World Space Week
The week the whole class becomes a crew of astronauts.
- Dates
- 4 - 10 October
- Key stages
- EYFS - KS2
- Session length
- 45 - 60 minutes
- Formats
- Up to 6 sessions a day
About this date
World Space Week is the United Nations celebration of space science and technology, held on the same dates every October. It marks the launch of Sputnik 1 on 4 October 1957 and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty on 10 October 1967.
It is the natural moment for a Space in VR day, and an easy win for schools covering Earth and space in Year 5.
What pupils will learn
The science they take away
A date on the calendar is the hook. These are the curriculum outcomes the day is built to deliver.
- 01Pupils describe the movement of the Earth and the other planets relative to the Sun, and of the Moon relative to the Earth - the core of the Year 5 Earth and space unit.
- 02Younger classes build a usable sense of scale: how far apart the planets sit, and how small Earth is beside the gas giants.
- 03Pupils use the vocabulary of space science - orbit, axis, satellite, crater - in context rather than from a glossary on the wall.
- 04The class connects the week to real history, from the first satellite to the first human spaceflight, and to the jobs that exist in space science now.
What's included
One price, nothing to arrange
Everything below is part of a standard booking. Your school provides a large indoor space, a parking space to unload and a member of staff in each session.
- A DBS-checked facilitator leading every session, on site from set-up to pack-down.
- A fully networked class set of VR headsets running our own space content, with a spare headset, all cabling and charging.
- Risk assessment, insurance certificate and DBS details sent to your school office when the date is confirmed.
- Follow-up classroom activities and vocabulary sheets for each year group that takes part.
Workshops for this date
What we can run on the day
Pick one for the whole school, or run two alongside each other in separate spaces.
Key dates
When it falls, when to book
The dates never move: 4 to 10 October every year. Because the week is fixed and short, October bookings are best confirmed before the summer holidays.
Questions schools ask
Before you book
How far ahead should we book World Space Week?
Before the summer holidays if you can. The week is fixed and only five working days long, so the diary is largely set by July. Enquiries in September are worth making, but you may be offered a date either side of the week.
Does it have to fall inside the official week?
No. Any point in the autumn term suits an Earth and space topic, and the dates around 4 to 10 October are usually still open when the week itself is full.
Can the whole school take part?
Yes. Six sessions in a day covers a one-form-entry school, with the content pitched differently for each year group - Reception look at the Moon and the Sun, Year 5 work through orbits.
What if the hall is booked for harvest or a class assembly?
Tell us at the planning stage. We only need one large, clear indoor space, and the session timetable can be arranged around a fixed slot in the middle of the day.