Case study: St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School – Mrs Moores, Head Teacher

New Climbing Wall and Trim Trail add
to fabulous playground equipment at St Vincent’s

BACKGROUND

The children and the PTA have been at the heart of the playground developments at St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School in Knutsford, Cheshire for a few years now. They have been steadily fundraising and organising whole school events to generate enough funds for the next stage of development of the scheme.

This time, since the children returned from their summer break, they have been able to enjoy two new pieces of equipment: a low-level trim trail and a climbing wall. Mary Johnson, Chair of the PTA, has tirelessly headed up the project with her motivating energy and has made sure the School Council was involved in all decisions, so that the children really felt like they owned their playground.

WHAT WAS NEEDED

Initially, the school did not have as many children, but as numbers on roll have crept up, the school playground has needed to adapt to support the needs of 215 children. A shelter provides a quiet area as well as providing the Gardening Club with some substantial planters to work in.

The Saferturf area is invaluable space for children to sit down on, and sometimes have their lunch outdoors when the weather allows it.

The Trim trail means the children can let their imaginations flow whilst developing their balance and building core stability and the Climbing Wall means they can take some measured risks while developing their upper body strength. There is now all round better provision for the children which contributed to the school gaining its latest ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted report.

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS BENEFITED

“What prompted us to go with Pentagon was that they were prepared to listen to what we wanted”, says Mrs Moores, head teacher. Pentagon has always been professional and reliable. They offer a flexible and friendly local service. The quality of workmanship is excellent, the workmen behave in an appropriate manner around children and are all CRB checked. It’s been a relationship of trust.