Pupils' lessons for the public

PUPILS from Croft’s two primary schools are helping to teach the wider community about the history and ecology of the area.
Children from Croft Primary and St Lewis RC Primary were invited to produce information boards for the new Gosling Park development being built by Elan Homes, off Lady Lane.
The signs, featuring drawings and research produced by year six pupils, along with photographs from RAF Burtonwood Association, were unveiled when the children visited the development.
While they were there, the youngsters were treated to a demonstration by Vale Royal Falconry, given a tour of the show home and taught about the importance of health and safety on and near construction sites.
Marie Morris, sales director for Elan Homes in the North, said: “When we were planning Gosling Park we decided we wanted to work with local schools to produced information boards to chart the history and ecology of the site. We held workshops with both schools to teach children about the area and then tasked them with designing the signs.
“They’ve all done an excellent job at recording the history of HMS Gosling and detailing some of the species that can be found here. We’re proud to be able to display the work they produced and would encourage people to come along and see the boards for themselves.”
Less than five acres of the 21-acre parcel of land off Lady Lane will be developed, leaving around 80 per cent of the site as a protected woodland and a wildflower meadow.
Species in the area are thought to include barn owls, tawny owls and kestrels and as part of Elan’s ecological commitment the company will provide nesting boxes around the site.
Helen Wright, year six teacher at St Lewis RC Primary, said: “The children really enjoyed learning about their local environment and relished the challenge of producing displays to share that information with the wider community.”
Simon Thompson, year six teacher at Croft Primary, added: “Seeing their work on the information boards at Gosling Park was rewarding for the children. They also enjoyed seeing the birds of prey and with the summer holidays about to start had a timely lesson on the importance of staying safe near construction sites.”
The information boards produced by the children are currently on display at Gosling Park.
When all of the homes are complete they will be given pride of place at the start of a pathway that will run through the woodland and wildflower meadow.
The show home at Gosling Park is open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 5pm, call 0845 293 8818 or see www.elan-homes.co.uk/gosling-park.
Pictured: Children from St Lewis Primary enjoy a first look at the finished information boards at Gosling Park and Vale Royal Falconry give a demonstration to children from Croft Primary