A Bradford school was today unveiling its new construction centre, created from a converted caretaker’s house, which will give pupils the chance to hone their building skills in a real-life environment.

The centre at Tong High School, which is part of its Classroom in Construction scheme, offers a direct route to employment for students choosing to pursue a career in the industry.

The school hopes the centre, created in partnership with building and civil engineers Moortown Construction, will add an extra dimension to its BTEC courses, giving pupils the chance to learn outside the classroom. Head teacher Steve Curran said each room in the house allowed the students to practice different aspects of construction, from joinery to plumbing.

He said: “It’s much better than a classroom and is great for the students’ development.

“The links we have with Moortown and many other local employers allow us to offer these unique opportunities to our students to increase their experience and, most importantly in these times of austerity, to provide a direct route to employment.

“With youth unemployment at record levels and so many young people currently not in education, employment and training, we are working hard to ensure our students are best-equipped to reach their full potential, whether they’re set for university life or the world of work.

“As part of this, we are building links with leading businesses to ensure we continue to develop employability skills.”

The cost of the construction centre has mostly been covered by Moortown Construction donating its time, labour and materials for a significant amount of the project.

At today’s launch, people could take part in various activities, from playing football on the premier league-standard astroturf pitches, to having a dip in the swimming pool and visiting the dance studios.

Parents and potential pupils could also sample activities in each curriculum area, such as making methane bubbles in science, creating pizzas in food technology, experiencing the school’s farm and going back in time in with the history and humanities departments.

Mr Curran said: “Tong High School is a great place to learn. The recent recognition and academic success, combined with the range of academic, vocational and development opportunities we have to offer, will hopefully make a positive lasting impression.”

The centre was opened by Mr Curran and Steve O’Keefe, a construction manager at Moortown Construction.