PRIMARY school children tried their hand at building last week.

The Branksome Builders day, held at Branksome School, Darlington, allowed Year 6 pupils from feeder schools to work as architects, bricklayers, joiners, electricians and plumbers.

They also found out what painters, labourers and health and safety officers do at work.

The scheme was set up by Branksome's head of technology Derek McCann and is part of the school's induction programme for pupils starting in September.

It is funded by the Construction Industry Training board's curriculum centre. Teams of children aged ten and 11, designed a tower block, building brick walls, connecting water pipes and making window boxes.

They were supervised by builders and lecturers from the College of Technology.

Teachers at Alderman Leach Juniors, Cockerton CE primary, Mount Pleasant primary, Corporation Road junior and Reid Street primary schools worked with builders and Branksome school to plan the day.

Mr McCann said: "We work closely with the construction curriculum centre and this is a fun day to bring children from different schools together."