The Royal Institution has today opened applications for UK registered state schools to receive a free day of science led by one of the Ri’s professional science presenters, thanks to the generous contribution of its supporters.
The Ri’s Science in Schools Programme supports teachers to deliver the science education curriculum through interactive, demonstration-based explorations of science topics ranging from explosive food to energy live. Each schools day includes two inspirational shows for students, continuous professional development training for science teachers, and an evening show to engage the wider community in supporting science education in the home.
Thanks to generous support from AstraZeneca, Bain Capital Children’s Fund Europe, Google, and The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, among others, the Ri is able to offer free visits to schools in the most deprived parts of the UK, for students who benefit from additional support and opportunities to engage with science.
In the 2023-24 academic year, the Ri delivered 330 free science days for UK schools, with 96% of teachers reporting that students' knowledge and understanding of the specific topic had increased, and 94% reporting that attitudes towards science had become more positive.
And through its new £20m ‘Be the Spark’ fundraising campaign launched last week, the Ri aims to increase the number of students benefitting from this invaluable additional support for their science education, to 200,000 students a year by 2028.
Katherine Mathieson, Director of the Royal Institution, said: “Our Science in Schools days are a golden opportunity for teachers to spark a passion for science at an early age, or to reignite and sustain the same in older students.
“And through the days we are able to offer for free – for which demand is increasing every year – as a charity we are able tackle the preventable barriers to opportunities to access and enjoy science.”
Of the 330 free Science in Schools days delivered by the Ri last year, 80% were in the top 40% of the most deprived areas of the UK, according to the Index of Deprivation Affecting Children. However, the Ri received over 1000 applications for charitable support from schools, with no option but to decline two-thirds of them.
Applications for Ri Science in Schools open annually and offer free visits from our professional presenters worth £800. Applications for the 2025-26 academic year open from today (Tuesday 6 May) are invited from any state-funded primary or secondary school, academy, or maintained school anywhere in the UK.
Teachers applying will need to demonstrate that their students would not otherwise have access to this opportunity, while the Ri’s assessment process gives priority to disadvantaged schools, to ensure the Ri’s charitable support is given where it is needed most.
The application process for 2025-26 will close at 5pm on Friday 6 June.