Silver End Academy pupils learn how a new home is built on visit to Bellway development

Primary school pupils from Silver End Academy gained a fascinating insight into the housebuilding process when they visited Bellway’s Francis Gardens development in the village.

Sixteen children from Years 3 to 6 – all members of the School Council – were given a guided tour of Bellway’s House to Home plot by Site Manager Billy Granshaw and were shown around a completed showhome by Bellway Sales Manager Laura Trigg.

The group were invited to Francis Gardens by Bellway so they could learn more about the various elements which go into constructing a new-build house and the range of job roles involved in creating new housing developments.

The House to Home plot at Francis Gardens demonstrates various stages of the build process, including the ‘first fix’ before plastering takes place, the ‘second fix’ when sinks, baths and other fixtures are installed, and the final stages when tiling and carpets are added. It also showcases the sustainable timber frames which are being used in the construction of all 94 homes at Francis Gardens.

Vicki Chaplin, Deputy Head at Silver End Academy, accompanied the children on the visit along with Learning Support Assistant Sergul Hasan.

Vicki said: “The children had an absolutely brilliant time. They were so excited to visit the House to Home plot and were fascinated by what was behind the walls. From an educational point of view, it gave them a real insight into what goes into building a house and how it progresses from the starting point into a fully completed house. It also gave them a greater awareness of the jobs and careers that are available in construction.

“The children also loved exploring the showhome and were fascinated by the blue covers that they had to wear over their shoes while walking round. One of the pupils said to me, ‘I really want to live in one of these houses.’ Both Billy and Laura were absolutely fantastic with the children, answering all their questions and really engaging with them. I’d like to say a big thank you to Bellway for inviting us and for making it such an enjoyable and worthwhile experience of the children.”

Laura Trigg, Sales Manager for Bellway Essex, said: “It was a real pleasure to welcome staff and pupils from Silver End Academy to our House to Home plot and showhome at Francis Gardens. We believe it’s important to engage with the local communities where we build and the school is integral to that.

“The children were extremely enthusiastic and keen to ask questions, and we hope they learned a lot from the visit. It would be nice to think that some of the pupils may even have been inspired to think about a future career in construction after seeing how a new house is built.”

For more information about Bellway’s Francis Gardens development, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/essex/francis-gardens or call the sales team on 01376 748617.

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