Primary school pupils become ‘Building Buddies’ with Orbit Homes on special visit to Hanwood Park in Kettering

Local primary school children swapped the classroom for a construction site on a special trip to the Hanwood Park development in Kettering, as part of Orbit Homes’ ‘Building Buddies’ educational programme.

‘Building Buddies’ is designed by Orbit Homes for children aged 7 to 11 in Key Stage Two and saw pupils from Hayfield Cross Church of England School in Barton Seagrave experience a unique hands-on visit at Hanwood Park.

The pupils were able to widen their understanding of construction and the range of skills used in the industry whilst safely exploring the development and speaking to the site team.

Children could then put their knowledge into action by trying their hand at bricklaying alongside Orbit Homes colleagues, as well as having the opportunity to build a special 3D model house which teaches pupils about all the different key stages involved in building a new home.

The students also received a special completion certificate and pin badge to take home after the visit.

Tim Harrison, Construction Director at Orbit Homes, said: “We were delighted to welcome pupils from Hayfield Cross Church of England School to Hanwood Park as part of our ‘Building Buddies’ programme. This initiative is an excellent way for us to engage with local communities and teach young people about the wide range of careers available within the housebuilding industry.

“It was great to see the children get hands-on in some fun activities that showed them just how exciting the variety of jobs available in housebuilding can be and our team really enjoyed helping them learn more about construction.”

Grace Briffit, Teacher at Hayfield Cross Church of England School, added: “Our pupils absolutely loved visiting the Hanwood Park development with Orbit Homes colleagues. This visit was such a unique opportunity for the children to learn more about all the different trades and skills involved in building a new home, alongside valuable lessons on health and safety in construction. 

“The pupils had a fantastic time touring the site and getting involved with the activities and we’re very grateful to Orbit Homes for taking the time to give the children a fun visit to Hanwood Park that they won’t forget.”

Building Buddies also offers free classroom resources, including Maths and English activities linked to day-to-day construction jobs, which are available at www.orbithomes.org.uk/about-orbit/building-buddies. To book a Building Buddies visit or to learn more, contact: building.buddies@orbit.org.uk.

Building Buddies joins ‘Eco Buddies’, another free educational programme from Orbit Homes which allows primary school children to learn more about biodiversity and sustainable construction through building and decorating eco-friendly features. Find out more about Eco Buddies here.

At Hanwood Park, Orbit Homes recently released new two and three-bedroom homes available to purchase with Shared Ownership. All homes are built to Orbit Homes’ all-inclusive specification and featuring flooring and carpet throughout, some integrated appliances, turf to rear gardens and more as standard.

For more information about the new homes that Orbit Homes will be releasing at Hanwood Park and to register your interest, visit: www.orbithomes.org.uk/orbit-homes-at-hanwood-park

Picture caption: Pupils from Hayfield Cross Primary school visit Hanwood Park in Kettering