PUPILS in Year 8 at Haygrove School were given an insight into the difficult conditions many people in the developing world live.

Studying geography, the students were asked to build their own miniature 'shanty houses' using only materials they could find at home, including from the rubbish bin.

They were asked to think about what the shanty houses might be made of and how they could be constructed, and also to consider aspects of daily life such as sewage, safety and sanitation.

All kinds of household cast-offs made their way into the houses including old cereal boxes, cake wrappers, tin-foil, cling-film and lolly sticks and leaves from the garden.

Some of the designs replicated the living conditions as well as the structure of the houses by adding clothes-lines, water butts and piles of rubbish gathering outside the doors.

When all the models from one class were gathered together, the students were able to see clearly how dangerous the make-shift home might be and how cramped and uncomfortable living in these conditions would be.

Teacher Rebecca Mitchell was pleased to see how creative the students were with their models.

She said: “Haygrove School is committed to helping students learn about the challenges faced by young people living elsewhere in the world and this project allows our students to explore and understand different cultures, environments and ways of living whilst at the same time building key skills such as curiosity, reflection and empathy.”