17 Jul Local primary school receives lesson on the dangers of construction sites
Cala Homes (North Home Counties) visited Alresford Primary School to talk to 51 pupils in their end of term assembly about the housebuilding industry and educate them about the dangers of playing in and around construction sites.
The year 5 class enjoyed an interactive session which covered the history of building houses as well as the variety of fantastic and varied career opportunities within the industry, but there was also a stark warning about the dangers of going into construction areas unsupervised.
Scott Davies, Regional Health, Safety and Environmental Manager for Cala Homes NHC, visited the Alresford Primary School pupils to discuss how Cala keeps its nearby Ufford Chase development in Great Bentley safe. Children were able to try on a range of protective clothing and watch a video specially created by Cala to help highlight some of the hidden dangers that can be found on building sites.
Stay Safe, Stay Away also provides a range of curriculum-based activities including designing a site safety poster and writing a news article.
The initiative is a core part of Cala Homes NHC’s Community Pledge, the housebuilder’s long-standing commitment to bring meaningful investment to its local communities.
Scott said: “The Stay Safe, Stay Away programme is designed to spread the message to children that construction sites are not somewhere to play around. Although we ensure all Cala sites are secure, it is important young people know the dangers of entering a construction area, so they don’t put themselves or their friends in harm’s way.
“The message is a serious one however we hope that our animated film, presentation, and the activities are fun and allow children to relate to the topic.
“Another aim of this initiative is to bring to life at grassroots level how new homes are developed and the important role that housebuilders play in creating sustainable new communities. It was also great to highlight the great variety of jobs involved in building homes, from land buying and construction to sustainability, which the children thoroughly enjoyed.
“It was a fantastic session, and the children were incredibly enthusiastic and engaged with Stay Safe, Stay Away – we hope they take lots away from the session.”
Lauren Hammond, teacher and Senior Leadership Team member at Alresford Primary School, said: “Our year 5 pupils thoroughly enjoyed the Stay Safe, Stay Away session delivered by Scott.
“The event was super successful, capturing the children’s attention from start to finish. The interactive nature of the session and Scott’s engaging delivery kept the pupils highly engaged. They asked a lot of insightful and interesting questions at the end, reflecting their genuine interest and understanding of the important safety messages conveyed.
“This experience was incredibly valuable for our pupils, providing them with essential knowledge in a memorable and enjoyable way. We would like to extend our thanks to Cala Homes NHC for organising this session, and we are very grateful to Scott for delivering such an informative and impactful presentation which has contributed to the safety education of our students.”
