The Science department consists of five laboratories which are equipped with biology, physics and chemistry equipment. Each lab contains equipment to carry out a range of practical sessions, including access to gas taps. There is also a demonstration area away from the labs, which allows us to model experiments to the students. This demonstration area includes a fume cupboard for some of the more advanced experiments. We are able to project these onto screens so all students are able to clearly see any demonstrations.

The Art department consists of three large rooms designed to develop different art practices. The main Art room is set up to support students in 3D Sculpture and Design.  It also includes a work space along with two potters wheels and a kiln room. The second Art room is fully equipped for 2D Art with areas to store materials, work and wash up. The Mac suite is fully set up to house an entire class of photography students. Students use state of the art equipment including iMacs, class set of DSLR cameras, drawing tablets as well as a large printer dedicated to photography. The room is set up to support photoshoots with the blinds being different colours.

 

The Design Technology areas include a fully equipped resistant material workshop with a wide range of material, manipulation machinery including a metal lathe, fret saws, plastic vacuum forming unit, hot wire foam cutter for prototyping in Styrofoam, disc sander, metal enamelling kiln and pillar drill as well as an extensive range of hand tools and saws to accommodate the five main material areas of DT. This highly equipped workshop also compliments a separate room that is more dedicated to CAD/CAM product creation with a 3D printer and industrial A2 bed size laser cutter all linked to both iMac and PC computers and dedicated professional computer software, that allows students of all ages and abilities to create and realise designs, that are truly unique and have a professional aesthetic finish. Also, as part of the DT department there is a dedicated textiles workshop that accommodates 20 Janome sewing machines,  two over lockers for the professional finishing of edges and seams of garments and products and a dedicated  CAD/CAM computerised embroidery machine which can link to a tablet computer, for the user to free draw a design to be embroidered onto a product. The department is very well resourced and allows the students an extensive range of creative opportunities to explore during their time at Starbank School. In addition, the workshop areas have a dedicated DT technician who assists in the running of the lessons, but also monitors and maintains the machinery and ensures relevant health and safety standards are met.

The food preparation room is set out with twelve fully equipped work stations, including a fully accessible work station and demonstration area. Ovens in this room are electric fan ovens with electric halogen hobs and include isolator points for each unit to ensure student safety. Equipment available in the kitchen for the students to use include two stand mixers, hand held mixers and stick blenders, electronic scales, a plethora of cake tins, baking trays and loaf tins, as well as a standard set of cooking equipment in each work station, which is quality checked after every lesson for cleanliness. The room also houses two large fridges for students to store perishable ingredients and cooked products which are temperature checked daily. The room has a dedicated food technician who assists in the running of the lessons, but also monitors hygiene and cleanliness in the room and ensure relevant health and safety standards are met.  In addition to the food preparation room we also have a separate break out theory room which is shared with DT and is used for delivery of theoretical food lessons and accommodates forty laptop computers and six base PC computer units to ensure the quality delivery of coursework at KS4.

The main library on our Hob Moor Road site is well-stocked and provides a tranquil area for pupils to study and relax. There are a wide range of books and resources with a computerised lending system for our secondary pupils.  The library also has a number of computers to aid pupils’ independent learning.  All primary classrooms have a library area which include a selection of appealing, inspiring books.

The school has modern ICT suites on all sites which are used for computing lessons and the computing elements of all other subjects. We have two dedicated iMac suites used extensively by our secondary photography and music pupils. There are also sets of iPads and laptops available on each of our primary sites.

Across the three sites, the school has attractive playing fields and sports surfaces allowing for sporting excellence to be maintained. Our main sports hall on the Hob Moor site has markings for badminton courts, football and basketball.  It is fitted with cricket nets, trampoline harnesses and basketball/netball hoops.  This facility is utilised in a variety of ways both for our school and the local community.

The music block on our Hob Moor site provides a number of practice rooms and a fully equipped music technology room.  Using the latest technology and software, students can learn about recording, arranging and composing skills.

Each site has at least one school hall which is used for assemblies as well as PE.  On the Hob Moor site, we have our state of the art auditorium with tiered seating for up to 300 people.  The school hall has professionally fitted light and sound systems for theatrical productions.

We have a radio studios on all 3 of our sites equipped with a mixing desk, microphones and iMacs. At Bierton Road it doubles up to be the home of iStar TV which has green screen facilities.  Rocket Radio and iStar TV goes live across the computing network on all 3 sites.