Playforce Present Holistic Grand Design Approach At Ryder Hayes County Primary School

Playforce School Grounds Consultant Sam Flatman met with Head Teacher Joanne Speller over a year ago. At that time Ryder Hayes had spent money internally improving the school, but nothing had been spent on the outside school playground, otherwise known as the outdoor learning environment.

The first project that the school needed to undertake was the outdoor classroom for the Reception class children.  The school Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) coordinator Lynne Emery had been on many courses and was keen to use the outside space as an important aid to learning.

When Playforce arrived at this school Lynne explained that her children had no where to shelter from the elements and had no fixed outdoor resources.

Joanne said ‘ We choose Playforce because they were the only company to see how the space could be used through our eyes…we needed a space that would meet the educational needs of the EYFS curriculum and Sam came up trumps with that.’

Wiltshire-based Playforce prides itself on the ability to create play areas that stimulate children’s imaginations and improve social behaviour at the same time as stretching their muscles. Each piece of equipment is designed to work on developing specific areas of the body and motor-skills.

The outdoor learning environment now provides the children with a huge range of activities come rain or shine; they can complete numeracy tasks, mark marking, road awareness, role plays, imaginative play, digging, growing and not to forget physical play that promotes gross motor skill development, which has been shown in studies to improve fine motor skills such as hand writing!

The governors also like the fact that Playforce presented a holistic grand design approach, so that they could see the whole ‘vision’.  They were so impressed with this first phase that the school has now transformed both its infants and juniors playgrounds (where it has improved playtime behaviour) and is now looking at the nursery space.  This grand design approach has worked well to improve the schools retention of numbers at a time when nationally schools have falling roll numbers.

‘All our children just love the new equipment they now have lots more things to do at break times and this has helped to keep them fit, active and healthy…the Playforce playground equipment is great at sparking off imaginative play and everyday the children go on new adventures.’

Learn more about Playforce visit    www.playforce.co.uk

The Association of Play Industries Federation House Stoneleigh Park Warwickshire CV8 2RF

T +44(0) 24 76 414999 ext 208
F +44(0) 24 76 414990
E api@api-play.org