The school, in Hillcrest Avenue, Kibworth Harcourt, has already secured £6,000 through the Rolls-Royce Science Prize which has been used to pay for new equipment and training.

It is one of just nine schools across the UK to be in the running for the £15,000 top prize or £10,000 up for grabs to the runner-up.

The Rolls-Royce competition for schools is run in conjunction with the UK’s ten Science Learning Centres and saw 1,500 schools apply for funds.

The process for Kibworth started back in February and May when higher-level learning support assistant Rachael Durham was sent on a course to the National Science Learning Centre in York.

She was able to learn a number of helpful new science teaching techniques and proposed to share that knowledge with learning support assistants from Kibworth’s ‘development group’ of schools: Meadowdale, Ridgeway and Farndon Fields of Harborough, Billesdon and St Cuthbert’s of Great Glen.

A plan was put together to set up inter-school training sessions and buy new equipment which impressed the Rolls-Royce judges enough for them to award £6,000.

Youngsters at Kibworth illustrated how some of the money has been spent on Friday when Glyn Yarnall, communications chief of the Science Learning Centre East Midlands, visited the school. The centre, based at Leicester University, is offering support to Kibworth’s scheme.

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils showed how they use force meters, devices which use springs to measure friction, and ‘talking tin’ mini-tape recorders, which record students’ predictions for science results.

Mrs Durham, who has been leading the project with Kibworth’s science coordinator Becky Windle, said: “If we were to win the top prize we would look to buy a science pod - a sort of mini Eden Project-type plastic pod - which would be a great piece of equipment to have as a lasting reminder of the scheme.”

The school will find out in October next year if they have been successful in earning the top cash prize which would also be used to continue the inter-schools partnership and buy more equipment.

In the meantime, Kibworth is documenting the initiative’s progress with a monthly diary and videos which are being submitted to the Rolls-Rolls judges.

l Kibworth Primary School is hosting its annual Christmas fair on Sunday. The event, which runs from 1 to 4pm, will feature stalls, games, an appearance by Santa, Christmas pudding stall and a chocolate tombola.

Admission costs £1 for adults, which includes a glass of mulled wine, and is free for children.