Royal Institution Science Community Show

To celebrate Science Week, we invited Year 5 pupils from our Partnership Schools to attend a Science Show in our Senior School Hall, led by the Royal Institution. The eager students arrived with their adults for the evening session, and enjoyed the refreshments on offer, before taking their seats and waiting for the extravaganza to begin. And what a show it was! Through a variety of experiments, which required active audience participation, the pupils learnt about forces; who knew that once the pages of large catalogues were interlocked, they would be almost impossible to pull apart, due to the force of friction! The pupils watched in awe as wire wool was set alight and squealed in delight as rockets were launched into the air, whilst learning how and why it could all happen.

Both parents and pupils left delighted at having been offered the opportunity to attend such a wonderful learning experience together and there was much scientific talk amongst them all. It was wonderful to be able to host such an event and to enhance the learning experience of pupils from our partnership schools. 

Aims

The aim of this partnership was to be able to offer Year 5 pupils the experience of seeing science in action and to enhance their learning during Science Week. Both children and adults from the wider community were able to benefit from the show and there was much discussion about the experiments as the families left the hall. 

Background

Having booked the Royal Institution for a Key Stage 2 show earlier in the day, Year 5 pupils from our partnership schools were invited to a Community Show, held at 5.30pm in the Senior School Hall. This event had taken place last year, but this year, the invitation was extended to more schools, so was very well attended. 

Resources

The cost of the show was covered by us, so it was offered with no cost to our partnership schools, and was held in the Senior School Hall. Teaching staff were on hand to register the attendees, but it was led by the Royal Institution.

Impact

The impact is stronger relationships between our partnership schools and an opportunity for Year 5 pupils to experience a hands-on show and increase their knowledge of some aspects of science.

Pupil Involvement

The Community Show was very interactive, so pupils (and one parent!) were asked to participate in all of the experiments. 

Frequency

This is the second year which the show has run and to which partnership schools have been invited to.