Kent housebuilders Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes have partnered with Tide School to offer its Sea Sense for Schools programme to pupils at Warden House Primary School, near its Sholden Meadows development.
This comes as the UK’s unprecedented hot and dry summer created “one of the busiest and most demanding seasons” for lifeguards, according to Ed Stevens, South East lifeguard lead.[1] With summer temperatures expected to rise year-on-year, it’s vital to ensure people’s safety as they cool off in the sea.
Founded by Will Thomson, a water safety expert, Sea Sense for Schools is a coastal education programme for children. It aims to improve awareness of the dangers posed by the sea and help people living in coastal areas to understand and predict its patterns.
Kicking off the partnership with a 20-minute educational assembly for the whole school, Years 4, 5 and 6 then split off for individual workshops throughout the morning. Through interactive activities, the children were taught how to understand tides, streams, winds, waves and rip currents. Their new knowledge of tidal patterns aims to keep them safe while enjoying life on the coast.
Will Thomson, Head of Tide School, said: “Improving water safety is my passion. The pupils at Warden House were engaged throughout my time with them, giving coastal safety the gravitas it calls for, while having fun in interactive workshops.”
“Through Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes’ support, I was able to provide free water safety education to the pupils at Warden House and help their pupils learn how to read the sea and live safely on the coast.”
Natalie Perry, Sales & Marketing Director at Barratt David Wilson Kent, added: “At Barratt David Wilson Kent, we are dedicated to supporting the communities around our developments. Coastal areas like Deal are vibrant and relaxed areas to live, but understanding water safety is crucial to help local communities thrive by the sea. Partnering with Will Thomson enabled us to provide vital coastal safety education at Warden House, encouraging them to stay safe in the water. We’re pleased that the students found the sessions engaging and resonant, providing an important, lasting lesson.”
A spokesperson from Warden House Primary School, said: “Encouraging our pupils to act safely is key to our mission of supporting education for life. Sea Sense for Schools has given our pupils a strong understanding of the dangers posed by the sea.
“We’re incredibly grateful to both Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes and Will Thomson for bringing these insightful sessions to our school, which we hope will carry a lasting legacy in the pupils’ lives and inform their cautious, knowledgeable approaches to the sea.”
