BOB the Builder may not have been in evidence, but that didn’t stop Year 1 pupils at Frome Valley School from having a fascinating time when they explored a local building site.

The youngsters from Crossways spent the morning with their teacher Amber Palmer and classroom assistants learning how houses are built, starting with the foundations and working up to the roof.

They are lucky enough to have new houses being built just outside their school gates by Betterment Properties and have been finding the whole process fascinating to follow.

Two groups of Year 1 pupils were shown around a building site next to their school by site manager Mike Bush and groundworker Tim Chisholme, who mixed up some cement and showed how it was used to hold bricks together.

Dressed in their wellies and high-visibility tabards, the excited class was shown how ground was levelled and prepared in readiness for building. They then learned how the exterior and interior walls are constructed and at what stage the stairs, kitchen fittings and – most importantly – the toilets are installed.

Mrs Palmer said: “The visit has been part of a topic called Home Sweet Home that we are working on this term. We have looked at different sorts of houses as well as household items – someone brought in a mangle from the 1970s last week.

“We will also be looking at the Design and Technology side of the topic and getting the class to design a home using bits of cardboard.”

She added: “I think they have found it really interesting, looking at the different stages of the building.”