Playground Eqipment Makeover for Birkett House School
Pupils of Birkett House Special School in Leicester entered a whole new world of learning and
play when they ventured into their outdoor playground for the first time after the summer break.
Playforce, the country's premier provider of playground equipment for schools, had been hard at work creating an exciting, stimulating, wheelchair-friendly all-weather play space to challenge, stimulate and encourage the children's minds, bodies and social skills.
Birkett House School and Hostel educates around 90 children, aged between 4 and 19, who have a range of physical and learning difficulties.
When Playforce consultant Sam Flatman first saw the site it had just a few pieces of playground equipment that were totally unsuitable.
"It was a dark and unstimulating place to be," he said. "There was a field that was too muddy to use for at least nine months of the year and the outdoor playground itself was just not suitable. It couldn't be more different now!"
First job for the Playforce team was to cover the whole outdoor playground in an olive green play surface with a blue 'river' snaking its way through the whole scheme to encourage imaginative play.
An activity play tower includes steps, a net climber and climbing walls. There are two different height climbing walls and slides to appeal to the different ages and abilities. Imaginative play is encouraged with a chalk board, clear drawing board, a sensory sunshine panel and a shop panel that can also be used as a TV, theatre, café or anything else the children dream up.
One special request was a play platform designed to be easily accessible to children with limited physical abilities, but also appealing to the more able so that they could all enjoy 'cooperative' and inclusive play - regardless of their individual abilities.
This platform features a number of low level entry points with panel themes including arrow slit look outs, circular porthole windows, a large crawl through 'mouth', and a flag that could be a boat, a castle or maybe the top of a mountain.
Activities designed specifically for wheelchair users include roll over rumble strips to create a noise and a rumbling sensation, and there is a dedicated wheelchair roundabout.
The money to pay for this luxury playtime equipment has been provided by donations from the Friends of Birkett House and a special donation from an oil rig on the North Sea.
The Marathon Oil company has a large annual health and safety budget. Any money not spent at the end of the year is donated to charities chosen by the rig's workers - one of whom is the father-in-law of a member of Birkett House staff. A sizeable amount of money was subsequently offered to the school as a contribution towards the new playground equipment.
Steve Welton, the school's headmaster, said that although the pupils had only just returned after the summer break they were clearly already delighted with the outdoor play equipment.
"The playground equipment is very impressive but what is more important to me is the professional way Playforce went about planning and installing it all," he said. "The pupils here have special educational needs. Playforce listened to our requirements, which were very specific, and were completely unfazed. They were flexible and professional and I have no doubts that, if any changes were needed, this firm is of such a quality that the staff would be genuinely interested in making it all work out."
