Students asked to write about dangers of living near construction works.
Three authors at a Tattenhoe school have been crowned winners in a local poetry competition launched by housebuilder Keepmoat.
Priory Rise Primary School pupils, situated just 500 yards from Keepmoat’s new development Haworth Place in Tattenhoe Park, were challenged to write poems about living in Milton Keynes and the importance of being safe near building sites.
It followed a safety talk by Emma Davis, the housebuilder’s social value manager, to 500 students about staying safe near building sites, and asked pupils to write a poem about living near construction works.
The appropriate task came as Milton Keynes gets set to welcome 53,000 new homes to the area by 2050.
Haworth Place was named in honour of the birthplace of literary greats the Bronte sisters, and the poetry task links strongly with the estate’s variety of literature honoured through street names including Wilde Grove, Beckett Street, Joyce Lane and Bronte Avenue.
Three winners were announced – Arinjay, 9, Alicia, 10 and Yazzan, 10 – for their ‘clear storytelling, natural flair and understanding of the theme’. The competition also extended to younger pupils, who designed and drew site safety posters.
“It has been great to work with Keepmoat to help our pupils learn about being safe near building sites,” said Corinne Benham-Smith, headteacher, Priory Rise School.
“Site safety is incredibly important when living in a place like Milton Keynes, which is at the forefront of residential and commercial developments. Pupils were highly engaged with the talk and the challenge of creating a poem about their hometown.”
“Our team is delighted that our insights were able to inspire the students to create such impressive poems in keeping with the development’s literacy theme,” said Emma Davis.
“We hope that this visit and the accompanying competition not only offered the students valuable insights into the industry but also sparked their imaginations and introduced them to the exciting career possibilities available within the construction sector.”
