New Outdoor Playground a Triumph for Longworth Primary School
The joint forces of a group of Oxfordshire villagers have revolutionised education for the
community's youngest members.
After huge fund-raising efforts the village school in Longworth now has a nursery in its grounds and a new action-packed outdoor playground area for the pre-school and reception pupils.
As a result a huge amount of the Early years foundation stage curriculum is now being taught outdoors. 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 playground equipment is fantastic. It provides the children with their own sense of freedom within a secure space."
"We are so pleased with the installation," explained the school's head teacher, Sandra North. "It has become a symbol of our ethos. You approach the equipment along a red all-weather path - the school colour - and it's the first thing you see as you come through the gate. So many people took part in so many fund-raising events that having it is a real triumph for everyone.
"The only problem we have is trying to keep the older children off it because, although it's designed specifically for the younger children, it's such fun everyone wants a go!"
The playground equipment was designed and installed by the country's premier provider of playground equipment, Playforce, a Wiltshire-based company that prides itself on creating timber trail obstacles that stretch and stimulate minds and bodies - making learning fun.
The playground equipment that 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.
After it was fitted Mrs North invited Playforce consultant Sam Flatman to come back and see his design in use.
Sam said: "Most of the time I design equipment to fit into a space, but with this project it was all about designing a 'space' for the children that allowed them to explore and develop physically, emotionally and socially.
"It was great to see the children using it. The log forests posts were different props for different children. To one group they were a space station and to another they were a farm yard!
