New high school science block unveiled
THE completion of a new £2.5million science block is set to give students at Kineton High School a more modern learning experience.
The new eight-classroom building, which sits separate to the rest of the school, was officially opened at a ceremonial ribbon-cutting yesterday, Wednesday.
School officials, staff and students are celebrating the new addition, which will marks the first phase of Kineton’s extension. The new block replaced seven, 40-year-old ‘temporary’ buildings fondly referred to as the ‘huts,’ which the headteacher, Siona Robson, said were ‘no longer adequate for learning’.
Mrs Robson said: “It has provided a modern environment for the teaching of science, one of our most successful curriculum areas of the school with high aspirations and expectations of learning and achievement. This year we recorded our best science results ever.
“The building itself is inspirational, changing colour during the day as the sun moves around the sky. It is the most significant development at Kineton High for 40 years and has enabled us to refurbish the former science rooms in the main building, which will now be used by the English Department.”
Officials are looking forward to securing funding as a result of local housing developments for phase two which is a second eight-classroom block with a plaza between the two sections.
She added: “This exciting new development for Kineton was marked with a STEM (Science, technology, engineering and maths) event in conjunction with the Kineton MOD (Ministry of Defence) base along with an opportunity for parents and governors to view the new facilities.
“The activities made available to students included engineering challenges, a bomb disposal display, an egg drop challenge and rocket workshop. Students from Temple Herdewyke also joined us to showcase the work done in their coding club run by Chris Mossman, the STEM ambassador for MOD Kineton.”
The next phase of work will see a further eight-classroom building constructed adjacent to the new block with a plaza area in-between the two, though it is not yet known when this project will begin. Future investment in the school will enable it to deal with an expected increase in pupil numbers as new housing is built in the area.
