Official opening of Science Extension

The new Science extension at Worcester Sixth Form College was officially opened on Friday (6th October) by Dr Beth Jones, NHS doctor and College alumni, with staff and students joined by Governors, Trustees and Contractors.

Following the official opening, Dr Jones delivered a talk to Science students about the importance of science, her career path and the research she undertook which was responsible for saving many lives during the early stages of the pandemic.

The £3.2 million pound project has provided the College and its students with four new industry standard laboratories, preparatory rooms and classroom space. Capital projects such as this have enabled the College to respond to a significant increase in the demand for places with a 27% increase in those opting to study Science subjects over the last 4 years. Science is a huge part of the College’s curriculum offer with a total of 615 students directly benefit from being able to use these new rooms.

Completion of the project also allows old laboratories to be transformed into fantastic facilities for students of other subjects to benefit from. The College has already been able to repurpose one of these into a specialist Media room and a second into a clinical skills room in preparation for the introduction of the Health T Level next year.

Ed Senior, Principal, said: “As the College celebrates its 40th anniversary of educating and supporting students, I am excited by the opportunities this gives us to improve the experiences of our students, to inspire them as to where science can take them.”

“I am grateful to the College’s Governors and Trustees from the Heart of Mercia Multi-Academy Trust for their vision and generosity in supporting this development. I am also grateful to those who worked with us to ensure the project was completed on time and to budget, in particular, Speller Metcalfe. The expansion of our Science facilities will enable us to expand our already extensive links with STEM employers in the area and will further enrich the experience of students taking Science subjects at the College.”

Mark Hudgeon, Regional Director at Speller Metcalfe, said: “We are delighted to be able to hand over the final stage of the science block extension on behalf of the college and it current and future students. STEM subjects are pivotal for our future workforce – something we know all too well in construction – and it’s great to see the importance the college is placing on developing those key skills and providing modern facilities in which to teach students.”