How one school used clever financing to amazing effect

Playforce was one of the first to offer a complete, consultative approach to developing tailored playgrounds. With consultants and playgrounds in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as further afield, their award-winning designs are backed up by a reputation for being the playground supplier most likely to be recommended by schools. Contact [email protected] for more information.

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Creativity and innovation come hand-in-hand with good playground design, and this is exactly what Playforce consultant Lizzy achieved when working alongside the team at Radcliffe Hall C of E Primary School to get maximum use from their outdoor space.

With big plans but a limited budget, Playforce’s funding option provided an excellent opportunity for Radcliffe Hall to complete their dream play area in one go. By choosing Playforce’s finance option, the school didn’t have to phase the development over a number of years as originally planned. Instead they could reduce disruption, increase the positive impact on the children immediately, and achieve better value for money by completing the project in one installation.

“What’s so great about the project at Radcliffe Hall,” explained Lizzy, “is that we have extended the children’s outdoor play and learning space by simply using an area of the playground that was completely disused and regarded as a dead space. Quite often schools look at grassy or sloped areas as problem areas that they’d never be able to achieve anything with or that can only be accessed in fine weather, but with some good design and planning the reality is that these spaces turn out to be some of the best learning resources, especially when you make use of the natural ground conditions.

“At Radcliffe we had focussed on discovery and outdoor learning across the curriculum, creating a terrace in the space that demonstrates the principles of moving materials and matter, with the use of a flow wall, water trays, scales and a bucket and rail. This was also incorporated with items such as a stop watch and chalk boards, which really enabled the children to use and develop their numeracy and literacy skills alongside. This area that was once completely unloved is now the focal point in the playground for both children and staff.”

Headteacher Denise Luke commented on her experience: “Perfect! The design met all of our specifications, and the installation was trouble-free. Very pleased!”

In order to provide a suitable finance option to schools, Playforce has partnered with LDF, a leading provider of equipment funding solutions in the education sector. They are also an approved partner of the National Association of School Business Managers. However, there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to funding a new playground; every customer and project is different. Together with LDF, Playforce offer a tailored service to suit any individual school and project need in order to make sure the very best value is achieved.

Visit www.playforce.co.uk or contact [email protected] / 01225 792660 for more information.