As a result a huge amount of the foundation stage curriculum is now being taught outside. The teachers use the equipment as a teaching tool and a place to carry out individual development assessments whilst the children explore, play and interact with one another.
Pre-school supervisor at Longworth, Emma Aspel, said: “This new equipment is fantastic. It provides the children with their own sense of freedom within a secure space.”
The equipment was designed and installed by the country’s premier provider of school playground equipment, Playforce, a Wiltshire-based company that prides itself on creating obstacles that stretch and stimulate minds and bodies - making learning fun.
The installation Playforce fitted includes: the access path, which the children have been using as a road as part of their project on ‘journeys’; a log forest which has taken the youngsters to numerous different imaginary worlds; a sand pit with sliding lid, which has inspired all manner of explorative games and social skills and a step-up tower with slide, climbing net, rock climber, fireman’s pole, chalk-board and drawing window.
Outside classrooms
AN Aylesbury primary school has two new outside classrooms to make learning more exciting.
Getting the pupils outside more will also take William Harding Combined School a step closer to achieving Healthy Schools Status.
Headmaster of the school in Hazlehurst Drive, Graham Osman, explained that the staff knew they wanted to create an educational outside environment and decided to make it into a pupil project.
The year five students were asked to plan how they could improve the playground and create an environment that could be used both during lesson and play times.
With these plans in mind Mr Osman called in Wiltshire-based Playforce – the country’s premier provider of school playground equipment.
After discussing the needs and desires of both pupils and staff, Playforce created two hexagonal wooden shelters, each able to seat 30 pupils, one in the infant playground and one in the junior playground.
