Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities have taken part in a hands-on session designed to help them understand how buildings are made.

The event was delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction, which is currently building the state-of-the-art Orion Academy in Knights Road, Blackbird Leys.

The £12m development is being delivered for Oxfordshire County Council.

Oxford Mail:

Held at the Orion Academy site, the session, before schools closed as part of lockdown 3, was designed to involve the students in the building of their new school’s home, and to give them an insight into construction.

Throughout the day, each class from the school was invited to sign a brick.

Members of the Morgan Sindall Construction project team also gave a talk about the project itself and answered questions about the building process.

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Guest speakers from the supply chain including local contractor, Robert Brothers Construction, were there to teach the children about their roles in the project.

The Orion Academy event was held in strict compliance with current Covid-19 health and safety guidelines, with all attending maintaining social distancing and wearing protective PPE.

Morgan Sindall Construction plans to work closely with the supply chain throughout the duration of the project, and the children will have a number of opportunities to visit the Orion Academy site as work progresses.

Orion Academy is operated by The Gallery Trust, a special multi-academy trust based in Oxford. The build is scheduled to complete in autumn 2021, in time for the start of the academic term.

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Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Cultural Services, said: “It is wonderful that some of the future pupils of Orion Academy were able to gain an insight into construction and the role it plays in shaping the world around us, whilst building work is taking place."