British Science Week, first held in 1994, is an annual ten-day celebration, and this year it is running 6th – 15th March. It is organised to celebrate, through a variety of events; science, technology, engineering and maths, and is intended to highlight the important role of science and its research and innovation in our lives. It is now well established, with events being run in schools across the country, as well as community groups, businesses, charities and many more.
On display we have a science textbook belonging to H. L. Payne, dated 1890-1930, including details of scientific experiments undertaken. We also have a photograph of the Science Laboratory from Braintree Intermediate School, dated 1922-1940. Although there are some obvious differences to today’s laboratory environment, similarities can still be seen between the school textbooks and laboratories we have in the present day.
School Archives Day also takes place this week on 12th March 2026. The day was established by Julie Devenney, Archivist at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, in 2025 and is supported by the School Archives and Records Association. It aims to promote school archives and create connections between school archivists.