A CONSTRUCTION company has been showing children the importance of keeping clear of renovation work at their school through unusual demonstrations.

Normal lessons at St Patrick’s Primary School, in Thornaby, near Stockton, were replaced by demonstrations from Koru Property Services.

They included melons being smashed with hammers with and without a hard hat, and teachers standing on children’s toes to show the level of protection given by specialist boots.

The lessons were given by Koru, based in Gateshead, to raise awareness of the dangers of the work at the school and to ensure they keep well clear.

The school is undergoing an overhaul, which is being carried out by Koru and funded by the Diocese of Middlesbrough.

Peggy Swinhoe, the headteacher at St Patrick’s, said: “We are spending around £250,000 on this project and as well as it being cost-effective, we had to make sure that the construction company which got the job was sympathetic to the needs of working within a school with young children.

“Koru demonstrated they have the right knowledge, experience and ethics, and the children have learnt so much from them, not just about health and safety, but also about how the building is being constructed, and about working environments for their own future career paths.”

Koru director Mark Taylor said: “The best way to hold children’s attention is with a bit of fun, but the melonsmashing and toe-stomping carried a serious message that the classes seemed to understand.”