Project Catalyst

Reception Area

Creating the next home of The National Mathematics and Science College

Project Catalyst is the name of our programme to create the next major home of The National Mathematics and Science College: a specialist STEM environment designed around the needs, ambitions and potential of our students. 

The project is intended to bring together our main teaching, study, social, specialist STEM and community spaces in one enhanced College site, creating a campus that reflects who we are: a high-achieving, specialist mathematics and science college with an international outlook and a commitment to academic excellence, curiosity and innovation. 

This page will be updated regularly as the project develops, with news, images, milestones and progress updates. 

A word from our Principal:

“Project Catalyst is about creating a home for the next stage of NatMatSci: one that reflects the ambition of our students and the distinctive nature of NatMatSci. We want this to be more than a school building. We want it to be a STEM environment in its own right: a place where students can see mathematics, science, engineering, data and design at work all around them.”  

Dr Andy Kemp, Principal

Project Catalyst

Why Project Catalyst? 

The word catalyst captures what this project is intended to do. 

A catalyst accelerates change. It makes new possibilities achievable. It helps transform potential into action. 

That is what this project will do for NatMatSci. It is not simply about more space. It is an opportunity to create a new kind of specialist STEM learning environment: one where the building itself supports learning, where students can see science and engineering all around them, and where the spaces they use every day reflect the seriousness and ambition of their academic work. 

Project Catalyst will give our students and staff access to the facilities, flexibility and shared spaces needed for the next stage of the College’s development.

bIology Lab

A building that teaches 

At NatMatSci, we believe STEM is everywhere. Project Catalyst gives us the opportunity to make that belief visible. 

Our ambition is for the new College home to become more than a place where lessons happen. We want it to become part of the learning experience itself. 

Where appropriate, the design will expose and celebrate the engineering of the building. Services, structure, data, movement, environmental systems and materials can all become teaching opportunities. Students might see the physics of movement and forces, the mathematics of structures, the computing infrastructure behind digital systems, or the data produced by the building management system. 

The intention is to create a setting that feels closer to a living STEM environment than a conventional school building: intellectually serious, visually distinctive and full of opportunities to ask questions. 

Makers Space

New for 2027: A Specialist Two-Year GCSE Programme

Project Catalyst isn’t just creating a new home for NatMatSci – it’s creating new opportunities for future students.

From 2027, we’re proud to introduce a specialist two-year GCSE programme for ambitious young people with a passion for mathematics, science and technology.

Designed for bright, motivated students who are ready for a more focused and intellectually challenging Key Stage 4 experience, the programme will provide an exceptional foundation for A-level study and future pathways into STEM.

Students will benefit from small class sizes, expert teaching, outstanding specialist facilities and a STEM-rich curriculum, alongside our distinctive Intersections Programme, which develops the wider knowledge, skills and confidence needed to thrive beyond the classroom.

By launching our GCSE programme alongside Project Catalyst, we’re extending the NatMatSci experience to younger learners, allowing students to immerse themselves in our specialist STEM environment from the age of 14.

Whether their ambition is engineering, medicine, mathematics, computer science or scientific research, our new GCSE programme will provide the knowledge, curiosity and confidence to go further, earlier.

Learn more about our GCSE programme by clicking here.

Where is the new building?

Project Catalyst will move The National Mathematics and Science College into its new permanent home at Greenwood House on Westwood Way, just a few minutes’ walk from our current site at The Oaks. Instead of building from scratch, we will refurbish and repurpose this distinctive existing building as a specialist STEM college environment. Its size will create new opportunities for advanced teaching, practical science, independent study, student collaboration, dining, assemblies, examinations and events, while the refurbishment will also help us showcase and celebrate the building’s engineering. 

As plans develop, we will continue to consider how our wider estate, including our existing teaching and boarding facilities, can best support the needs of the College community.

Greenwood House Map of new location

Designed for specialist STEM learning 

Project Catalyst will support the full breadth of College life, from advanced classroom teaching to independent study, practical science, student collaboration and community events. 

The developing plans include: 

  • high-quality classrooms and laboratories; 
  • specialist STEM spaces, including opportunities for advanced practical science; 
  • flexible breakout, study and meeting spaces; 
  • spaces that support engineering, making, computing and data-rich learning; 
  • social and dining facilities able to support the daily life of the College community; 
  • a large assembly and examination space suitable for major College gatherings and public events; 
  • carefully designed public areas, reception and circulation spaces that communicate the character of NatMatSci from the moment someone arrives. 

Sustainability 

 

Project Catalyst starts with a sustainable principle: refurbishing and transforming an existing building, rather than starting again from scratch. As the design develops, we are exploring practical ways to improve comfort, efficiency and long-term performance, while recognising the realities of working with an existing structure. 

We are also looking for opportunities to reuse materials from the building itself, where appropriate — for example as adapted furniture, display features or student project materials — so that the story of the refurbishment becomes visible in the new College environment. 

Our Journey
  • atrium at NatMatSci
  • Map of new location
  • Greenwood House
  • Makers Space
  • Project Catalyst
  • bIology Lab

Frequently asked questions 

Why is the project needed? 

NatMatSci has grown in ambition, reputation and educational scope. Project Catalyst will provide a physical environment that better reflects the College’s specialist STEM mission and supports the next stage of its growth and development. 

What will happen to boarding? 

The College’s existing premium boarding accommodation including our restaurant will remain where it is just a few minutes’ walk from the new building.  Students will continue to benefit from the high-quality facilities, and pastoral support that our Residence provides.  Breakfast and dinner, and lunches at the weekend, will continue to be provided from our existing Restaurant in the boarding house, with lunches, refreshments and snacks served from the Bistro in the new building. 

What will be different for students? 

Students will benefit from improved teaching, study, practical, social and specialist STEM spaces. The aim is to create an environment that supports academic excellence while also giving students more opportunities to collaborate, present, explore, experiment and learn beyond the classroom. 

Will students be involved? 

Yes. As the project develops, we intend to involve students and staff in understanding the plans, contributing ideas and using the project itself as a learning opportunity. 

When will more information be available? 

This page will be updated as the project progresses and as key milestones are confirmed. 

Our Partners

Webb Yates
Saunders
Cundall
Huntley
Scott Acoustic

ARE YOU SMART ENOUGH?

An independent sixth form boarding and day college specialising in A-level STEM subjects. For students aged 15 -19, aiming to study at the world’s leading universities.

Enquire nowTry our Maths Quiz