New Playground A Triumph For Village Community
The joint forces of a group of
Oxfordshire villagers have revolutionised education for the
community’s youngest members.
After huge fund-raising efforts the
village school in Longworth now has a nursery in its grounds and a
new action-packed play area for the pre-school and reception
pupils.
As a result a huge amount of the
foundation stage curriculum is now being taught outside. The
teachers use the equipment as a teaching tool and a place to carry
out individual development assessments whilst the children explore,
play and interact with one another.
Pre-school supervisor at Longworth,
Emma Aspel, said: “This new equipment is fantastic. It
provides the children with their own sense of freedom within a
secure space.”
“We are so pleased with the
installation,” explained the school’s head teacher,
Sandra North. “It has become a symbol of our ethos. You
approach the equipment along a red all-weather path – the
school colour – and it’s the first thing you see as you
come through the gate. So many people took part in so many
fund-raising events that having it is a real triumph for
everyone.
“The only problem we have is
trying to keep the older children off it because, although
it’s designed specifically for the younger children,
it’s such fun everyone wants a go!”
Longworth pupils having fun on their new Playforce
equipment
The equipment was designed and
installed by the country’s premier provider of school
playground equipment, Playforce, a Wiltshire-based company that
prides itself on creating obstacles that stretch and stimulate
minds and bodies - making learning fun.
The installation Playforce fitted
includes: the access path, which the children have been using as a
road as part of their project on ‘journeys’; a log
forest which has taken the youngsters to numerous different
imaginary worlds; a sand pit with sliding lid, which has inspired
all manner of explorative games and social skills and a step-up
tower with slide, climbing net, rock climber, fireman’s pole,
chalk-board and drawing window.
After it was fitted Mrs North invited
Playforce consultant Sam Flatman to come back and see his design in
use.
Sam said: “Most of the time I
design equipment to fit into a space, but with this project it was
all about designing a ‘space’ for the children that
allowed them to explore and develop physically, emotionally and
socially.
“It was great to see the children
using it. The log forests posts were different props for different
children. To one group they were a space station and to another
they were a farm yard!
“I didn’t realise all the
things that you can do on the tower. You can climb, slide,
balance, grasp, step and pull your self up onto it. You and your
friends can play, castles, or make a den under the slide. The chalk
board was great, but the clear drawing panel was the one for me. It
was all icy when I visited and you could scratch shapes and
pictures into the panel. I learnt a lot on that visit - especially
from the children!”
For more information visit www.playforce.co.uk