A PRIMARY academy will be helping out neighbouring schools by sharing its new purpose built science laboratory.

Feversham Primary Academy has recently converted a former staff room into a speciality science lab - a facility very few primary schools have.

The facility will be used by the school to inspire pupils to fall in love with science at a young age, and starting in September the Barkerend school will be offering other schools in the area the chance for pupils to come and use the labs for their own science lessons.

The offer comes at a time many schools are finding their budgets squeezed, making sich things as new labs a luxury.

Yesterday science teachers from Carlton Bolling College came to the school to help launch the lab, and pupils enjoyed turning bottles of cola into erupting volcanoes and using chemistry to create ice cream.

The lab has similar equipment to a secondary school science lab, but with science being taught in regular classrooms in most primary schools in the country, it still marks a big step up for how the pupils are taught the subject.

Asif Iqbal, senior leader at the school, said: “This event was a mini launch for the lab. We wanted to have a sessions where kids could enjoy hands on, practical fun. it is good preparation for what will come next, as we want to have lots of science sessions running in future.

“We also want to loan this lab out - to invite other primaries in to use it for some lessons too. We’re going to be putting the offer out soon.”

The lab had been developed with Adeela Hamid, a science teacher at Carlton Bolling College who helped run yesterday’s session. The secondary school is running a “missing years” project, aiming to get primary children involved in science at a younger age.

Mr Iqbal added: “It is really about closing the gap between the science that is taught in primary school and what is taught in secondary school.

“If this model works out then she may do more sessions like this with other primary schools

“The kids absolutely loved the event, it was a bit messy but they learned so much.

“We’re going to be focusing on the lab a lot more next year, and we’re hoping for a lot more link ups with other schools. It will help build links with experts at other schools.”