Tarmac Staff
Welcome to an area of Quarryville that is specifically for site managers. Hopefully you will find Quarryville to be a very useful resource and reference when organising school visits, talks or quarry tours, but we’d like it to become more than that.
We know that there are lots of good ideas out there and we’d like you to share them with other site managers. This section is all about detailing some of the activities you’ve found work really well during school visits or site open days.
For example – at a recent open day at Borras Quarry, in North Wales, the organisers came up with a very creative way of demonstrating to children the dangers of trespassing on site, especially in boggy, silt areas. They put a pair of wellies into a trough or bucket. They then part filled in with concrete and covered the concrete with a layer of silt. One by one children stepped into the wellies and were asked to try and pull them out, which of course, they couldn’t! This demonstrated to children in a very real way that if they trespassed on site, they could easily get stuck in silt and not be able to get out.
If you have any ideas like this one, or perhaps successful competitions you’ve run, displays you’ve created, work sheets you use, etc, please email them to quarryville@tarmac.co.uk and they will be displayed in this section for other site managers to view and adopt.
If you are planning on hosting an open day and would like some help organising or promoting the event, please contact Vicky Fletcher, PR Manager, on victoria.fletcher@tarmac.co.uk / 01902 382214. Details of open days can also be publicised on the events section of Quarryville.
Staff FAQ’s
What is Quarryville?
Quarryville is a virtual village around which Tarmac’s educational resource is based. It allows us to introduce different elements about what Tarmac does by visiting different venues/locations in the village.
Why has it been developed?
It was identified by Tarmac’s PR Department as an area needing attention. The Department was receiving many calls from teachers for child-friendly information on our company and products, but we had nothing to send them. We were missing out on communicating with an important key audience. It will also help site managers communicate with the communities in which they operate and hopefully help promote and build positive relations.
Who has developed the site?
Quarryville has been developed by EBC, an educational consultancy who specialise in web-based resources, in conjunction with Vicky Fletcher and a team of site managers from around the business. It has also been reviewed by teachers, including a GCSE Geography and Geology examiner, whose feedback was extremely positive.
Who is it for?
The site has been created for Key Stage 2 children, i.e., 8-11 year olds, as this was identified as the age group most likely to visit one of our sites. However, it is a very rich site and can be easily adapted for younger and older children. There is also a section for teachers (this is still to be populated with info) and a section for quarry managers where they can share information about additional activities or ideas.
When will it be launched?
Quarryville will be publicly launched when the schools return in September. It is planned to update the site on an annual basis to ensure it is in line with the curriculum. We aim to maintain interest in the site by organising schools competitions and by ‘developing’ Quarryville in the future - i.e. adding another venue such as a school or hospital!
What are the resources?
Resources are currently being sourced and will include child-size hard hats and reflective waistcoats, a poster, material samples and some basic promotional gifts, such as pens, pencils, sharpeners and reflective badges and bands. These will be branded as Quarryville items and can be purchased either by site managers or schools.
How will it help Tarmac?
Tarmac is a honest and open company and wants to educate children about what we do, but more importantly, why we do it. The quarrying industry is not widely understood, but it is essential to today’s society. Through the resource we hope to teach children how quarrying and our products relate to their everyday lives. It’s also a way of promoting positive messages about the good community, environmental and health and safety work we get involved in.
How will it help me?
Quarryville encompasses a host of information that can be used in a variety of ways. It will help you to build or develop stronger links with local schools and the community at large. It will provide a realistic, practical and fun way of teaching people about Tarmac.
What should I do now?
You should familiarise yourself with the site. Get to know what the topics, games and activities are and how you can use them to your advantage in your site visits and classroom talks.
Can I get more involved?
Absolutely! We’d love your input, ideas and comments. There is an area in the staff area of Quarryville that has been specifically set up for site managers to share their ideas and experiences. Alternatively, if you have any ideas on how we can develop or improve the site please let us know, as the site will be updated on an annual basis to ensure that it is up-to-date with the curriculum and to introduce new activities or games to maintain interest.
Also, if you’d like to a promote any educational events - quarry open days, safety talks, etc, please let us know and we can advertise it on the site.
What other plans do you have for education?
By creating this site Tarmac is saying that it is committed to communicating with schools and teachers and to helping our site managers to do this effectively. The site will be updated on a regular basis, but we will also be looking into developing the site for different age groups in the future - possibly GCSE students.
In a bid to keep schools interested in the site, we may run competitions or challenges in the future. We are also looking into displaying some feedback from teachers and pupils on the site.
