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Pupils from Years 5 & 6 at Wentworth School, Rotherham, based their Spring term science work around Materials and their Properties. Part of their work involved visits to:
- a local wood yard
- a pewter factory
- the Yorkshire Sculpture Park
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 Working with wood
The pupils spent an afternoon looking at the various jobs and activities that went on in a local wood yard. They noted how the material was being used, and how the various processes turned the raw material into usable pieces of wood. They met and spoke to managers, lathe operators, joiners, finishers and secretaries, gaining an insight into the various types of employment found throughout the wood yard.
On their return to school several children put together a project pack for children at Key Stage 1. All the children in the school now have an awareness of a local industry at work within their own community.
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 Pewter craftsmen
A small Sheffield manufacturer invited the children to his factory to spend the morning looking at the making of pewter products. They watched all the process involved to turn pewter sheet metal into a variety of objects - tankards, salvers and ornaments. They also saw a computer aided designer at work, preparing emblems and logos for the finished products.
During the morning they met all the staff: apprentices, part-time workers, skilled craftsmen, managers and secretaries. They had the opportunity to talk to everyone about their work, what they did and how long they had worked there. The manager was keen to encourage school groups to visit his factory to give them an insight to a traditional craft-based industry. He felt such visits would sow the seeds of interest for a future work force
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 Sculptures in the countryside
During their visit to the sculpture park, the children were guided by a countryside warden who talked openly about her work and her involvement with the park. It gave the children an insight into an unusual type of occupation and an opportunity to ask about other people who worked there such as gardeners, caterers and sculptors. |
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