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Pinfold Primary School is a friendly, caring school and our main aim is to provide a secure, stimulating and happy environment for all our children.
STOP PRESS
25th February 2010.
PINFOLD PRIMARY SCHOOL
LANCASHIRE SCHOOL SHORTLISTED FOR ROLLS-ROYCE SCIENCE PRIZE
A small local Lancashire primary school has been selected as one of 50 schools in the UK to take part in this year’s Rolls-Royce Science Prize.
Pinfold Primary School, Ormskirk, has been awarded a £1,000 Special Merit Award to help develop science teaching, following a proposal put forward by teachers at the school to develop a sensory garden so children, including special educational needs children, can touch, smell, see and hear the plants. They are also developing a school food growing project, including “Growing Gourmet Grub” an after school activity and cooking with the produce the children have grown.
The Rolls-Royce Science Prize is part of the company’s ongoing drive to promote science and engineering in schools by encouraging and rewarding inspirational science teaching. Each year, the company awards a total of £120,000 in cash prizes to schools that enter the competition through the Science Learning Centre network.
Around 1,500 schools enter the competition each year, and Pinfold Primary School will now have to wait until July when, after judging, the nine finalist schools will be announced.
If chosen as a finalist, the school would then receive a further £5,000 to help implement their proposal during the next academic year. The nine finalists would then compete for the first prize of £15,000 and a day with the Red Arrows display team.
Helen Bishop, Rolls-Royce Head of Community Relations, said: “Rolls-Royce understands the importance of inspiring pupils to study science at school and the role that teachers and support staff play in ensuring this happens. We are delighted to be making this award and wish the team luck in being selected as a finalist later in the year.”
Gill Gillison, Headteacher at the school, added: “We are thrilled to be the only school in Lancashire at present to be awarded this science prize. All the children will benefit enormously from the opportunity to further engage in learning outside the classroom. Furthermore, we will be enhancing their scientific skills and knowledge of biodiversity in a practical and developmental way. This prize will help us to deliver an essential life enhancing skill that is caring for their future environment.”
The national network of Science Learning Centres provide professional development for teachers of science at all levels. Any teachers that attend courses can enter their school into the Rolls-Royce Science Prize.
Director of the National Science Learning Centre, Sir John Holman, said: “The school has come up with an innovative idea to develop its staff to enhance science teaching, not only in their own school, but across the county.”
