Booth Museum helps local school create mini-museum

Brighton & Hove Museums is thrilled to have helped the pupils at West Blatchington Primary and Nursery School bring the wonders of the natural world directly into their classrooms. Through a unique donation of duplicate and handling specimens, the school has created a brand-new “Wonder Lab” mini-museum on campus.

The exciting new display features a lifelike Common Pheasant, a Welsh Mountain Sheep skull and a fascinating collection of insects in Perspex cases, including a Malayan Jungle Nymph and a tarantula. The donation also includes a specialised butterfly panel, designed to show how distinct wing patterns help different species survive through camouflage.

The items found their new home as part of a routine collections review. As a registered charitable trust, Brighton & Hove Museums periodically reviews its vast collections to ensure items are properly cared for, relevant and effectively utilised.

During a recent review, these common or duplicate specimens were formally offered out to the wider sector via the Museums Association’s “Find an Object” service, which is a platform designed to find new homes for items being ethically disposed of from museum collections. When no other museums came forward, we were delighted to offer them directly to West Blatchington Primary alongside several ex-education handling pieces.

The mini-museum is already a huge hit, directly supporting the school’s after-school Science Club for Year 5 and 6 pupils.

“My dream for the Wonder Lab has always been to give children real, hands-on experiences of science, the kind that makes them lean in, ask questions and see the world differently,” said Nicole Bryce-Sharron, STEM Governor at West Blatchington. “These donated specimens have helped transform the space into a mini-museum where pupils can explore natural history up close.”

A spokesman from the Museum said: “We are absolutely delighted to see these objects find such a meaningful second life, ensuring they remain in the public sector to inspire the next generation of scientists and curators right here in Brighton.”

The Booth Museum of Natural History is currently closed for refurbishment and set to reopen again in 2027.