By Mrs Inkson (Head of Year 6)

Over the past two weeks, Year 6 have been investigating how medicine has changed throughout history. Following their exciting trip to the Science Museum, where they photographed fascinating exhibits, the girls learned how to place these discoveries accurately on a timeline. This was a challenging task, as many significant events occurred close together, requiring careful spacing and attention to detail.

Building on this, they explored how specific medical inventions have evolved over time for example, the stethoscope and discussed what these changes reveal about progress in healthcare. This week, their inquiry shifted to investigating periods of rapid medical advancement. Using their timeline skills again, the girls identified these periods and then tried to find common factors that caused the rapid changes. They discovered that wars and pandemics were major catalysts for innovation and came up with reasons as to why this might be..

To complement their recent English lessons where they studied World War I poetry, the year group researched the many amazing medical developments from that period, including the introduction of triage for patient care and the beginnings of plastic surgery. These connections helped them appreciate how necessity and crisis often accelerate progress, shaping the medical practices we rely on today.

Looking ahead, Year 6 will continue to explore the significance of medical discoveries and their impact on both society and the environment.