Primary Workshops
All eighteen of our workshops are practical, exciting and inspiring.
"Many thanks for coming in to our school and making the day so enjoyable for everyone – your workshops really were the talk of the school (amongst the children and staff) and would definitely recommend your workshops to others in the future and hopefully ask you back in the future too."
Vikki Freezer, Mora Primary School, London
Booking information can be found below the workshop details.
Contact us at email@spherescience.co.uk or click here to complete our online form.
Click here for a list of all our primary workshops. Each one has the overall aim to “develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science; to answer scientific questions about the world around” and cover the teaching of “practical scientific methods, processes and skills."
We have workshops with specific environmental themes marked § below and we can often adapt sessions to reflect environmental and other class topics.
In many schools, we have supported their science week by providing a range of our workshops.
We can offer many of our exciting practical workshops remotely in your classrooms. We will lead the activity safely by video-conferencing (a webcam will be needed) and send the materials to you ahead of time. We can be very flexible about timing and numbers. The cost will depend on the number of children taking part, the number of sessions and the workshop chosen; requests will be costed individually. The school can keep all the materials we provide for their own science lessons.
Foundation
Story
Key Stage 1
Candles Electricity
Carousel Materials and Magnets Story
Key Stage 2
Air Candles Light Space
Boats Citrus Paper-making Story
Air
A set of contrasting movement investigations about air resistance including making gyrocopters, hoopsters and kites.
* Age: Y5/Y6 * Time: 90 minutes * Space: hall
"Good progression of investigative skills/ideas. Good discussion of variable/constant. Reinforced good practice in fair testing."
Boats
A sequence of short investigations about water resistance using different materials to make and test boats and rafts.
* Age: Y3/Y4, Y5/Y6 * Time: 90 minutes * Space: classroom with sink
Candles
“There is no more open door by which you can enter the study of science than by considering the physical phenomena of a candle”
Michael Faraday
An exciting interactive discussion about the origins and properties of waxes, changes of state and non-reversible changes. Time and content vary with age group.
* Age: N, R, Y1/Y2, Y3/Y4, Y5/Y6 * Time: 75 minutes
* Space: classroom or hall with electrical point
"Covered hundreds of learning objectives! I couldn't possibly ask the children what they had learnt because there was so much!"
Carousel
Five investigations into materials and forces, themed around a circus.
* Age: Y1/Y2 * Time: 75 minutes * Space: hall
"Excellent range of fun activities that children could understand and enjoy, staying on task throughout. Promoted team work and thinking."
Citrus
Can pupils test accurately, fairly and process results? An investigation into how much Vitamin C (relatively) is found in different fruits.
* Age: Y5/Y6 * Time: 75 minutes * Space: classroom with sink
"The children have never been so enthusiastic about science. Very well taught, organised, resourced and differentiated."
Electricity
A sequence of engaging electrical investigations to discover more about circuits and their components. This is easily differentiated for different ages and experiences. Solar cells are used with older children.
* Age: Y3/Y4, Y5/Y6 * Time: 90 minutes * Space: classroom + outside
"Highly organised, well-resourced and, with a wide range of activities, children were expected to discover rather than being spoon-fed."
Fizz!
Pupils use litmus to identify acids, and design a fair test to investigate how temperature affects an acid/carbonate reaction.
* Age: Y5/Y6 * Time: 90 minutes * Space: classroom with sink
Light
Five short investigations about reflection, casting shadows, how shadows change during the day and the composition of white light.
* Age: Y3/Y4 * Time: 60 minutes * Space: hall or large classroom
Paper-making
Pupils discuss recycling in general and use old sugar paper to produce new paper.
* Age: Y3/Y4, Y5/Y6 * Time: 90 minutes * Space: classroom with sink
“The kids loved this and want to do it again – we will!”
Rollers
How does the energy from an elastic band power a small toy? How does friction impede it?
Pupils make and keep their own rollers, investigating the variables affecting how far and fast they go.
* Age: Y3/Y4, Y5/Y6 * Time: 75 minutes * Space: hall or large classroom
"Practical, hands on, requiring skills such as measuring, decision making, precision and safe use of equipment."
Separating
This is about combining and separating mixtures of solids, liquids and gases. The workshop ends with an explosive finalé.
* Age: Y5/Y6 * Time: 60 minutes * Space: classroom with sink
Space
A set of activities about phases of the moon, the solar system, stars and shadows. Pupils also use and evaluate scientific models.
* Age: Y5/Y6 * Time: 90 minutes * Space: hall
"There was a fun element to the workshop and I am particularly looking forward to using the umbragraph next time the topic is being taught."
Story
A series of accessible investigations, linked to a picture book, including making trucks, using scientific snow and sand, and investigating rafts. Parents and carers can be invited to take part.
* Age: N/R/Y1 and Y5/Y6 * Time: 60 minutes * Space: hall
"Excellent workshop. The activities engaged all the children and were quick and easy to do. The activities stimulated lots of good discussions among the children. They enjoyed working with the Year 5 pupils and are keen to take all their things home."
Wind
Pupils designing a model wind turbine and investigating variables to improve its efficiency.
* Age: Y5/Y6 * Time: 90 minutes * Space: hall
"The children really enjoyed making wind turbines. The content was first class and fitted in well with the science topic on electricity."
Information
Booking
As our workshop programme is very popular, the more lead-time and choice of date you can offer us the better. All our workshops are designed specifically to develop pupil skills in thinking and working scientifically. Notes are provided as support for teachers to follow up the workshops in class and we hope that they will use the ideas in their own teaching.
Some of the workshops need extra support - either adults or pupil helpers. Pupil helpers will have an opportunity to develop science communication skills so the pupils selected to help need to be alert, fairly competent and likely to benefit from taking part.
Three workshop sessions will usually fit into a school day. Workshops are designed for a class of about 30 children with their class teacher although variations are possible. For example, with some combinations of workshops, it can be possible to fit four into one day. With some workshops we can see two classes at a time. There is also the possibility of fitting in seven or more workshop sessions where the staff teach alongside us. Please feel free to discuss these options with your Workshop Leader.
Our standard terms and conditions, including safety aspects, can be found here.
Costs
Please enquire for details.
There are organisations offering grants to support science activities in schools - click here for more details.
Curriculum
All our workshops have the overall aim to “develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science; to answer scientific questions about the world around” and cover the teaching of “practical scientific methods, processes and skills." If your class is studying a specific topic, we will do our best to ensure the workshop relates to it.
Click below for a list of workshops and how they link to:
English Curriculum
IPC Curriculum
Scottish Curriculum
Welsh Curriculum