Special Playground Equipment for a Special School

Playforce, the premier provider of  playground equipment, has designed an accessible
outdoor playground for the pupils of St Nicholas Special School in Chippenham.

Now all 73 pupils, including those in wheelchairs, can enjoy the challenges of the childrens play equipment including swings, bridges, percussion instruments and many other timber trail obstacles.

The outdoor play equipment, which cost £40,000, was paid for by money raised by the PTA or donated by local businesses and organisations.

It is the second time Playforce has been invited to create an outdoor play equipment area at the school and it was specifically designed to be accessible to all the children.

Since its completion a couple of weeks ago the youngsters, aged between two and 19, have been enjoying swings - one for wheelchairs and one for pupils not in wheelchairs but needing extra support - a wheelchair roadway with road markings and a zebra crossing; a rumble roadway, which creates noise and sensation for wheelchairs; a log forest; a roll-over bridge; a wheelchair bridge; a pergola without seats and over-sized playground equipment percussion instruments for musical sound play.

"The children love it," said the school's head teacher, Jill Owen. "Little Sharon, a wheelchair user, was in the special swing yesterday smiling all over her face and Gareth took his wheelchair over the wide bridge giggling all the way. The road markings are fantastic, the children cycle along and stop for each other at the zebra crossing; it's great for learning co-operation and road safety skills."

Mrs Owen explained that although the local parks are accessible to the school's pupils the playground equipment is so specifically designed to accommodate their needs that it's fabulous.

She said: "The school council helped design the outdoor playground, we all had a very clear vision of what we wanted and now we have it. The only thing missing is a wheelchair round-about, but they are quite expensive and we ran out of money. We need to raise some more from somewhere so that we can have one installed."