Leading housebuilder Bellway recently hosted a site visit for a handful of Year 11 pupils from Sefton Impact, a secondary Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) on Dale Acre Drive in Netherton.
The 15 and 16 year olds visited St Wilfrid’s Place, a development of two, three and four bedroom homes on Hawthorne Road in Litherland.
The site visit was led by Ian Hopkins, Bellway’s Construction Director, who was joined by Anthony Doyle (site manager), Liam Navarro (construction manager) and Amelia Size (trainee assistant site manager).
The pupils first enjoyed a tour of the two show homes, and then headed on to site, reviewing houses at various stages of construction, and learning more about the different roles available on an active building site. They also tried their hand at bricklaying.
Sefton Impact offers full time education for pupils who, for a variety of reasons, have not flourished in mainstream schools. The priority at Impact is to provide pupils with the opportunity to re-engage in the process of education and learning, with interactive and informative school trips an essential part of their journey.
Mrs Richards, Teacher of Arts and Careers at Sefton Impact PRU, said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for our Year 11 pupils. They got a glimpse into the world of work, and in particular, the construction industry in Liverpool.
“The pupils were amazed at the variety of jobs which exist on a construction site. Some pupils had already expressed an interest in working in construction during careers sessions in school, and that was why we worked with Liverpool City Region Careers Hub and Bellway to arrange this opportunity. Even for pupils with no idea about their future career aspirations, they returned to school with invigorated ideas about employment and training opportunities.
“This trip wasn’t just an introduction to the construction industry, it was hands-on, engaging and stimulating, and it made a huge difference to our pupils. We can’t thank Bellway enough.”
Jenny Bell, sales director at Bellway, added: “Our construction team is passionate about the work they do and proud of the houses they build, and they were delighted to host this site visit for Sefton Impact. The pupils really seemed to enjoy their time at St Wilfrid’s and we hope they take on board what they learnt and perhaps embark upon a career in construction in the future.”
