How Technicians Can Make Secondary School Open Evening a Success

How Technicians Can Make Secondary School Open Evening a Success

By: Philip Harris Technical Team • Read time: 5 min • Published: September 2026

Quick Answer

Science technicians can help make a secondary school open evening a success by choosing reliable, visual practical activities that are safe, accessible and easy to repeat. Good planning should consider visitor numbers, activity throughput, reset time, equipment reliability, consumables and supervision. A small number of well prepared demonstrations or hands on activities can give prospective students and families an engaging introduction to practical science.

In this article

Why is practical science important at an open evening?

A secondary school open evening gives prospective students and their families a chance to see what life at the school is really like. For the science department, it is also an opportunity to show what practical science looks like beyond the classroom.

Behind a successful science open evening is often a science technician making sure equipment works, resources are ready, activities can be repeated and the laboratory remains safe and organised.

For September open evenings, a little preparation can make the evening much easier to manage.

For students moving from primary to secondary school, the science laboratory can be one of the most exciting parts of the visit. Seeing equipment or demonstrations in action can make science feel tangible.

An open evening does not need to recreate a normal practical lesson. Instead, it can give visitors a safe, accessible taste of the practical science students will experience as they progress through secondary school.

The most effective activities are not necessarily the most complicated. They are activities that are visual, easy to understand and manageable when visitors arrive throughout the evening.

What makes a good science activity?

When choosing activities, think about throughput as well as impact.

Ask:

  • Can visitors understand what is happening quickly?
  • Can the activity be repeated throughout the evening?
  • Can several people see or participate?
  • How quickly can it be reset?
  • What happens if equipment fails?
  • How much preparation and consumable use will it require?

A practical that works perfectly once may become much harder when it needs to be repeated dozens of times.

Simple demonstrations, microscopy, electricity, forces, light and interactive equipment can all work well when carefully planned.

Which activities are suitable for open evening?

Aim for a mix across all three disciplines, Biology, Chemistry and Physics:

Chemistry

  • Flame tests
  • Simple chromatography: nice done as a butterfly
  • Testing Household substances with Universal Indicator
  • pH rainbow
  • Iodine clock
  • Slime making
  • Magic milk

Biology

  • USB microscope with live daphnia
  • Making onion cell slides
  • Banana Springs
  • Cytoplasmic streaming: this could be projected onto whiteboard using microscope camera
  • Flower dissection
  • Strawberry DNA extraction
  • Investigating owl pellets
  • Giant skeleton with labels for bones
  • Pulse and reaction time, encourage visitors to test themselves

Physics

  • Build a simple circuit
  • Science toys circus
  • Plasma ball: bring an unpowered fluorescent or neon tube close to the plasma ball
  • Capacitance: make a safe spark
  • Hovercraft: leaf blower and platform
  • Infrared camera
  • Magnetic levitation
  • Newton's cradle
  • Air vortex cannon

Where can science technicians make the biggest difference?

Technicians know which equipment is reliable, which activities require significant preparation and where potential problems are likely to occur.

Ideally, technicians should be involved in choosing activities rather than being given a finished list to prepare.

This practical knowledge can turn an ambitious idea into an activity that actually works on the night.

Don't forget safety and accessibility

Open evenings involve visitors who may not be familiar with laboratory rules. Schools should follow their existing health and safety, safeguarding and visitor arrangements, with risk assessments considering visitors as well as students and staff. DfE health and safety guidance for schools

Clear instructions and appropriate supervision are particularly important when visitors are interacting with equipment.

It is also worth considering different ways to participate. Not every prospective student will want to handle equipment. Activities can offer opportunities to watch, observe, ask questions or take part with support.

Clear instructions, predictable sequences and uncluttered activity stations can help make the experience more accessible.

A simple preparation plan

A week or two before:

  • Agree activities with the science team.
  • Check equipment and consumables.
  • Review relevant risk assessments and local procedures.
  • Identify specialist preparation.
  • Plan the laboratory layout.
  • Prepare a backup activity.

On the day:

  • Test every activity.
  • Charge electronic equipment and check batteries.
  • Prepare spare consumables.
  • Make instructions clear.
  • Check walkways and emergency routes remain clear.
  • Brief everyone involved.

Show the science, not just the equipment

An open evening is not simply an opportunity to show visitors how much equipment the department has.

Use each activity to answer a simple question:

What will students learn to do here?

A microscope can show how students learn to observe and interpret biological structures.

An electrical circuit can introduce practical measurement and scientific investigation.

A demonstration can create curiosity and give teachers an opportunity to explain the science behind it. The equipment becomes part of the story rather than the story itself.

How Philip Harris can support your science department

You are not alone if your first thought is, “How am I going to prepare all of this as well as everything else?”

You do not necessarily need more activities. A few well planned, reliable activities can create a better experience for visitors while keeping preparation manageable.

Philip Harris supports secondary science departments with laboratory equipment, consumables and practical resources, alongside technical advice to help technicians and teachers choose equipment suited to their curriculum and practical needs.

Explore practical science resources or speak to our technical team for advice on preparing your department for September.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What science activities work well for a secondary school open evening?
Choose activities that are visual, easy to understand and can be repeated throughout the evening. Microscopy, light, electricity, forces and short demonstrations can work well because visitors can see the science without needing lengthy explanations.
2. How can science technicians prepare for an open evening?
Technicians can help select practical activities, check equipment, prepare consumables, plan the laboratory layout and identify backup resources. Getting involved early can help keep activities realistic and manageable.
3. How many science activities should we have at an open evening?
There is no set number. A small number of well prepared activities can be more effective than filling every laboratory bench. Consider how many visitors you expect and how quickly each activity can be reset.
4. Should prospective students carry out practical activities?
They can where appropriate and where the school's risk assessment and procedures allow it. Demonstrations and observation based activities can also be effective, particularly where large numbers of visitors are expected.
5. How can we make science activities accessible to different students?
Give visitors different ways to participate. Students might observe, handle suitable equipment, answer a question or simply watch a demonstration. Clear instructions and well organised activity stations can also make the experience easier to navigate.
6. How can technicians reduce preparation time for an open evening?
Use activities that the department already knows well, standardise equipment sets and prepare resources in clearly labelled trays or stations. Avoid unnecessary complexity and have a simple backup activity available.
7. What equipment should a science department have for an open evening?
The equipment should reflect the activities being demonstrated. Useful options might include microscopes, electrical equipment, optical equipment, measurement apparatus and demonstration equipment. Where possible, choose equipment that will also be useful for everyday practical science.
8. How should science departments manage safety at an open evening?
Follow the school's existing health and safety, safeguarding and visitor management procedures. Risk assessments should consider the activities being demonstrated and the presence of visitors who may be unfamiliar with laboratory environments.
9. What should happen if equipment stops working during the open evening?
Have a backup plan. Keep spare consumables or alternative equipment available where practical, and choose activities where a single equipment failure will not stop the whole science department from participating.
10. How can an open evening show what science is really like at secondary school?
Connect activities to what students will actually learn and do. Rather than simply displaying equipment, explain what students use it for and how practical work helps them develop scientific understanding and skills.
11. How can we make an open evening activity memorable?
Start with curiosity rather than complexity. A surprising observation, interesting specimen or question that visitors can immediately engage with can be more memorable than a complicated demonstration.
12. How can science departments use an open evening to promote practical science?
Choose activities that represent the breadth of practical work students will experience during their time at the school. Showing students using real scientific equipment can help families understand that practical work is an important part of secondary science.