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Most of us in the school community are familiar with the science department at EISL but probably few are fully aware of the extensive changes that have occurred in the department over recent years.

From humble beginnings, when science was taught in the kitchens of the school villas, the department has now developed to the stage where we have two very well equipped laboratories, a tutorial laboratory and a “prep” room, where staff prepare apparatus and materials for science lessons.

The first major development was the construction of the original laboratory (now known as the lower lab - equipped with Bunsen burners and basic apparatus is was a huge break-through for the science department. However, as the school grew it became clear that more space was required for teaching science.  With larger classes, specialist science teachers and a dedicated laboratory the sciences quickly grew in popularity, with more and more students choosing science subjects for their GCSE options.  In addition to this, our present sixth form was starting and all five of the original students chose to take at least one science subject.   Where to next?

The whole school was growing rapidly at this time and space was at a premium in all departments - fortunately for the science department, two events in 1999 coincided to facilitate our next major development. Firstly the pre-school moved into their present accommodation and their classroom, storage room and toilet area became vacant;  being situated adjacent to the existing laboratory it was the ideal location for the desperately needed additional laboratory space.  Secondly, the genesis of the sixth form meant that a considerable budget was made available to develop the A level science courses.

The science staff were quick to plan and design the changes necessary to convert the old pre-school rooms into laboratories - their main room became what is now the upper lab complete with 10 individual work-stations with Bunsen burners, two sinks and storage space; the store room became a small tutorial laboratory for sixth-form science students with a single work station for simple experiments and the toilet area became the prep-room, with storage facilities for apparatus and chemicals, plus  a work-station with sink.  The lower lab was also up-graded at this time and now includes individual work stations and two sinks.

With the funding that was made available to the science department for the setting-up of the sixth-form science courses an extensive range of apparatus was purchased so that all areas of the various syllabi are now able to be investigated “hands-on” by the students. Both laboratories also have television and video facilities to make full use of the extensive library of science videos available in the department and there is a computer with data-logging apparatus for use by the older students.