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St Andrews C of E Primary School in Shropshire Add Covered Walkway
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The schoolchildren adore their new outdoor space, and the canopy has brought something really special to the area. Now teachers don’t have to scramble to rearrange lessons outside if the changeable British weather turns against them.
What was the project brief?
Holy Trinity School in Kidderminster, Worcestershire wanted to provide their younger pupils with a safe, sheltered area for both outdoor play and learning. They needed to have the space resurfaced in order to level off the ground, and had the idea of installing a canopy cover right next to one of their classrooms. This would enable easy access to this exciting new shelter, full of opportunities to add more fun to the school day. It was also part of a series of projects that they were undertaking to improve their outdoor facilities.
A&S Landscape was delighted to be contacted by this thoughtful institution and had bags of ideas ready about canopies that could suit the school’s needs.
What was our canopy solution?
The team carefully considered the design of the canopy and aided Holy Trinity School in choosing the perfect option for them, even suggesting how they could gain funds for the project. The Motiva Linear™ was the winning model, a canopy with a monopitch (asymmetric) straight roof. This means that one side is higher than the other, creating a clever shelter that is perfect for shielding an outdoor play area.
Built to a length of 20m, this door canopy sits perfectly next to one of their indoor classrooms for younger pupils. The staff decided on eye-catching Sapphire Blue steelwork to bring more brightness to the area, and Opal polycarbonate roofing to act as a rain and sun shade for those playing and learning beneath it, throughout the year. A&S Landscape also suggested redoing the tarmac to meet their need of levelling off the ground – an idea they loved.
What was the result of their playground canopy?
The schoolchildren adore their new outdoor space, and the playground canopy has brought something really special to the area. Now teachers don’t have to scramble to rearrange lessons outside if the changeable British weather turns against them, and pupils will be shielded from UV rays on sunny days. This was a successful project which we were pleased to add to not only our portfolio but to our glowing feedback from customers. Holy Trinity School gave A&S Landscape five stars for their service because they were so happy with the shelter and the tailored advice they received. The durable, modern canopy will give them more learning options for years to come.
About the client
Holy Trinity School is a co-educational free school based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. It educates children and young people aged from 4 years in their primary school, to 16 in their senior school, and all the way up to 18 in their sixth form. This means that, uniquely, students can take their 14 year educational journey under the same roof. They provide a broad curriculum and take pride in their successful swimming pool, which children use weekly from age 4 upwards and is the home venue for the Wyre Forest Swim Team. We thoroughly enjoyed working with the staff at Holy Trinity School and are thrilled that our shelter will add to their already fantastic facilities.
Year-round quality outdoor play and its impact upon social and emotional development
A common but under-researched matter of social and emotional development in children is realising the influence of spending time outside and how significant the effects are. For such a critical aspect of childhood, the gaps in research here are somewhat surprising. Not least because, the research that currently exists confirms that there is unmistakable evidence that outdoor time, like outdoor play, or outdoor classrooms, has a significant positive impact on a child’s social and emotional development. These initial studies come from many disciplines using a broad range of approaches that all lead to the same stance.
Click here to continue reading about how outdoor play effects children.
What kinds of lessons can be held outside?
Holding classes outdoors can be a fantastic way to make learning exciting for children of all ages. But, understandably, the idea can be a little daunting for teachers, parents and students alike who have become used to indoor classrooms. Many people might also only consider initiatives such as Forest Schools and topics like geography when thinking about outdoor learning, but the opportunities are endless!
Art has a great capacity to be taught outside. Why not give younger pupils chalks to create individual or group pieces on the playground, or make natural murals and sculptures with older children? Outdoor education has been proven to help improve pupils’ personal, social and emotional development, so it’s definitely worth considering. Core subjects like Maths and English can be transferred to outside areas, with Shakespeare readings brought to life thanks to the weather and new spaces, or science lessons being made more interactive with outdoor experiments and the study of the world around the school.
Taking instruments outside can be an easy way of avoiding disturbing other classes, and you could even get really creative with activities like geocaching or educational treasure hunts. There are lots of ideas to try, and many organisations with materials out there to help! Plus, playground canopies offer the chance to hold lessons outside in all weathers, so if you’re interested in expanding your school’s facilities for outdoor learning, contact A&S Landscape today.
Why consider A&S Landscape?
We offer canopies for every organisation and need, and tailor your product to your specific taste and requirements. As well as supplying a versatile selection of playground canopies for primary and secondary schools, we have a range of cycle shelters to provide safety and security for bicycles and give businesses an environmentally conscious stamp of approval. Send our friendly team an email at [email protected] or call 01743 444100 today to discover how you can benefit from a shelter solution.
We’ve worked on many other sites across Worcestershire
Crowle C Of E First School Add Curved Roof Canopy
Working with our building contractor client our team built a curved roof canopy in Crowle C Of E First School School Lane, Crowle, Worcestershire. The contract included one Motiva™ Duo duopitch curved roof canopy measuring 5700mm X 5400mm with Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.
Large Red Playground Shelter Installed at Wyre Forest School
Working alongside our contractor client A&S constructed a straight polycarbonate roof canopy at Wyre Forest School Habberley Road, Kidderminster, Worcestershire. The contract included the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 7000mm X 4000mm with Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.
Dining Area Shelter Designed for Wolverley CE Secondary School
Our team designed a curved roof canopy in Wolverley CE Secondary School Wolverley, Kidderminster, Worcestershire. The full contract involved one Motiva™ Duo duopitch curved roof canopy measuring 10000mm X 10000mm and included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.
St Mary’s Catholic Primary School Add Large Blue Play Area Shelter
A&S constructed a straight polycarbonate roof canopy for St Mary’s Catholic Primary School Broadway, Worcestershire. The contract included the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 10000mm X 5600mm including for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish with glazed panels to the top half of the front elevation and dismantling of the existing shelter.
Large Blue Fabric Umbrella Installed at Droitwich Spa High School
A&S erected a playground umbrella at Droitwich Spa High School Briar Mill, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire. The full contract involved the supply and installation of one Maxima™ waterproof Umbrella structure supported on a single upright measuring 7000mm X 7000mm and post protector pad.
Bretforton Village School Add Straight Roof Canopy with Polycarbonate Sheets
Working with our building contractor client we designed a straight polycarbonate roof canopy for Bretforton Village School Bretforton, Evesham, Worcestershire. The job involved the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 16500mm X 3000mm and included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.
Two Curved Roof Canopies Designed for Oak Hill First Schol
Our engineers built two curved roof canopies at Oak Hill First School Wire Hill Drive, Redditch, Worcestershire. The job involved supply and installation of two curved roof canopies. One Motiva™ Mono monopitch curved roof canopy measuring 6000mm X 4000mm. One Motiva™ Mono monopitch curved roof canopy measuring 4000mm X 3000mm. Both included the dismantling and removal of existing canopy structures with Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish and 4 post protection pads for each.
