Shade Sails for Schools

Read about some of our school shade sail projects

Wilmslow High School in Cheshire Add Bespoke Sail to School Grounds

Many schools need somewhere where their students can relax and enjoy their breaks, even when the weather is less than ideal. Wilmslow High School was looking to create a shelter for their students, so they called on our team to help them design something. They decided on a bespoke shade sail, designed to fit in with their current school building. The end result has certainly been striking. School shade sails look great, and this sail has enclosed a large area to protect students from rain. The natural coloured fabric looks great against the school building, giving a clean look to the area. As a bonus, the sail has made it much easier for the school to be identified by newcomers to the building. It’s made giving directions to those coming by for the first time a whole lot easier. All in all, it’s improved the school premises for everyone who attends. To see more of the bespoke shade sail at Wilmslow High School, click here.

Shade Sail Continues Bright Colour Scheme at Nelson Mandela Primary School in Birmingham

Nelson Mandela Primary School in Birmingham prides itself on being an engaging and fun place to learn. They know children learn better when they’re fully immersed in environments tailored to suit them. That’s why they created a brightly coloured school environment in order to give pupils the best place possible to enjoy their schooling. They needed a shelter for their playground, to allow students to learn and play outside even when the weather isn’t cooperating. They contacted us to help them design something perfect for them. A shade sail was constructed to create that much-needed cover, making the grounds useable even in wet weather. In keeping with their school design, the sail was created in a vibrant shade of yellow, with contrasting red supports. The pupils love the sail and spend time under it whenever they can. School shade sails have improved their experience at school hugely, making it an excellent investment for the school itself. Read more about the shade sail at Nelson Mandela Primary School.

Chantry High School in Worcester Continue Their Colour Scheme with New Shade Sails

Take one look at Chantry High School, and you’ll see they’re not like other schools in the area. This is shown in the right colour scheme used on the outside of the building. It makes the school stand out and makes it a bright and welcoming place to be for their students. The school needed somewhere their students could spend their breaks outdoors, even if the weather turned rainy. They talked to us about installing a new set of school shade sails. The set they chose works brilliantly with their current school style. The series of Maxima shade sails were installed in four colours: Lagoon, Raspberry, Aniseed, and Mandarin. The result is a beautiful covered area that students love using during their breaks. The installation of these sails has further improved the look of the school and made it even more welcoming. It’s an addition that will offer so much to the students and teachers of the school. To see the Maxima Shade Sails at Chantry High School, click here.

A New Playground Sail For St. Mary’s Bluecoat Primary School in Shropshire

St. Mary’s Bluecoat Primary School have a wonderful playing field for their students, but it was missing just one thing. As a playing field, there was no shelter on it. If students wanted to use it, they would be out in the hot sun during the summer months. They got in touch with our team, looking for a solution that would both work and look good too. They decided to use a Maxima sail to create a shelter on their playing field, making it much easier to use in the summer. These school shade sails are perfect for keeping the sun off pupils when they’re playing or socialising, and they look great too. They were created in a shade of aquatic blue, fitting in with the school colours and looking great against the colours of the grass. The sails have proven to be a hit with the school, and they now have somewhere where pupils can play without being in the sun. To read more about the Maxima Sail at St. Mary’s Bluecoat Primary School, click here.

Shade Sails At Ysgol Penygloddfa in Newtown Create Talking Point

When considering school design, it’s not enough to be purely functional. You need the school to spark the imagination of the children who attend, too. That’s why Ysgol Penygloddfa wanted something exciting when they were looking to install new school shade sails on their property. They came to us as we were able to offer something that little bit different. They went with three Maxima sails that create a great, dynamic shape against the backdrop of the school. Choosing them in green, blue and yellow colours, with blue posts, means that it’s bright and cheerful too. It’s perfect for brightening up and wet day on the playground. The new sails are certainly a talking point and have really improved the look of the school grounds. Both students and parents love them, as they offer lots of shelter while still looking good. No one has to stay out in the rain anymore. To read more about Ysgol Penygloddfa’s sail shades, click here.

Brand New Pontprennau Primary School in Cardiff Adds Sail Shade

Pontprennau Primary School is a brand new school, and so has used lots of modern design elements in its construction. It also considers children in every part of the design process, creating a building that’s exciting and stimulating to learn in. This design extends to the outdoor spaces, as so much learning is done outside of the classroom. Their playgrounds are vibrant and full of things to discover. Because of this, the school wanted pupils to be able to stay outside even in wet weather, so that’s where we came in. There was already a designated space to cover, so we just needed to find the right school shade sails to use. In the end, the school went for a Maxima sail to cover the space. The waterproof sail keeps the rain off, so children can always play outdoors. Plus, the bright yellow colour blends in perfectly with the school design as a whole. To see more about the Maxima Sails at Pontprennau Primary School, click here.

