On Wednesday 28th January, thirteen Year 11 pupils were invited to Newcastle College for a 'Construction Taster Day'. Pupils were selected based upon an expressed interest in the construction courses on offer at the College.

The day began with a taster of the Bricklaying Course. Pupils were given a very short demonstration on how to build a wall! The boys cracked on and impressively built their walls following instructions effectively. The tutor was impressed with all pupils but was particularly taken by the skills of Brandon Abbott and Jordan McKie; both appeared to have technique in this area.

This was followed by a session in the Joinery workshop where once again pupils were given a demonstration on how to make a coat hook. Pupils were able to use skills that they had already acquired here at Chesterton and once again the tutor was impressed by the level of skill. This session gave the pupils an opportunity to ask questions on entry requirements for the course. The tutor spent time with individuals discussing their GCSE grades.

After lunch, the Year 11 pupils were split into two small groups and taken into the Painting and Decorating workshop. The aim of this session was to practice the art of 'Marbling and Cutting in'. Each pupil chose a ceramic object to paint which was then varnished for the pupils to keep. The other half of this group took part in a friendly competition of who had the best skill when decorating! The tutor commented on the skill level of several pupils and all of them left the activity with enthusiasm.

Finally, Year 11 were given the opportunity to 'Wire a Plug'! Despite some very complex thinking, all pupils were able to follow instructions and use tools with maturity.

The pupils worked hard throughout the day and gained a very unique insight into the courses that they were considering beyond High School.

A gallery of photographs from the day can be seen below. Please click on an image to enlarge it.

Mrs S Waterhouse

Assistant Headteacher