British Science Week 2026 (March 6–15) was all about curiosity – asking questions and discovering new things! It encouraged children to explore, investigate, and see how science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) are part of everyday life. Science Week was celebrated through the Prep Department, with all classes engaging in activities focussed on curiosity.
Kindergarten explored change of state using chocolate. The children looked at it as a solid and used words to describe it – cold, hard, smooth. They then put it into the microwave and observed what happened to it as it was heated, using words to describe it in liquid form – warm, runny, gooey. “Waste not, want not” – the children used the melted chocolate to make delicious Rice Krispie cakes!
Reception class were chemists, biologists and physicists during Science week. They created their own magic potions by mixing bicarbonate, vinegar and food colouring. Then they used their observational skills to match parts of animal pictures back together and described their physical characteristics. Floating and sinking was next on the agenda with the children making predictions before testing their chosen object. The week then ended with a huge explosion as they added mentos to diet coke, with the teachers screaming much louder than the children!
Prep I began their learning journey by discovering what an ecosystem is and why it is so important for living things. The children talked about how plants, animals, and even tiny insects all work together and depend on each other to survive. To bring their learning to life, they explored the school grounds, carefully observing what they could find in our own ecosystem. The children were excited to spot different plants, bugs, and natural features, and they shared their ideas about how everything might be connected. It was a wonderful hands-on experience that helped them understand that ecosystems are all around us, even in places they see every day.
In Prep II, the children learnt all about the floating and sinking of different objects. The children made their own boats out of tin foil and then paper. They tested both of their boats by putting them into the water and placing marbles on the boats until they sank. One of the boats held over 90 marbles!
In Prep III, the children began by learning about farming and how farmers turn “fields into feasts,” helping to understand the journey our food makes from the countryside to our plates. Inspired by this, the children had great fun baking their bread. They carefully kneaded the dough until it became light, smooth, and stretchy, ready to rise. The smell of the bread was wonderful, and tasted delicious! The class also carried out exciting experiments. One activity involved mixing different liquids and observing how they separated into layers depending on their density, which was fascinating to watch. Another experiment was writing secret messages using lemon juice as invisible ink. When the paper is gently heated, the lemon juice darkens because the heat causes the natural sugars and acids to react and oxidise, revealing the hidden message. They also the children experimented with different liquids and observed what happened when they combined them in a bottle. They made predictions about the different liquids and learnt that they separated due to their density.
In Prep IV, children explored the question ‘What makes the best hankie when you have a cold?’ through a practical, hands-on investigation. They tested a range of different materials to see which was the most absorbent, carefully observing and comparing their results. This practical investigation helped develop their understanding of material properties while encouraging curiosity, discussion and scientific thinking.
In Prep V, children explored the question ‘What sort of vehicle would be best on the moon?’ by considering the unique challenges of the lunar environment. They examined different materials and wheel designs used on rovers, discussing what features would be most effective for travelling across the moon’s surface. This investigation helped children understand how different design choices can affect how well a vehicle performs in different conditions.
In Prep VI, children explored the question ‘How can I tell different black inks apart?’ through an engaging, hands-on investigation. Working in groups, children were given a mystery ransom note written in black ink. Using chromatography, they tested different black pens and worked together to work out which one was the ‘guilty’ pen. This investigation helped pupils build confidence in observing patterns, discussing their ideas and using evidence to reach a conclusion.
Overall, the children showed great enthusiasm and curiosity throughout their learning, asking thoughtful questions and exploring their ideas with confidence. They worked collaboratively to investigate and share their findings, demonstrating a strong understanding of how their learning connects to the world around them. To celebrate their achievements, children from each class presented their findings in a whole school assembly, proudly sharing what they had discovered with the wider school community.