Pupils were given a taste of life in a science lab as new research revealed shy students often hold themselves back during science lessons in schools.

Bayer surveyed 500 teachers to coincide with the launch of their new sate-of-the-art science facility - Baylab.

Baylab’s manager, Emma Schierbaum, a science teacher and bio-chemist said: “Practical experiments can often suffer due to lack of lesson time, facilities, and class size. Shy students tend to get forgotten in normal classes of 30+ and so Baylab is intent on ensuring all students, even those less confident than others, gain hands-on experience by allowing children to work individually or in pairs, in a team environment.

"I guide them through each of their experiments, giving all students the chance to build their confidence and see how science lessons relate to real-life settings."

Pupils from Purley Primary School were invited to the lab yesterday to enjoy the new facilities.

The lab is part of a £11m investment inspiring youngsters to pursue careers in science.