King’s Lodge Primary School

Unable to use their old climbing frame due to Health and Safety concerns, King’s Lodge Primary School wanted a play area which was fun and physically challenging.

GET IN TOUCH

See what Playforce can do for you. Call us on 01604 261690

Why did you want to develop your playground?
We had a very old climbing frame on our playground which the children could no longer use as it did not meet our Health and Safety expectations. We wanted to provide play equipment that would be fun for children to use and provide an element of physical activity. The equipment needed to be accessible to as many children as possible to reduce the number of incidents during break and lunch times and not require a great deal of supervision by staff.

What were the key elements that made Playforce stand out from other providers?
The customer service that we received from Playforce was fantastic from the start. The design process was targeted towards our needs and we felt that our needs were listened to and acted upon. The designs were returned promptly and were altered throughout discussions. The price quoted was competitive and a good discount was negotiated.

The new play equipment has had an instant impact on behaviour in our playground. Large numbers of children have taken up queuing for the trim trail…learning valuable turn taking skills.

What has been the initial impact of the play scheme on the children and their behaviors in the school?

The new play equipment has had an instant impact on behavior in our playground. Large numbers of children have taken up either using or queuing for the trim trail. Up to this point we have had no accidents and the children are learning valuable turn taking skills. The equipment is also being used widely before and after school under parental supervision. We recently held a weekend Scarecrow Trail and it was wonderful to see the equipment being used by the wider community, encouraging parents to stay in the school grounds and spend additional money!

Can you share any practice insights you have gained?
We funded the project through a National Lottery Awards for All grant and our own Friends fundraising. The grant application process was very straight forward and Playforce were more than willing to take a provisional booking whilst we were waiting for confirmation that the application had been successful. We opted for installation during term time and this proved to be a good decision as the work caused minimal disruption to the school day. The workmen on site were very professional and mindful of the needs of a Primary School.

Any other comments about your experience of working with Playforce?
Overall, working with Playforce was a very positive experience which provided us with exactly what we were looking for. We would certainly use the company again for any future work.

share!