Year 6 pupils from Whitchurch Primary School were given a special behind-the-scenes tour of Baker Estates’ new development Little Orchard in Tavistock this week.

The South West-based housebuilder is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and to mark this milestone, Baker Estates has planned a series of community events across the region to give communities the change to see just what is involved in building new homes.

The visit marked a full-circle moment for the pupils, who were invited just over a year ago to help mark the official start of construction at the 44-home development off Plymouth Road in. This time, they were welcomed back to see how the site has progressed — including a tour of the new show home and a talk on construction site safety.

The pupils took a tour of the development, learned how homes are built, and looked around the three-bedroom show home, a bungalow – now open to visitors.

Kerry Bargewell, headteacher at Whitchurch Primary School, said: “A year ago pupils were asked to mark the start of construction at the site, so it was fascinating to see the progress. It was a lovely gesture for Baker Estates to invite the children back. They really enjoyed learning all about site safety and seeing inside the show home.”

Annie Williams, sales and marketing director at Baker Estates, added: “As part of our 10th anniversary initiatives, we felt it was important to support the local communities where we have been building and that has included schools, clubs and charity organIsations.

“It was a lovely opportunity to showcase our new development in the town to the pupils, who were very interested in how we have built Little Orchard.”