Highlights:
- Students visit Moss Nook site as first home reaches key milestone
- 30 Construction GCSE pupils take part in hands‑on activities
- Watkin Jones hosts skills session with bricklaying tutorial
Watkin Jones, the leading UK developer and manager of residential properties for rent, recently welcomed 30 Year 10 Construction GCSE students from St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School to the Moss Nook Homes development it is building for housing association Torus in St Helens. The visit was arranged to support students exploring careers in the construction sector and to give them firsthand experience of a live construction site.
The visit also took place as the first home on the development reached a major build milestone, with its final external bricks being completed. This meant students were able to see the completed structure of the first plot, linking their learning to a real, tangible stage of the build programme.
The £63 million development by housing association Torus will deliver 295 affordable homes as part of the third phase of the wider Moss Nook regeneration, which is set to deliver 900 new homes in total.
During the visit, students received a guided tour highlighting the early stages of construction, including the first house before internal finishes are applied, offering insight into the build sequence and modern construction techniques.
A dedicated bricklaying station was created for the day with support from IMS, Watkin Jones’ brickwork contractor. Students were able to learn basic skills, handle professional tools, and practise bricklaying under the supervision of trained operatives.
Watkin Jones is also working with St Cuthbert’s on the development of a new garden area at the school, providing materials, expertise and continued support as part of our Future Foundations ESG commitments.
Jason McGee, Operations Director at Watkin Jones, commented:
“Engaging with local schools is important to us, and this visit has been a brilliant opportunity for young people to get hands‑on experience in a safe, structured environment. We’re proud to support St Cuthbert’s in helping their Construction GCSE students bring learning to life.”
Lawrie Thorpe, St Cuthbert’s teacher, said:
“It was great for our pupils to interact with Construction professionals, seeing a working construction site and also improving their skills needed for their Construction GCSE.
“Watkins Jones have been really supportive and we have been invited back to site later in the year to see how the joinery on site is carried out, another area that is key to the GCSE course. Having connections like this is vital because it is already getting our pupils talking about training in construction when they finish at St. Cuthbert's.”