At All Saints It's Playtime for All in Infants school

Summer 2015 – It’s time for another playground transformation, and this time it’s the turn of All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Infant School in Hessle near Hull.

This was a huge project for Playscheme, not just because of the sheer scale of it, but also because of the diversity of the various areas that were required for the overall project.

Incorporated into the entire play area, there were areas for gardening, storage, role-playing, and more, and these all needed to be linked cohesively in the designated area. For us, the project was challenging, but also both very interesting and exciting at the same time and we are extremely proud of the finished scheme and glad that it is bringing a diverse range of enjoyment to so many children.

There were many thrilling features to this fantastic playground, and ones that we were very keen to design in the most effective and aesthetically pleasing way possible. The main requirements included the following:

• Reception Outdoor Shelter
• Tower Slide
• Water and Sand Play
• Storytelling Area
• Stage
• Balance and Coordination Area
• Reflective Area Amphitheatre
• Up and Over Bridge
• Replacement Storage 
• New Fencing
• All-Year Path

Our design team worked closely with the school, who came to the office regularly for close consultation, which was great for both involved, as it ensured that the whole project was on track and to plan. There were two revisions to the design before it was approved as we wanted to ensure that the area addressed and surpassed the expectations of the customer. Given the rare scale of the project and the design challenge it presented, the design team were happy to make the necessary alterations to the project.

With so many areas, this development provides something for everyone and offers so much to outdoor development for children.

We have removed the grass areas adjoining the building and replaced these with an all-weather tarmac surface. In this new area we have included a large 12m x 5m shelter to give maximum sheltered play space.

There is plenty of planting space thanks to four of our 2.4m long planters. These planters are set to a height which makes it easy for children to reach and get involved in growing everything from flowers to vegetables. We have included small storage units between the planters to help keep the area tidy. With items such as the story telling area and the planting area, there is the option to bring learning outdoors. The surfacing options also provide year-round use for most of the outdoor space, which is suitable even in bad weather. The mud kitchen has also been designed to be accessed by either the FS2 children or the Nursery children independently with the layout of the fencing and gates.

We have added a 4.8m x 3.2m pitched roof shelter with a 3m workstation to the planting area. This, in conjunction with the large chalkboard, provides a great area for outdoor lessons.

Our bespoke play hut and up and over bridge will make sure there is always something to keep the children’s imaginations active. The chalkboard with two weave frames and extended posts gives a great little area to create a small sensory place or a secret den space using the den nets supplied.

For the budding Mozarts and Beethovens, we have added two of our music panels to perfect their talents. These are post mounted with paving to the front for year round use. We have also included two hanging frames for the children to create their own musical instruments.

The need for shelter within the area has been addressed by adding an impressive pitched roof shelter with seating to two sides. This can also be used by parents at pickup times to keep them from the cold and rain on horrible days.

We also spent time redeveloping the nursery area with various play options. It now encompasses everything from sand and water play to creative and role play; which gives the children hours of endless fun.

Tucked away in the corner is one of our stages, which has a large chalkboard backdrop and a hexagrip base. We have added extended posts and eyelets to the walls in this area too which is great for draping background scenery or even just creating a bit more shelter. Children can watch the performances thanks to four of our 1.8m woodland benches too!

We want to say a huge thank you to Creative Groundworks who helped us greatly to install this playground and who kindly took these wonderful photographs