See our featured school shade sail project below

Glenwood School in Essex adds Multiple Shade Sails

What was the project brief?

Glenwood School in Essex has a wonderful play area for children to enjoy during their break times. However, in times of poor weather conditions, the exposed equipment would become unsafe to use. For both their legal responsibility surrounding the children’s safety and to ensure that outside spaces could be enjoyed all year round, the school knew they needed to explore various cover solutions.

Their ideal shelter was to have a colourful focus that would encourage the children to play, as well as the means to provide all the practical benefits, including excellent weather protection. This is where the school decided to approach canopy experts A&S Landscape, with the intention of creating a vibrant, yet effective barrier from the elements. With a wide range of shade structures to choose from, their knowledge was required right from the initial design stage.

What was our shelter solution?

Due to the strong emphasis on the requirement for a bright colour scheme, an ideal solution was the Maxima Sail™. With nine of these canopies installed in total, a sea of colour was created over the play area. The shade cloth and post pads of each structure were manufactured in one of three colours: Traffic Red (RAL NO. 3020), Ultramarine Blue (RAL NO. 5002) and Signal Yellow (RAL NO. 1003). For even more colour contrast, the steelwork was finished in a grey brown Dura-coat™.

A bespoke shade sail can be manufactured to almost any configuration or dimension, with various shape and sizes available to meet requirements. They are cost-effective yet have some of the longest guarantees on the market, making them a popular choice for schools. The shade cloth is 90-98% effective against harmful UV rays, making them an excellent cover solution during the summer months. They are a true statement for school grounds, thanks to their great, dynamic shape that spices up any existing outdoor area.

What was the result of their colourful shade sail array?

The spectacular combination of shade sails has become a real focal point for this vibrant primary school. The play area was marvellous before, but now the outdoor open areas really achieve the added wow factor. With year-round protection from the weather, children can now safely run around outside during their breaks, meaning they are much happier when they come to sit down to lessons. 

Teachers are also taking full advantage of the covered outside spaces, by teaching outside! With fresh air and Vitamin D readily available, the children focus better, have the freedom to be more creative, and are developing further curiosity of the outside world. Quite simply, the shade system is the best place for an effective learning environment.

With the school’s specific needs having been met, we were extremely happy to hear positive feedback from them, telling us how much they loved the new canopies. We know that we have installed one of our leading creative and ingenious solutions that, with its exemplary product-quality, will last a very long time.

About the client

Glenwood School in South Benfleet is a special community school maintained by the Local Authority. There are 210 students who attend this school, from the ages of 3 up until 19. Approximately 60% of the children here are diagnosed with autism and approximately 30% with sensory and/or physical impairments. The school commit to taking a flexible approach to learning, and we are glad that we could have helped in some way, by the installation of the canopies. We know that the shelters will allow the children to learn and play outside for years to come. It was a joy to work with such a caring and friendly team at Glenwood School.

Benefits of teaching outside for children with special needs

Physical benefits

Many children with special needs experience delays in their physical development, whether this is with their coordination, flexibility or muscle strength or tone. However, partaking in physical activity can positively aid their physical development and help to alleviate any barriers they may face. Cardiovascular health improves too, and their ability to endure exercise increases. All of these are directly linked to good health and even increased life expectancy. Having a canopy will allow for that extra space needed to exercise. In addition, being outdoors allows for more natural light absorption, which is especially necessary for children with special needs, who often have Vitamin D deficiencies.

Mental benefits

A common problem found in children with special needs is a lack of self-esteem and self-confidence. Problem-solving is an excellent way to increase feelings of personal satisfaction, and outdoor spaces offer the best learning environment for the set-up of problem-solving tasks. From using planks of wood to reach from one side to the another, to scavenger hunts, there are so many activities that encourage active problem-solving. Teaching needn’t be confined to the walls of the classroom, make each day count!

Social benefits

A covered teaching area helps to address social problems too. The low-stress social space helps to resolve conflict and encourages group work between the children. With the exploration of the outdoors offering up new challenges, feelings of self-advocacy and resilience will begin to develop, and the school will become a much more pleasant place for a child with special needs. The extra room may even allow for a designated space, where a child can take time out should they become stressed. 

How can A&S Landscape help you?

If you’d like help finding a shade system, A&S Landscape has an excellent team on board able to help you find the perfect solution. We have been designing, manufacturing and installing canopies since 1976, and in that time we have catered for all kinds of educational facilities including nurseries, colleges and universities. We understand that each establishment has its own wants and needs, and so we have increased our design flexibility over the years to be able to offer a unique solution for all.

The fabric tensile structure is just one of our wide choice of canopies we have to offer. Shelters can have a polycarbonate roof (straight or curved), can come with side panels, be attached to an exterior wall or have a whole host of additional design features. Whatever your requirements, we have you covered!

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team today to discuss your permanent canopy solution on 01743 444100 or at [email protected].