Youngsters at Queen’s Hills Primary School in Costessey, near Norwich, learned a valuable lesson about playing safe during a special visit from leading housebuilder Taylor Wimpey East Anglia.
Nearly 150 pupils aged 5 to 11 were taught about the hazards of playing on or around building sites during an assembly hosted by John McCarthy from Taylor Wimpey’s nearby Hunters Park development at Queen’s Hills.
The children were shown a video highlighting the many different ways they could be hurt if they were tempted to stray on to the site – by falling scaffolding, bricks or pipes, by sharp metal or glass hidden in sand, or by moving vehicles.
And the serious message was rounded off with a series of fun games before the school was presented with a gift of high-visibility vests to improve youngsters’ safety while out on school excursions.
Following the recent visit, teacher Bev Hart, who is Key Stage 2 Leader at Queen’s Hills Primary, said it had been of great benefit to the pupils.
She said: “There are lots of building sites close to the school and if children cannot get to a playground, natural curiosity will take over and they could be tempted to play there – especially if they’re unaware of what could happen if they do.
“The film the children were shown was very effective and it was interesting to watch their reactions as they predicted the accidents that were about to happen.
“Not all of the children were necessarily aware of the dangers before, but John’s visit has certainly changed that. Now they know the risks and accept that they have to make the right choice and keep away from building sites.”
John, who was joined at the school by Hunters Park Site Manager Gideon Rossouw and Sales Executive Tracey Lee said he was delighted to be able to spread such an important safety message to the children.
“Children are naturally curious about the things going on around them and building sites probably look like fun places to play, but I think the Queen’s Hills pupils now understand that they’re anything but,” he said.
“I’m pleased to have been able to spread such a valuable message to so many youngsters.”
See Also: Property News (6699), Taylor Wimpey (1857), Queen’s Hills (5), Queen’s Hills Primary School (1), Hunters Park (11)
Date Published: 07 December 2009
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