The Pate's Parents' Association Spring Fair and Science Show took place just before the Easter holidays and raised a fantastic £10,115.24 through the online raffle and activities on the day! Pate’s PA have been able to contribute this money towards the costs of a new Science Laboratory, bringing the amount so far raised this year by the PPA in support of the Science Lab to £25,000! It's an amazing amount and the school is truly grateful for the efforts of everyone in the PPA who have worked so hard in supporting this project. We are all looking forward to the work commencing in July and the lab being up and running for the start of the new academic year in September.

The new lab will be the biggest in the school and will be used not only by Pate's students from all year groups but also students from our doorstep primaries as part of Pate's Outreach - the lab will be able to accommodate 30 + students and their associated staff members. Bethan Morgan, Assistant Head, is looking forward to the opportunities which the lab will bring:

'As part of the Pate’s Shaping Futures social mobility programme, the new laboratory would be used to facilitate hands-on science workshops to engage and spark the imaginations of our future young scientists. A designated science space available to our most locally deprived primary schools would afford students an opportunity, within walking distance of their school, which they might never otherwise experience. Practical investigations led by dedicated staff and Sixth Form students at Pate’s would help develop primary pupils’ measuring, observation, collaboration, and experimental skills - extending the KS2 national curriculum. Interactions between Sixth Form and primary students would be to the mutual benefit of both parties; providing leadership opportunities for our older students, and, in return, they would serve as role-models for the younger learners to help raise their aspirations'.   

A graphic of the new Science Lab (Quattro Design Architects Ltd, 2022)

The Spring Fair Science Show and science based activities opened our eyes to secondary school science - the show was a marvellous opportunity for the Science Department to show off the wonders of science to Pate's families and the local community. Masterminded by Assistant Head, Geoff Worth and Head of Science, Adrian Nickson, thankfully everyone and everything managed to come through unscathed, particularly the Refectory ceiling! Our thanks to Tidal Lagoon Power for their sponsorship of the event; to Tim Harrison at Bristol ChemLabS for his assistance in securing the star of the show - the liquid nitrogen; to Alex Chalk, Cheltenham MP, for attending and braving his front row seat and to Jonathan Scott for his super Sphero activity - not one of these little coding robots managed to escape from their PE 'bench pen'!

It was wonderful once again to be able to give our youngest students the chance to play such a big part in a PPA event and judging from the big smiles they had a wonderful time.The Year 7 & 8 stallholders showed marvellous enterprise, enthusiasm, friendliness and impeccable behaviour, and raised a fantastic £1,656.86!

In addition to the very sizeable contribution from the PPA, we are hugely grateful for the significant support received from the Pate's Foundation, the Wolfson Foundation, parents, alumni and investment from the school for this fabulous project. If you are interested in finding out more about the new Science Lab or would like to make a donation to help with the costs of the build or towards the equipment for the lab, please email Alex Gregory or Sarah Cartwright in the Development Office development@patesgs.org