Girls’ High School gets grant to fund new £90,000 science lab

A Sleaford school is investing nearly £90,000 in upgrading its science facilities to allow students to use specialist equipment in lessons.
Andy Hubbert
By Andy Hubbert
Published 31st Jan 2024, 11:58 GMT
Science students at Kesteven and Sleaford High School (pictured here) are to get a new £90,000 classroom lab thanks to a grant from the Wolfson Foundation. Photo: KSHS)Science students at Kesteven and Sleaford High School (pictured here) are to get a new £90,000 classroom lab thanks to a grant from the Wolfson Foundation. Photo: KSHS)
Science students at Kesteven and Sleaford High School (pictured here) are to get a new £90,000 classroom lab thanks to a grant from the Wolfson Foundation. Photo: KSHS)

Kesteven and Sleaford High School plans to start the project in July this year and it should be completed in time for the start of the Autumn term.

The cost of the project is funded with the help of a grant from the Wolfson Foundation, an independent charity with a focus on research and education that awards grants to support excellence in the fields of science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts.

The project involves converting an existing classroom into a fully equipped science lab complete with benches, gas taps, a ducted fume cupboard and special resin sinks to allow a full range of experiments to be undertaken by students.

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The girls’ school in Jermyn Street already has six fully functioning labs but with the high number of students choosing to study the sciences the new £89,000 facilities are needed to meet the demand – with the new classroom having space for 32 pupils.

The school has been successful in securing a grant of £79,300 from the Wolfson Foundation, which has awarded over £1 billion (£2 billion in real terms) to more than 12,000 projects across the UK since it was established in 1955.

“We are absolutely delighted to have been successful in securing a grant from the Wolfson Foundation and excited about the how the new facilities can help our students reach their potential,” said headteacher Jo Smith.

“The facilities we already have are excellent but it is really important to encourage as many young women as possible to study and excel in the sciences so the new lab facilities are an excellent step forward for the school.

“We have just celebrated an excellent set of exam results but the school will continue its drive to provide the very best environment for its students to thrive.”

The Wolfson Foundation is an independent charity with a focus on research and education. Its aim is to support civil society by investing in excellent projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts.

Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said: “We are very pleased to support Kesteven and Sleaford High School in creating outstanding facilities for their students. We hope the new laboratory will help inspire students to have a lifelong interest in science.”