St Margaret's RC Primary, Cowie

The teacher and children were very positive about the project. They preferred the greater element of flexibility and choice in developing the investigation as they wanted. As the children were more fully involved in directing and making decisions throughout the process, there was greater scope for personalisation and choice and they remained highly motivated and engaged throughout the task.  One child described their experience as 'being addicted to learning'.

The main benefits identified were:

• children were able to transfer learning and make connections across three main curriculum areas (see planning document)
• the final presentation provided a context for celebrating personal achievement and motivation to produce high quality work and meet deadlines
• the mystery context facilitated relevance, depth and challenge and enjoyment.
• confidence in literacy improved
• pupils recognised the benefits of working collaboratively
• parents were actively involved in the task and enjoyed being part of their children’s learning
• the collaborative emphasis encouraged all pupils to produce work of a much higher quality than before
• children had to think both critically and creatively.