A MULTI-MILLION-POUND life science block has been officially opened at an Oxford school.

The £3.4m building at St Edward’s School, Woodstock Road, consists of six biology laboratories and two sports studies classrooms. It was officially opened by Baroness Ruth Deech, former principal of St Anne’s College, Oxford, and chairman of the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority on Wednesday.

Headteacher Andrew Trotman said: “We have seen a 30 per cent growth in science since the introduction of AS-Levels in 2000.

“We just did not have the capacity and space for the teaching of science.

“Our chemistry and physics labs were built mid-way through the last century on many levels, and we had lots of difficulty moving equipment round and that sort of thing.”

The building, designed by Nick Hardy, of TSH Architects, who also designed St Gregory the Great School in East Oxford, has a number of distinctive features, including a central spiral staircase, built to echo the DNA model, and a greenhouse.

It was paid for by private donations. Some of the equipment, funded by a grant from the Wolfson Foundation, will be made available to schools and organisations across Oxfordshire.

fbardsley@oxfordmail.co.uk