Fun and Fitness Playground Equipment for Penygarn Infant School

With new playground equipment, pupils of Penygarn Infant School will soon be some of the happiest and healthiest children in Wales.

The children returned from their annual summer break to find the empty tarmac outdoor playground of the school in Pontypool, Gwent, had been filled with an extensive and exciting range of school playground equipment and timber trail obstacles to challenge their young minds and bodies.

The work had been designed and installed by Britain's premier provider of playground equipment; Wiltshire based Playforce, and paid for by a grant from the Welsh Assembly.

Head teacher of the school, Lynne Walbyoff explained that because the school serves an extremely deprived area the Playforce playground equipment has enhanced life for many of the pupils.

She said: "We were so lucky to have the grant because we would never have raised the money to pay for this wonderful playground equipment. We love it; it's amazing to see the children's faces when they are playing. It has also solved a problem for us. Our old outdoor playground did not pose any challenge for the older children and sometimes they misbehaved, but since we have had this new playground equipment it has transformed playtime for everyone.

"It's also interesting to hear the improvement in the children's vocabulary. They have only been using it for a couple of weeks but already it has inspired the children to use lots of new words both talking about the timber trail obstacles and creating imaginary situations."

Playforce prides itself on the fact its playground equipment exercises children's minds and bodies, stimulating the imagination and teaching through play whilst making fun the priority.

The Penygarn playground equipment created by Playforce includes a balancing beam, a play house, a suspension bridge, transparent play screens, wooden stepping stones, an open-sided outside shelter, which doubles as an outdoor classroom and a rope bridge - all set out on an all-weather surface.

Mrs Walbyoff also had high praise for Playforce staff. She said: "All the Playforce people were really good, they listened to what we wanted, helped us create a design to get the most out of the outdoor playground space we had and then did exactly what they said they would. What we have now meets all our needs; it's an all round wonderful thing."