£6 million donation for advanced facilities at Wiltshire primary
school accepted by Department for Education, as Education
Secretary approves school expansion
Generous donation from Dyson Foundation backs up government
commitment to STEM skills
Other support for STEM includes recruiting more maths and science
teachers, expanding apprenticeships and introducing new T Level
qualifications
A £6 million donation to build a first-class science, technology,
engineering, art and maths (STEAM) centre in Wiltshire has
received the green light from Education Secretary .
Ministers at the Department for Education approved the expansion
of Malmesbury Primary School in Wiltshire for the new centre
which was a condition of the donation from the Dyson Foundation.
This demonstrates the Government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring
pupils at all levels have access to high quality STEM education.
The expansion would see purpose-built rooms equipped for design,
technology, art, science, and mathematics-based activities as
well as additional classrooms. If planning permission is
approved by Wiltshire Council, it is expected to be open to
pupils from September 2027.
The Prime Minister has, separately, announced his ambitious
10-year plan to drive up young people’s skills through the
Advanced British Standard, requiring all pupils in England to
study some form of maths to the age of 18. This will help embed
essential numeracy skills and give young people a platform to
develop STEM expertise, supporting the government’s plan to
create a world-class education system by growing the economy and
investing in the skills that industry needs.
Our reforms are already improving maths education and driving up
standards, with the Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA) study finding that England outperformed the
international average in maths, rising to 11th in
international league tables in 2022.
Education Secretary said:
“I welcome this generous donation from the Dyson Foundation which
will support cutting edge education for local pupils, helping to
develop the scientists and engineers of the future.
“This new centre will provide world-class facilities for pupils
in Malmesbury and the surrounding areas to inspire them and
develop the skills we need to compete on the world stage.
“The £6 million donation builds on the work we have been doing to
boost the uptake of STEM subjects in schools and through
apprenticeships and further education, boosting growth and
opportunity in these vital sectors.”
To support growth and develop STEM skills, the Department runs
programmes such as the Stimulating Physics Network, and has a
network of Maths Hubs and scholarships worth £30,000 to encourage
more teachers to nurture future talent by teaching STEM subjects.
Additionally, Design and Technology trainee teachers will now
receive tax free bursaries of £25,000 to train to teach, up from
£20,000 in the academic year 2023/24.
New T Level qualifications are also being rolled out, including
in engineering and manufacturing, whilst a network of 21
Institutes of Technology is being established to work closely
with industry and pioneer higher-level STEM training.
We continue to work with employers to offer more apprenticeship
opportunities, including in dynamic and in-demand STEM fields.
Apprenticeships are a great way for anyone, regardless of their
background, to gain the skills they need for a successful career
in STEM, and employers have developed over 365 high-quality
apprenticeships in the Construction, Digital, Engineering and
Manufacturing, and Health and Science sectors.
Our new specialist maths school are also being established across
the county, offering talented young people world class maths and
STEM opportunities regardless of their background. Seven schools
are already open and teaching students in Exeter, Cambridge,
Leeds and London (Imperial College), with a further four set to
open in other parts of England.
The Department is also working with other Government Departments
through the UK Science & Technology Framework to deliver
talent and skills for critical technologies.
