Sensational Science Partnerships

Throughout the Autumn and Spring terms, the Senior Division Science Department runs a series of ‘Sensational Science’ Workshops for primary schools within the local area.

The workshops are for Year 5 or 6 pupils and are designed to be fun, hands-on and inspirational in order to develop a love of science at a young age. Often, schools will book one workshop for Year 5 children and another for their Year 6 children.

The workshops are delivered by Senior Science staff alongside Sixth Form students studying A Level Science subjects.

The workshops can be taken ‘on the road’ and delivered in local primary schools, or children can visit King’s in order to experience a Senior School laboratory.

Aims

The aim of our partnership is for local primary school children to experience hands-on science experiments as they would in a Senior School and provide them with the opportunity to learn through kinaesthetic activities. Workshops typically last around 1 hour - 1hr 15 mins. Experiments are varied and tailored to the age of the children and the setting, but include activities such as using cornflour and water as an example of a non-Newtonian fluid, making and firing rockets, and making never-ending bouncy balls. 

Background

The partnerships have been running for more than 10 years.

Resources

The workshops are delivered at no cost to the primary schools.

Workshops are planned and delivered by the Head of Science, plus our science technicians and Sixth Form students.

Equipment and kits (e.g. rocket building kits) are funded by King's.

Pupil Involvement

Workshops are provided for Year 5 and/or Year 6 pupils.

King's Sixth Form pupils support the delivery of the workshops and act as inspirational older role models studying Science A Levels.  

Frequency

The workshops are delivered on each Wednesday afternoon throughout the Autumn and Spring terms, each academic year.

They have been running for more than 10 years.