Royal Institution of Great Britain
Inspiring schools with science
The Royal Institution (Ri) has been helping people to discover science for more than 200 years. The Ri Science in Schools (SiS) programme aims to improve science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education and to promote STEM careers by supporting children, their teachers and families. During a SiS day, Ri professional presenters deliver two shows for students, a continuing professional development (CPD) session for teachers and a community show for families.
We are delighted to support the Ri once again, this time with a grant of £97,730 for the Science in Schools programme. This will fund SiS for 110 London schools in areas of disadvantage and reach as many as 33,000 people. It will also fund the translation of materials for audiences with English as an additional language.
- In 2022 Ri visited 253 schools and engaged 75,900 students.
- 89% of teachers said the way they use hands-on science to engage students has changed since attending a 2022 SiS CPD session.
- 65% of teachers reported that parents’ and guardians’ attitudes towards STEM subjects had become more positive following SiS shows.
Support for science at every stage
Schools choose the Ri SiS day that fits their needs; student shows cover either biology, chemistry or physics and can be tailored for ages four to seven, seven to 11 or 11 to 14. The shows deepen children’s understanding of science, improve their engagement with STEM topics in school and inspire them to consider STEM careers.
SiS CPD sessions build teachers’ confidence to inspire children with practical science in fun ways, including ways experiments can be modified to suit additional needs in the classroom. And it works – 73% of teachers reported that their team’s confidence and creativity in using demonstrations had increased after the CPD. The community show demonstrates science experiments that families can try at home and support their children’s science learning outside the classroom.
For more information on our previous grants with the Ri, click here.
“Science in Schools shows help us to achieve our aim of inspiring children and young people from all backgrounds to engage with and be inspired by science. We are working to meet the recent increase in demand from schools in disadvantaged areas for fully funded shows to help children build a lifelong understanding of science and for teachers and parents to understand the importance of science and its place in our lives.”
More Success Stories
Royal Institution of Great Britain
The Science Museum
