A SCIENCE suite that will allow nearly all of a school's science lessons to take place in a laboratory has been opened and blessed.

The Right Reverend Robert Byrne, Bishop of Cuncacestre and Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham carried out the ceremony at Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College.

The labs which cost nearly three quarters of a million pounds were built thanks to a Local Authority Co-ordinated Voluntary Aided Programme (LCVAP) grant of £514,000 plus contributions from the Timberdine Avenue college of £210,000.

Bishop Robert presented a short homily before blessing the building and thanks were given to those who helped make the science suite possible by the college's principal Sean Devlin.

Bishop Robert told guests and pupils that science and religion complemented each other.

He said: "Science and religion are not opposed to each other.

"One speaks to the other.

"Science informs us about God's creation and our faith tells us the meaning of that creation.

"They are two different things but certainly very complementary.

"Science can deepen our faith."

Visitors sang hymns, heard a reading from the Prophet Micah and joined in with prayers of intercession.

The school's choir also performed a version of Josh Groban's You raise me up.

Mr Devlin told those assembled it had been a tricky project and thanked representatives from Gould Singleton Architects and Speller Metcalfe along with Bosko Medakovic from Worcestershire county council's children, families and communities department and Toni Guest from the Archdiocese of Birmingham.

Speaking afterwards Mr Devlin said: "It will mean in every science lesson, except for an hour and a half per week, students will have the laboratory experience.

"Teaching science in a classroom doesn't give you that experience and it means they can do experiments in every lesson."

Among the guests were John Edwards and Stephen Bullock of Gould Singleton Architects, Malcolm Knight from Bridgewater and Coulton, Myles Crabtree from Speller Metcalfe, David Ralph from Mark Dady Associates and Mr Medakovic.

Also there was Peter McHugh chair of governors, governors David Vas and Jacquie Sheldon, college chaplains Father Paul Johnson and Father Brian McGinley and Mike Painter, headteacher of Cherry Orchard Primary School.