In November 2020, Christ Church New Malden C of E Primary School received a failed inspection for their Nursery Play Area. The existing climbing frame was deemed unfit for use due to a rotten timber structure. Consequently, it was condemned and marked for replacement.

The Coronavirus pandemic made school fundraising challenging, changing how traditional events were carried out. The school’s PTA created a ‘Go Fund Me’ page for the project. This “out-of-the-box” approach helped the school quickly secure a budget for the new installation.

We visited the site in December 2020 to gather staff input for the climbing frame and play area. Afterward, we designed a structure that met their needs.

“Sawscapes Play contacted our school after seeing the ‘Go Fund Me’ page and expressed interest in our project. Our Early Years team loved the proposed design as it transformed the area, rather than just replacing a unit. Though slightly over budget, it offered much better value. The company ran everything smoothly, accommodating last-minute changes. Sawscapes Play was very helpful with our financial situation.

The design included our key features—a slide, fire pole, and bridge. Sawscapes Play followed our Covid-19 risk assessment and worked safely. The children enjoyed watching the work each day and are thrilled with the final outcome. They love it, as do the staff! It has also made the play area safer, providing endless fun for our children!” – Jason Brown, School Office

The new Nursery Play Area now includes a bespoke three tower unit, featuring two access points –stairs and a pull up rope climber and two exit points – a slide and a fire pole, along with a rope clatter bridge and straight bridge. All our timber was root fixed using stainless steel feet to increase the longevity of the equipment, ensuring value for money and the safety of its users.

Quote from one of the nursery children – Benedict: ‘’I love the fire pole – it’s like I’m flying!!’’

The play area also now has a Mini Mud Kitchen to recreate a new digging area, creating an imaginative, sensory and role play environment for the children – further adding to the play value of the area. This is all married together with an autumn blend mix of bound rubber mulch to create a safe, fun-filled environment for the children to experience and explore.