Dyson pledges £6m STEAM investment for Malmesbury Primary School

Juliet Charman said the team at Dyson is "excited" inspire the next generation of engineers with the STEAM centre

A primary school has been promised a £6m investment to fund a new educational centre for teaching science, technology, engineering, arts and maths (STEAM).

The James Dyson Foundation pledged the money to Malmesbury Primary School in Wiltshire on condition plans are approved and pupil numbers expanded.

The funding could help the school take in 50% more pupils.

A decision from the Department of Education is expected in July.

Juliet Charman, Global Head of Dyson Foundation told BBC Radio Wiltshire the company is "really excited" about the opportunities for the school and the children studying there.

"It's all about bringing technical subjects together with creative subjects to help inspire young people to think about creative problem solving ideas that will help address some of the worlds problems," she added.

'Wonderful learning opportunities'

She said with an annual shortfall of engineering talent in the UK in particular, the company hopes the STEAM centre would "excite young people at a very young age about engineering careers".

Headteacher Steve Heal said the school is "thrilled" to have the foundations support to expand the school and bring "wonderful new learning opportunities to all our pupils".

"The level of support we would receive from the James Dyson Foundation is unprecedented in the state primary sector," he added.

Alongside cutting edge facilities, engineers from Dyson will work "very closely" with the Church of England school to develop new curriculums to inspire young people.

Mr Dyson said: "We have long supported the school and simultaneously been on a mission to inspire more engineers all around the world"

Sir James Dyson said: "Dyson has grown in Malmesbury for the past 30 years and many of our engineers either studied at Malmesbury school themselves or have their own children there now."

He said creating a new STEAM centre in Malmesbury, will enable the school to be "a pioneer for this age range, encouraging problem-solving and hopefully long lives as engineers".

With the school at full capacity, approval from the South West's Regional Department for Education to expand will ensure more local children, who are currently travelling further afield for school, can be taught closer to home.

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