The Summer Science Exhibition is the Royal Society’s flagship public engagement event, showcasing annually some of the UK’s leading and influential research. It is part of the Society's goal to inspire interest in the joy, wonder, and excitement of scientific discovery and provides an opportunity for the public and school groups to meet and question scientists about the cutting-edge research they are undertaking and demonstrating.

SCHOOLS DAY:

UK school groups at Key Stage 2 + 3 level can book to visit the Exhibition on Tuesday 1 July for a unique Schools Day.

PLEASE NOTE: if you want to book a group for this Schools Day but there are not enough spaces left, please email us at education@royalsociety.org as we are currently looking to see if we can increase capacity.

WHAT DOES THE SCHOOLS DAY OFFER?

The booking process allows us to ensure there is space in the venue to accommodate large school groups. Booking opens on 1 April and will close in June, or earlier if fully booked.

Visiting school groups will be able to take part in the whole of the Exhibition as well as a special activity area for younger students. Students will get the opportunity to talk with the researchers at 13 flagship exhibit stands to find out more about new and innovative research they are undertaking and their career pathways. On the Schools Day exhibitors will be primed to be able to communicate their advanced research to younger age students and there will be a special activity area with additional researchers and STEM communication professionals where students can sit and undertake short activities while chatting and finding out about key skills.

All booked groups MUST be chaperoned on site by school staff. While the general public will not be at the Exhibition on this day, members of the press, Royal Society staff, volunteers and Exhibitors will be on-site, so it is important that young students are supported by school staff while exploring the Exhibition.

Please note: this opportunity is only open to registered schools in the UK to facilitate large groups being able to attend. It is not available for Home Educators or other youth groups, who are able to attend as members of the public during general opening times, including the family weekend.

WHAT ARE THE BOOKING OPTIONS?

There is only one booking slot available on the Tuesday of the Exhibition: 11am - 4pm. This is to allow schools enough time to explore the Exhibition but also helps us ensure we have space on-site for large school groups as the Royal Society's building has limited capacity.

Please note: while the booking slot goes through to 4pm, if you need to leave earlier to get back to school, you are very welcome to do so. It you need to arrive later than 11am, please do let us know when you book so we know when to expect your group.

School groups will need to bring a packed lunch with them, but they will be scheduled some time in our sunny Marquee to be able to sit and eat. Please note: due to space there is no bag drop or cloakroom available, so please ensure students bring the minimum bags and jackets etc with them as they will need to carry them around the site.

Schools can book a single slot for a group of up to 30 (this is the number of students in your group, we presume you will bring at least 1 chaperoning adult with each group).

Booking opened in early April and will close when all the slots have been taken, but no later than 20 June 2025.

Please ensure that if you are no longer able to visit or need to reduce the size of the group you are bringing, that you cancel your booking or reduce the size of your group promptly to allow other schools the opportunity.

CONTACT:

If you have any questions about schools booking, please read the FAQ below or contact the Schools Engagement team: education@royalsociety.org

FAQs

If we are coming to the Exhibition for the Schools Day, do we need to book?

Yes. The Exhibition will be closed to the public on Tuesday 1 July, so you will need to book to be able to be let in. It is really important to book in advance to ensure there is space on-site for your group, and so that groups can be provided with guidance and a venue risk assessment in advance. We ask schools to book in their group using this Eventbrite form. Please note, the Royal Society buildings have capacity restrictions. Booking will close by the 20 June or earlier if fully booked.

Are there any age requirements to enter the Exhibition?

The Schools Day is aimed at groups of students aged 11-14 yrs and there will be special activities taking place to enable these younger ages to explore the Exhibition content more easily.

We also have general schools booking, which allows groups of secondary level aged students (specifically at GCSE and A-Level or equivalent) to visit the Exhibition on the Wednesday to Friday along with the public. This is booked via a separate Eventbrite form.

All students, no matter how old, should be accompanied by school or college staff.

Can I book more than one group to attend the Exhibition?

