Works in the UK and the US. This version uses UK school terms (Reception, Year 4, secondary school); the US version uses kindergarten, Grade 3 and high school. · US version of this page
Questions, experiments and explanations for curious minds of every age – from sinking and floating in Reception to university lab reports, in a classroom or at the kitchen sink.
This department is planned and ready to build – it needs funding
We have planned what the Science Department will teach and how it will work. Building it takes funding, so for now you can read our plan below and use the Classfern pages for science that are already live.
Practice tests you can use today
Until the Science Department is funded, pupils can still revise with our free science tests for KS2, KS3 and GCSE combined science. Each one opens without a log-in and marks answers immediately, with a reason given every time. We ask for nothing personal, and no advertising appears on any test. Every test will be linked to its lesson once the department is built.
- KS2 science, Years 3–6Written for the national curriculum in England.
- KS3 science, Years 7–9Biology, chemistry and physics, with calculations.
- GCSE combined science (Foundation)Biology, chemistry, physics, equations and calculations.
- GCSE physics equationsPractise using the equations.
- GCSE chemistry calculationsPractise the maths of chemistry.
- US science tests, grades 3–8For families following the US system.
A shout from the bath
The story goes that Archimedes was so pleased with his idea that he ran through the streets without stopping to dress. Whether or not it happened quite like that, “Eureka!” captures the best moment in science: the second when an observation suddenly makes sense. The Science Department is planned around creating as many of those moments as possible.
Investigations with what is in the cupboard
Real science needs real things. We plan step-by-step investigations using ordinary materials – cups, salt, ice, magnets, seeds, a torch – each with a fair-test planner, a safety box and a results table that draws its own graph. What learners find is recorded as Evidence kept at home or in class, and it stays private to them.
On-screen experiments for the things you can't do
Some experiments are too slow, too dangerous or too big for a classroom. For those we plan interactive on-screen experiments: a circuit builder, a pendulum and ramp for forces, a particle model of melting and boiling, a food web you can disturb, and a germination timer that fast-forwards a week of growth. Each will finish with a few questions Marked by Classfern.
Science across the ages
For the youngest learners (Nursery and Reception), science means noticing: sorting leaves, sinking and floating, watching ice melt. In primary school it grows into planned tests and simple explanations of plants, animals, materials, light and sound. Secondary pupils will meet biology, chemistry and physics in depth, with practice on equations and practical skills, while university starters get help with lab reports and handling data. The science practice tests already on Classfern – Key Stages 2 and 3 and GCSE combined science for the UK, plus Grades 3–8 for the US – will slot straight in.
Madame Curie's lab rules
Marie Curie remains the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different sciences, and much of her early research was done in a draughty shed. Our Madame Curie will be patient, precise and very keen on safety – fitting, since the radioactive materials she studied harmed her health. Expect her to remind learners to wash their hands, label everything and write results down straight away.
Curious? Visit Music
If you would like to see where Classfern is heading, visit our flagship Music Department. It already lets learners play along on a dozen instruments, test their ear and have a go at reading music, with clear feedback at every step. Science will aim for the same mix of curiosity and confidence.
Not yet built – but ready
Every part of this plan is waiting on funding. If you are a science teacher, technician or researcher with an experiment children adore, please tell us – it could become one of the first investigations we build.
Already on Classfern for science
Support the Classfern appeal
Every Classfern department is ready on paper, but each one needs funding before we can build it. A gift of any amount helps build Classfern – including new departments like this one – and keeps the free tools free for teachers, families and learners.
Support the Classfern appeal →
Classfern is a small business, not a charity. The support page explains how gifts are used.
Can you help? Teachers and subject experts – tell us
If you teach science or know it well, we would love your ideas, examples and corrections for this department.
All Classfern departments · Visit the Music Department, our flagship