Students Learn How to Build a Future

Lessons were brought to life for construction students from Doncaster College who experienced first-hand the practical workings of a building site with a visit to a new luxury housing development in East Yorkshire.

The site visit was hosted by Duchy Homes, who are building an exclusive collection of twenty detached homes and six affordable bungalows at Roseberry Park in Hessle, close to the iconic Humber Bridge.

Fourteen students working towards a Diploma Level 1 in Brickwork were given a site induction, followed by a tour of the development by Duchy Homes site manager Richard Stancliffe and construction manager Kevin Bapty.

Students were able to experience the efficient co-ordination of trades on site and the crucial time-management of the build programme as Duchy Homes prepares for a show home opening in April and the first plot is forecast for legal completion in June.

With plots at different stages of construction, it was the perfect environment for the students to see the progression of works from foundations to scaffold lift then roofed. The group was also joined by Clover Brickworks managing director Lindsey Johnson, who explained different techniques including working to gauge, insulation, damp-proofing, drainage and jointing.

Visiting the site supported the student’s classroom learning in relation to new build development, construction of foundations, and techniques used in superstructure brickwork.

Chris Pheasey, the Work Placement Officer who organised the students’ visit along with Lecturer Steve Ellison, said: “At Doncaster College, site visits are a very important part of our courses. Visiting a ‘live’ construction site gives our students a valuable insight into the building industry and enhances their understanding of how taught and theoretical principles are applied in practice.”

Richard Stancliffe, commented: “Roseberry Park provides a great opportunity for students to see the construction of homes to incredibly high standards.  At Duchy Homes we take great pride in delivering excellence as standard and we continue to be recognised for the high quality of our craftsmanship by only working with first-class tradespeople. The students from Doncaster College represent the future of the building industry and it’s great to see them showing such enthusiasm for construction. I hope we inspired them today to keep raising standards and have shown them what can be achieved.”

All the students gave positive feedback on their visit and felt motivated to continue their learning so they could contribute to developments like Roseberry Park in the future. Callum Mckinney, said: “I could really tell that it was a good environment to work in and everyone had high expectations. My ambition is to run a bricklaying team on a site like this.”

Recently crowned ‘Best Residential Developer of the Year’ in the Yorkshire Residential Property Awards 2018, Duchy Homes is an award-winning home builder with a strong reputation for building luxury properties in premium locations, with many distinguished developments across Yorkshire.  Roseberry Park in Hessle is Duchy Homes’ most sought-after new development to-date, and will open for sales at the end of March.

For further information about Duchy Homes and its developments, visit www.duchyhomes.co.uk.  To find out more about the construction courses on offer at Doncaster College, click here.