No. In order to allow as many schools as possible to visit, we are only allowing one group to book from each school to start with. In the event of multiple bookings being made, only the first session booked will be retained and Royal Society staff will reserve the right to delete all other sessions booked and email you to let you know. You can, however, tick a box in the booking form to let us know if you would be keen to bring an additional group and, if any places are still available closer towards the event, we will let all interested teachers know. Please note that additional slots cannot be guaranteed.

Can I bring more than two staff members?

It is up to you how many staff you bring to look after your group, all we ask is that you let us know the rough number for capacity purposes in the form. Chaperone numbers for the group should be in line with your school or college safeguarding requirements.

Will there be any special talks or activities for schools on offer?

For the Schools Day there will be specific activities on offer, as well as additional support from volunteers to make your visit as smooth as possible. These will be aimed at enabling younger students to be able to better access the Exhibition content in a hands-on way.

Please note: the exhibition on this day will not be open to the public, however staff, press and Exhibitors will be on site, so teachers must ensure they are responsible for their students, especially within closed rooms such as those where activities may take place.

Will my students be photographed?

The Exhibition may have some official, press or personal photographers present. If you or any of your students do not wish to be photographed you must collect a ‘no photography’ sticker from the main entrance on arrival. It is the responsibility of the lead teacher to ensure these stickers are requested on arrival and prominently / easily visible on the students at all times. We cannot control photos taken for personal use.

If there is a concern about any individual student being caught on film or in a photo, it is suggested that they are not brought to the Exhibition as panning shots of the show floor may capture people from a distance if stickers are not visible.

What times does the Exhibition open and close during the week?

The School Day opening hours are:

Tuesday 1 July:11am - 4pm

What can I bring into the event?

This event is very busy; therefore students are advised to bring as little as possible i.e. no bulky bags. Please also ensure they do not have any sharp items in their bags (compasses, scissors etc) as these will need to be taken by security and may delay your entry into the Exhibition. Due to space, there will be no cloakroom or bag drop available.

Please ensure you bring a packed lunch with you to the venue, and we will schedule in a time for you to eat your lunch in our Marquee. Please also note that it can get very warm in the Exhibition and students are advised not to bring bulky coats. Water fountains will be available on site.

Will you provide a risk assessment for the exhibition?

The Exhibition is open to the public for most of the week, and all information will be available from the main website. A venue risk assessment will be sent via email in early June to the booking contact. We cannot send it earlier than this.

Do I have to bring my printed tickets to the event?

Please bring your booking confirmation email with you, just in case there is any issue with our records, but you do not need to print individual tickets.

What are my transport/parking options for getting to and from the event?

Please be aware there is no parking at the Royal Society due to its location in central London, and we recommend travelling by public transport, where possible. Coaches and minibuses can drop off and collect outside the venue, but alternative parking will need to be found. More information about transport can be found here.

Can I update my registration information?

Yes, you should be able to access your information and update it prior to the event. If you have any problems with this, please contact the Royal Society's Schools Engagement team via education@royalsociety.org.

Is my ticket transferrable to another day?

No, the Schools Day will only run on Tuesday 1 July. If you cannot make this day you should cancel your tickets to open up those spaces for another school.

If your students are secondary age (11yrs+) then you might wish to book your group to attend as members of the public along with other schools on the Wednesday to Friday as part of general Schools booking. Please note that on these days there is no special schools programme. You can access general schools booking via this Eventbrite form.

Is it OK if the name on my ticket or registration doesn't match the person who attends?

You will be able to update the details of the teachers attending via Eventbrite after booking. Please make sure the Schools Engagement team have a contact name and mobile number for the member of staff attending on the day. This mobile number needs to be a number the lead teacher can be reached on in case of an emergency or unexpected cancellation of the event.

How will my data be used?

We will contact you only with respect to this event (with further details, joining instructions and evaluation information) and if you would like to know about future Exhibitions. We may also contact you regarding other education opportunities run by the Royal Society. If you have any concerns please read our privacy statement here.

SCHOOLS Day: Tuesday 1 July 2025