Science in schools shows

Science shapes our everyday lives and the world around us. At the Ri we are encouraging everyone to develop a lifelong journey with science, and we believe that begins best with children and young people.

We are the largest national provider of school science shows in the UK and have a 200 year pedigree of public engagement. A bespoke Science in Schools package from the world famous Royal Institution:

• Adds to the curriculum and enhances science education, through two performances of your chosen science show for students
• Helps build teaching skills and meets mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) requirements, through training for your teachers
• Generates support for science in the home and has fundraising potential for PTAs, through an evening show for families.

For primary school pupils our shows inspire a sense of wonder and excitement with science; for secondary they sustain or re-energise a passion that may have waned. For all they create an opening to the possibilities of science, that skilled teachers can exploit for the children’s benefit.  

Our professional Science in Schools presenters tell us that when they enter a packed school hall, you can sense the children’s excitement and anticipation. It’s a break from the normal routine and a chance to enjoy a fun and explosive introduction to the power of science. It’s not every day they see ‘the man or woman from the Ri’ blow things up in the school hall.

For your school, you can choose one or two different shows, with the highlights combined in an evening show for families and the wider community:

Energy Live!

Join us on an exciting journey through the stores of energy that surround us. From elastic to gravitational, kinetic to chemical, see some fiery and explosive demonstrations of what energy is and how it affects our lives.

Explosive food

See food in a new light. Find out about the incredible amount of energy contained in the food that goes in your mouth in this show packed with exciting chemistry and physics demonstrations. This show can be tailored to suit primary or secondary school audiences.

Feel the power

Learn how electricity works and take part in some of the earliest historical demonstrations of how its power is harnessed, developed by two of the Ri’s most famous scientists – Michael Faraday and Humphry Davy. This electrifying show ranges from explanations of static electricity to the modern day use of generators and how magnetism and electricity work together. 

All of our shows are jam packed with experiments, explosions and hands-on participation by the children. They’re available for the same price anywhere in the UK and can be tailored to suit primary or secondary school audiences.

A community show in the evening for friends and family is a great opportunity to engage parents in their children’s science education.

We know that support for science in the home is a strong factor in children continuing with science in the later stages of school. A community show can be a repeat of the show seen by children during the day or a mix of our two show options.

Many schools or PTAs charge a small admission to the evening community show for parents, covering costs and even making a surplus to spend on other things the school needs.

We know that many who have to teach science, do not have a background in science themselves, and often don’t feel comfortable ‘bringing the textbook to life’ as they would do with more familiar subjects. A CPD session with one of our professional presenters can help build the skills and confidence to inspire children with practical science in fun, engaging and simple ways.

Using examples from our ExpeRimental video series, teachers will be shown how to bring the ideas of Play, Look, and Ask into your classroom. Focusing on presentation tips, investigation of ideas, and interactive demonstrations, this session aims to get any teacher not just confident, but excited about bringing science to life in the classroom.

Each session is for up to 15 teachers, is one hour long, and can be done in any available classroom or school lab. 

Price for 2 performances of your chosen show for students, 1 CPD session and 1 community show: £800+VAT

Contact schools@ri.ac.uk for more information, to book a visit from one of our presenters, or to discuss a bespoke package of shows for your school.