science

2025 is a landmark year for Rode Heath, marking a decade since we first launched our Out of This World project—an unforgettable, space-themed adventure that united our entire school in discovery and innovation.

Out of the World

Back in 2015, every child, from Reception to Year 6, received their own Space Passport and embarked on a journey filled with awe-inspiring experiences. We sent a balloon into space; had access to an authentic Russian Sokol spacesuit, and even 3D-printed tools for astronauts aboard the ISS. One of our proudest moments, was a live 30-minute Google Hangout with Tim Peake, where the whole school gathered at Manchester Metropolitan University in Crewe to speak with him via ESA’s mission control in Germany.

Celebrating Space

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of this incredible project, we decided to bring space back to Rode Heath and reignite the passion, curiosity, and wonder that made Out of This World so special. That’s why we decided that this year’s Science Week would be entirely space-themed with all our curriculum subjects devoted to this engaging topic. This required some careful planning, but using ESERO’s Space Week booklet as a starting point, Miss Watson and I set to work. (https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/448002/how-plan-and-run-your-own-space-week)

The Dance Group led by Mrs Pecora created their own space dance

Bring the Universe into school

A highlight of the week was a visit from the Wonderdome Mobile Planetarium (https://wonderdome.co.uk/) a great resource that brought the wonders of the universe right into our school. Our presenter, Curtis, worked tirelessly throughout the day, delivering engaging, tailored sessions to each of our seven year groups. The Year 6 session, which explored the potential for life on other planets, was particularly relevant, as it tied in perfectly with our current science sessions on micro-organisms, helping to deepen and consolidate the children’s understanding.

For many pupils, this was their first experience inside a planetarium, and their excitement was unmistakable—their eyes wide with wonder as they journeyed through space in an immersive, 360-degree experience.

We started the week with a special assembly, reminiscing about some of the most unforgettable moments from our Out of This World project and unveiling the exciting plans ahead. A decade ago, we had built a strong connection with Tim Peake, and we dared to hope that, somehow, we might reach him again. If we could just get a message through, perhaps he’d record a short video to launch our celebrations.

After weeks of persistence, countless inquiries, and a fair bit of determination, we finally managed to get our request to him—and we were not disappointed. Despite his demanding schedule, Tim took the time to send us a personal message, inspiring a new generation of learners just as he had done ten years before.

On Friday, the entire school came together to celebrate the week’s achievements in a lively and colourful finale. The day had been designated a space-themed dress-up day, and the creativity on display was truly out of this world. From astronauts to aliens, rockets to planets, pupils and parents alike had embraced the spirit of the event with impressive enthusiasm.

A special mention should go to our Year 5 Space Ambassadors, who had worked tirelessly throughout the week, supporting each class in their space explorations. They decided to make their mark in a different way—dressing up as Minions, while Miss Watson and Mrs. Harrop hilariously took on the roles of the mischievous Gru and his wife, Lucy. Their infectious energy set the perfect tone for a joyful end to an unforgettable week.

Cross Curricular Learning

Below are just a few examples of the incredible work produced throughout the week—a testament to the enthusiasm and creativity of both staff and pupils. The level of engagement exceeded all expectations, with almost every subject embracing the space theme. From music, art, and design & technology to computing, science, English, and maths, space truly proved to be a limitless source of inspiration.

One thing is certain: space never fails to ignite curiosity. Who knows? Among our young learners, there may well be future scientists, engineers, or even astronauts—perhaps some destined to venture to Mars one day.

Year 1 – resplendent in their Space costumes

Reception

Year 6 – The Rocket Catcher Challenge

Space in Year 4

Astronaut Tower Challenge in Year 3

Diary from Year 5

To start the week off we trained like an astronaut and did two laps of the daily mile and a minute’s worth of press-ups and squats. After that we crawled like a bear and crab to mimic how astronauts get around in space. We also balanced on one leg with our eyes closed and had a bean bag on our heads to face gravitational challenges.

Later that day, a lady called Marjorie came into our class with a tiny piece of foil from Apollo 11. She also brought in some circular wooden slabs for us to paint planets on. When we had finished these, we were given a key chain for our bags to paint – most people did Earth.

On our next day of Space, we composed poems to read out to the school. There was a choice of acrostics and rhyming – many of them were really good.

On Wednesday, we went into a WonderDome where we learnt about life in Space. Scientists believe that there might be life on Mars because it has water, and microbes are mainly found in water. Speaking of Mars, me and my class have calculated that an astronaut travelling to Mars would need 1095kg of water, 365kg of oxygen and 365kg of food – not accounting for the time spent on Mars itself.

We are making space food for the journey to Mars. We also have a plan that you have crops being fertilised by human waste, plus the plant gives off oxygen. We are waiting to see our mystery plants grow.

Personally, I would not like to go to Space because the shuttle could get lost but I am truly fascinated by it. We all really enjoyed the week.

Miles Woodhead

The week before half-term, we were lucky enough to take advantage of UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) ‘Borrow the Moon’ project. It had been almost 10 years to the day that we had first welcomed the moon rocks to Rode Heath and we eagerly anticipated their arrival on the Monday.

We were not disappointed. Since 2014, there had been a significant change to the kit, with new samples and some excellent teaching resources to enhance the experience.

The biggest change was perhaps the inclusion of 5 Meteorite Hunters boxes, containing Earth, space, and fossil related rocks. These were an excellent addition, as it meant that more pupils had the opportunity to spend time studying and learning about the distinct features of meteorites.

Inspiring awe and wonder

It was wonderful to see the amazement on the children’s faces as they handled their own bit of space. Normally disengaged boys couldn’t wait to use the microscopes to delve deeper into the rocks’ structures. They were mesmerized and eager to learn about the lunar landings and how the samples had been brought back to Earth.

Each class, from Reception up to Year 6, was allocated either a full morning or afternoon with the space rocks and thanks to the wealth of lesson plans developed by STFC, each session was very well structured to make the most of the learning experience. As lessons were tailored to different age groups, and well-resourced with accompanying PowerPoints and worksheets, this made planning very easy for teachers. Year 2 particularly enjoyed making chocolate meteorites from mini-marshmallows. And, by the end of the session, all of them could tell you the difference between a meteoroid, meteor and meteorite.

Having devoted their afternoon to studying the Meteorite Hunters boxes, the Year 5s spent the next morning covering themselves with flour and cocoa, as they carried out their own crater investigation – dropping marbles from different heights and observing the change in crater depth and width. This was a very valuable exercise as it covered many working scientifically skills.

The Year 4s marvelled at the weight of one of the larger iron meteorites in the main case and were astonished to find out through their research that the largest meteorite that has been found on Earth – the Hoba meteorite – with an area of 2.7 x 2.2 metres – weighs as much as 7 elephants. It’s no wonder no-one has ever managed to move it.

Investigating Conspiracy theories

In Year 6 there was a definite skepticism about the various moon landings – a perfect opportunity to engage them with the ‘Moon Conspiracies’ activity. This was an excellent lesson, which involved the pupils analyzing statements for and against the moon landings and then exploring evidence cards which potentially supported or disproved the arguments.

The session ended with the playing of 3 Mythbuster clips which provided an explanation for three of the main conspiracy theories. By the end of the afternoon, more than half of the Year 6 objectors had changed their minds – which was a good result.

I can thoroughly recommend applying for a loan box. The process is simple – a few forms to fill in, then a visit to make sure that you have suitable security measures in place – after all, many of the items are irreplaceable.

To find out more, follow this link: https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/teaching-resources/borrow-the-moon/

Think Like An Engineer

Inspiring Learning

It’s all about Space at Rode Heath