[T]he staff, governors, parents and pupils of Hunter Hall School in Penrith have taken on the huge challenge of raising £75,000 for a new state of the art S.T.E.M (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) facility, which they hope to build in the next two years.
The school is located adjacent to a working farm, where the classrooms were once barns and the nursery an old milking parlour. As the years have passed, the school buildings and classrooms have been modified and updated when time, resources and finances have allowed. The aim of the school is to create a bespoke S.T.E.M Centre on the site of an old classroom building thereby further enhancing their facilities to provide a 21st century establishment, ensuring that the children at Hunter Hall have the best possible start in life that any first-class preparatory school can offer.
Mrs Vinsome Head Teacher at Hunter hall School said: “Science is a key subject and one which is close to our hearts. Who doesn’t like an exciting experiment? Which child isn’t inquisitive to know how the heart works or why there are colours in the rainbow? Science is fascinating and using subject specific equipment in exciting spacious surroundings can only enhance STEM teaching at Hunter Hall and give this subject the priority it deserves.”
STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is important for developing our children’s awareness of the wider world, as well as their future employability skills. In 2014 the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reported that a STEM skills base is vital to our future economy in the UK. Jobs in the future will increasingly require skills that STEM study helps to develop; not only technical knowledge but also skills such as critical thinking, logic, mathematical reasoning and numerical analysis, design and a broader grasp of scientific method.
Hunter Hall School aims to raise at least £75,000 over two years. This will support the building and fitting of a new bespoke classroom facility.
Mrs Vinsome continues, “As an independent school we cannot rely on government grants to help fund new buildings, or equipment. Everything we do and buy has to be funded by ourselves from a leaking roof down to the pencils. It is an exciting prospect to build this new facility and hopefully share it with the local community. We would like to build on our links with schools in the area and offer them the use of our facilities – as schools we have much to learn from each other.”
The school will be continuing to run many fundraising events throughout the year and hope that with support from the local community, businesses and alumni they will reach their target.
If you run a business who may be able to support the school in their challenge please contact them on 01768 891291 or donations can be made online at https://mydonate.bt.com/events/hunterhallsciencecentre
