Practically minded

Practical work isn't just about equipping pupils with manual dexterity skills, it is a tried and tested method for actively engaging pupils with meaningful discovery and deep learning. As far back as the early 1900s, educationalists have assigned science a special status in the school curriculum because they have recognised that scientific investigation is conducive to learning how to think rationally.  

More recent research has confirmed that pupils not only enjoy doing practical work but they are motivated to learning science post-16 if their experience of practical work is positive. My ideal science lessons are practically orientated. But do the latest changes to the Key Stage 3 science curriculum in England fit with this ethos?