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Leading Scientist Opens Millfield’s Outstanding New Chemistry Department Building
On Friday 6th November, the Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Dr Richard Pike CSci FRSC, came to Millfield to open the new Chemistry building and Science Lecture Theatre. This is a modern, fully equipped building with specifically designed teaching spaces providing exceptional teaching facilities for all pupils and the staff who teach them.
The facilities are now, without a doubt, second to none. The new building has nine dedicated teaching labs. Six of these have separate comfortable, formal teaching areas at the front and wet practical areas at the back. All of the laboratories have integrated ICT facilities. There is a large Sixth Form study room, a dedicated ICT room, an open air laboratory and a 120 seat state-of-the-art demonstration lecture theatre which is comparable to lecture theatres in top universities across the country. With the design of the infrastructure the School has ensured that the department will be able to expand and develop with the evolution of new technologies for the foreseeable future.
The new building, which has transformed the north-west corner of Millfield’s extensive campus, has been specifically designed by LED Architects Ltd to have a welcoming feel and to allow for ease of movement of pupils throughout the building. Communal areas are large, airy and flooded with natural light. The building was designed with specific eco-friendly and sustainable aspects in mind. Therefore, there are large domed ceiling pods and generous areas of glazing throughout which enable vast amounts of natural light to enter the building. Insulation within both the building and the heating systems comes from recycled paper and a novel air circulation system respectively. Externally, the cedarwood cladding which surrounds the majority of the building is from sustainable resources. The natural cedarwood panelling has been used as solar shading on one elevation. Recyclable and low maintenance aluminium roof decking and aluminium window and door systems, recyclable and low maintenance fairfaced brickwork and low maintenance through-colour render all follow good sustainable practice.
Dr Pike took up his post as Chief Executive of the RSC in February 2006. He sparked some controversy last week with an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme and in many leading national newspapers in which he called for exam boards that do not comply with regulations in the future to face fines or even be banned. Contrasting the exciting new state of the art science facilities at Millfield with nationwide science assessment and development techniques, Dr Pike noted that ”evidence gathered recently by the science community has identified entire science papers with no underlying mathematics, and science questions with no science. This is a blatant breach of expected standards.” He called for the guidelines for setting GCSEs and other tests in science to be “sharpened up” and be more “inspiring”.
Craig Middleton, Head of Science, said “Millfield’s investment in these outstanding facilities show how much the School values the importance of Science, and is a clear indication of our academic direction as we head into the future as a progressive, forward thinking school. With this exciting new building we plan to raise the profile of Chemistry and Science as a whole at Millfield to new found levels of status. We also plan to extend our lecture programmes further to host large, prestigious events which will not only be of benefit to our pupils, but to pupils from many other schools. All our science staff have a huge wealth of knowledge, are enthusiastic and endeavour to bring out the best in each pupil.”
Following the opening of the new building on Friday afternoon, Dr Pike gave a lecture to Millfield’s Academic Society in the evening entitled ‘Chemistry, Energy and Climate Change: The Energy Challenge’ in the new Science Lecture Theatre. He told pupils that 30% of energy generated in the UK is lost before it even reaches the end user, and that 1/3 of the energy used to heat our homes is lost through the windows. However, chemical science can provide energy that is secure, affordable and sustainable. He explained to pupils about the science of CCS – Carbon Capture and Storage, capturing the Carbon Dioxide that we produce as a waste product and storing it, to stop Climate Change. He explained to pupils about the importance of saving energy and stopping climate change, and the vital role that science does and will play in that process. He emphasised the importance of developing scientific and research skills in young people, something which Millfield’s new Chemistry Building will hopefully help to achieve.
Photo 1 (l-r): Mr Craig Considine (Millfield Headmaster) and Dr Richard Pike
Photo 2 (l-r): Dr Jeremy Hill (Millfield Head of Chemistry), Fred Ward (President of the Millfield Academic Society), Dr Richard Pike (Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry), Andy Savill (Secretary of the Millfield Academic Society), Mr Neil Whiskerd (Tutor i/c Millfield Academic Society), Gwyneth Jones (Vice-President of the Millfield Academic Society), Mr Craig Middleton (Millfield Head of Science).
Photo 3 The entrance to the new Chemistry Department Building
