A QUIET village lying on the Welsh borders, accommodating more sheep than people, seems an unlikely spot to have its very own estate agent's office.

However, the resourceful and imaginative pupils of Gladestry Church in Wales Primary School recently set up their own estate agent's office, 'Beautiful Homes' and held an open day when they proudly presented Valley View, their very own development of houses, designed by themselves.

Meticulous in preparation, the children researched the estate agency business beforehand by inviting Robyn Twiddy and Megan Matcher from Russell Baldwin and Bright, Kington, to answer a few thorny questions. How many houses do you show in a day? How do you advertise? Which is the most expensive house you have ever sold? Do barn conversions cost more than houses? On average, how long do you have to wait for a decision on a property?

Robyn and Megan advised on how the children should present their properties and deal with their customers. They provided information cards, house details and key rings to give to their prospective customers.

A few days later years Class 2 opened the school doors to parents, family and friends with a view to 'selling' them a property, either on their new development or from their list of existing properties in the area.

Visitors were greeted politely and asked a few questions, what were they looking for, price range, area etc. A large video screen displayed information about properties in the region and everyone was given a form on which to write their details. The children mingled with their prospective customers, calmly answering their enquiries in a professional and courteous manner.

Head teacher, Mrs Hilary Morris, said 'The children were in a real life situation, exercising their learning skills in literacy and numeracy in a fun and purposeful way.'

Beautiful Homes customer satisfaction survey showed that 100% of customers found the staff helpful, knowledgeable, professional and enthusiastic and would indubitably recommend their services.