Stone Hill School, located in Scawsby, Doncaster, is highly regarded for the excellent standard of learning it offers to local children with special educational needs and disabilities. Of course, a key element of any child’s educational development is the opportunity for them to play as well as learn, and expand their physical, cognitive and social skills, and so the school wished to introduce a greater selection of inclusive and challenging equipment for children of all abilities to enjoy. We were thrilled to win the chance to help them bring their vision to life.
Planning for Play!
Our first task was to undertake a thorough site survey, before finalising a design which met every element of the brief provided. We were particularly excited that this project allowed us to add to our proud track record of creating play spaces which enabled every child, whatever their disability, to reap the full benefits of a fulfilling play experience.
In fact, our equipment’s durability and inclusivity was already well known to Stone Hill School, as one of our popular 2 Up 2 Down inclusive climbers had been installed many years previously, and delivered fun for generations of infants and younger pupils ever since. The latest project, however, would focus on offering inclusive play for children of junior age and older, alongside a number of more challenging items to test their physical dexterity.
Our work here demanded versatility and flexibility, as we adapted our methods and design to fit the requirements of a school playground, rather than that of a public park or green space. This meant selecting equipment which would meet the complex needs of the pupils, as well as ensuring that our design was optimised to fit the more compact space on the school premises, and scheduling our work around the school holidays, to minimise disruption and risk to the pupils.
Fun For All!
The completed space features safe, consistent bonded rubber mulch and black wetpour surfacing, and a wide range of dynamic equipment which is sure to deliver many classic play experiences for children across the age and ability range:
Our imposing Long Climb unit is the most prominent new addition, able to accommodate up to 12 users at once and offering 6 challenging play features to stretch the physical abilities of older children, including a difficult hand-over-hand section, a climbing wall and a fireman’s pole. As part of our design considerations, this unit, with its long, narrow design, was considered an excellent fit for the limited space available.
It is accompanied by a number of other pieces of challenging trim trail style equipment, to form a challenging assault course style section of the new play area. Our colourful metal Tunnel will see users crawling or shuffling their way through its compact space, whilst a Rope Bridge and Balance Beam are both sure to test children’s balance and co-ordination.
A number of other inclusive-focused items deliver accessible thrills for children of all ability levels. Our Emoji Discus, with a bright, modern design, can accommodate up to three children from 3 to 14 within its open, easily accessed rotating dish (which also stands on a slight incline for even greater accessibility). Likewise, pupils are sure to find themselves in a spin with our Curlicue, which features a simple spiral design that utilises a child’s changing centre of gravity to propel them around; it also offers an engaging multi-sensory element which will engage younger children, with its spiral creating a compelling optical effect when spun.
Elsewhere, our thrilling Hula rotator is based around a suspended hoop (with the user positioning themselves inside as with a normal hula hoop), and is suitable for use alone or for multiple users up to age 14. Our Inclusive Group Seesaw, meanwhile, provides balancing fun for 6 or more users and features a colourful and eye-catching ‘Bug’s Life’ theme, with colourful critters displayed on its panels, and a cutaway panel on one side also allows easy side transfer for less mobile children.
Finally, two of our 2.4m-high Modular Swing Bays host a selection of seats: an open and accessible turtle-shell style seat can be used simultaneously by multiple users of all ability levels, delivering a fulfilling communal experience, whilst two of our large Flat Seats offer a more conventional and classic swing for those who prefer.
Exceeding Expectations
We’re delighted that our work at Stone Hill School has delivered a fantastic array of specialist equipment and play opportunities, which will not only keep pupils of all abilities engaged for years to come, but also help them to forge fond and unforgettable memories that endure long after their school days are over.
