PUPILS from a York special school got a look at the work that goes in to building a housing development thanks to a local developer.

David Wilson Homes Yorkshire East, partnered with Applefields School to help its students learn more about how the houses have been built on its Rowntree development at Derwenthorpe.

York Press:

The school, which specialises in children with a wide range of educational needs, brought nine pupils aged between 11 and 13 years old to visit the new Rowntree quarter development, part of the Derwenthorpe site, currently being built in York.

The children went behind-the-scenes to find out what goes into building new homes and how they are designed to be high quality and long lasting.

The site manager, Jay Kerman, shared details with the children all about the housebuilding process, including the different materials and skills that are required when building new homes.

With the national housing shortage, 140,000 new houses will need to be built in the UK by 2021[1] to meet this demand.

Mr Kerman said: “It’s really important to engage with young people and highlight the significance of housebuilding and how it can positively impact the local community.

“Many of these young children will look to buy homes in the area in years to come, so it’s our responsibility to ensure they understand just how important it is to build new communities, which offer a high quality of life for the next generation.

“The children were really interested in the development and enjoyed learning about the different tools and materials – touching and feeling these materials as a sensory experience. They were able to understand that building a house uses different materials and that they have different functions. They loved seeing the machines in action!”

Claire Hopkinson, a teacher at Applefields, said: “It was great for the children to be able to visit and learn more about house building and how it benefits the local area. Opportunities like this inspire them to think about job options for the future and the various skills and training required in the industry. ”As The Press reported last month, phase one of the Derwenthorpe development earned its designers two accolades at the Royal Institute for British Architects (RIBA) Yorkshire Awards 2017. When it is finished, the scheme is expected to include 489 eco-friendly and energy efficient homes. Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JHRT) is in charge of the development near Osbaldwick on the east of York.

It is expected to be finished next year.