A teacher’s perspective on IRIS:
Little effort, big impact
Sam Wright, an early career teacher at the City of London Academy Highgate Hill in Islington, joined IRIS in 2023. He describes his experience of introducing his students to authentic research as easy. With just a little organising, he has enabled his pupils to take on IRIS research projects independently.
“They just want to get on with it. I think if you try and take too much control, they’ll think it’s too slow and will be pestering you for the next set of exercises.”
Sam’s school uses IRIS projects as part of its afterschool intervention for top science students striving for high marks in their GCSEs. The school alternates between having students practice for exams one week and progress their IRIS research projects the next.
“IRIS helps to get across to students that science is a process, something they undertake, rather than just a load of facts that they learn.
Schools that join IRIS have access to a host of online materials, which provide all the background reading and steps students need to complete each research project. IRIS projects and support are free to UK secondary schools, sixth forms and colleges.
