scientific report (2,000-2,500 words) or design solution with shorter report (up to 1,250 words)
• Reflect on their learning and evaluate their project's success

Students can either pursue a topic of their own choice or select one of our existing project briefs. These provide structured starting points with compelling contexts – like investigating which straw materials are truly better for the environment following plastic straw bans, or designing solutions for real-world engineering challenges. Each brief offers sufficient scaffolding for students' first major investigation while maintaining the authentic decision-making that HPQ requires >See Project support

HPQ assessment

HPQ uses only teacher assessment with clear marking criteria – there's no external exam. Students are assessed against four Assessment Objectives (AOs), with two Awarding Bodies offering similar specifications: AQA and Edexcel. If you're not tied to one of these, we recommend AQA's specification as their criteria and guidance for science investigations are more explicit. The four Assessment Objectives are:

• AO1 Project Management: Can they plan, organize, and complete their investigation systematically?
• AO2 Use of Resources: Do they find reliable sources and use them effectively with critical evaluation?
• AO3 Development and Realization: Can they conduct investigations and analyze results appropriately?
• AO4 Review and Evaluation: Do they evaluate their work critically and identify meaningful improvements?

HPQ assessment focuses on process as much as outcome – students can achieve high grades even if their experiments don't work as expected, provided they demonstrate critical evaluation of what went wrong and suggest realistic improvements. This approach rewards scientific thinking over perfect results.

Practical Implementation

Time: HPQ officially suggests 60 guided learning hours, but this can be substantially reduced as many requirements can be integrate with your existing investigation skills lessons.

Equipment: Most HPQ science projects, including our project briefs use standard laboratory equipment, or cheap consumables.

Support: Students need guidance, not full independence. You provide scaffolding through regular check-ins, methodology discussions, and feedback on drafts – similar to supporting any major piece of coursework.

Flexibility: HPQ can run across a term, academic year, or even span year groups depending on what works for your school's timetable.

How Project Skills supports HPQ

Our programme provides everything needed for successful HPQ implementation:

• Skills development lessons that teach investigation techniques progressively
• Project briefs offering structured support for students' first major investigations
• Assessment guidance and exemplar materials
• Professional development for staff new to project qualifications