Science Clubs provide a stimulating environment in which children can extend their knowledge and interest.

A successful club can:

• motivate and encourage pupils of all ages and abilities

• develop problem-solving skills

• build confidence

• stretch gifted and talented pupils

• encourage links between schools and industry

• help to bridge the gap between primary and secondary

Schools can run Science Clubs at the end of the school day, at lunchtimes or during Golden time. Activities vary from individual experiments to on going projects.

Materials to support these clubs can come from a range of sources for example:

• Young People's Programme - First Investigators (5-8) Young Investigator awards (8 –13). The awards are at 3 levels, bronze, silver and gold. For the bronze award pupils have to complete 10 experiments from suggested activities. At the silver level pupils select their own project for investigation, individually or in small groups. For gold a longer project is undertaken.

• B.P. Education

• Crest Awards

• K’nex challenge

• Royal Society of Chemistry

Some secondary science departments run clubs for their cluster Primaries and some are run in conjunction with out of school care clubs.