After a recommendation from a previous clients, we were contacted by Hockley Primary School in Essex, to see if we could help with their playground project.
There was an initial overall budget of £70,000 +vat to re-develop two areas for two entirely different purposes. The original school playground was one large area with different elements within; adventure play, performance, and traditional playground games with line markings.
The vision was, over two phases, that the school wanted to create two areas to the outer edge of the school’s playground – one for adventure play and the other for quiet, reflective and relaxed play.
Phase 1, the most urgent, was to create the area for quiet play.
The area had once been a corner dedicated to performance with a stage, seating for the audience, and children who wanted a break from the noise of the main playground. However, the existing equipment and surfacing were showing signs of wear, with a generous amount of repair to it all, very much required. It, therefore, made a lot more sense to give the area a complete makeover.
The new quiet play area required three important elements: all weather surfacing (apple green wet pour), an inclusive shelter from the elements and a perimeter fence. All three elements were extremely important in creating the perfect quiet, relaxing and reflective play space.
Our proposal included a 5m Gazebo, featuring internal decking, perimeter internal benched seating and an inclusive access ramp; bright apple green wetpour and a picket fence to the outer perimeter of the area. This was included to provide a visual and physical barrier, to protect those using the area from rogue and wayward footballs, tennis balls etc. from the main playground.
This initial phase took two weeks to complete and was open in time for the children returning from their Easter holidays!
