Bonnygate Primary School

About the Project

Bonnygate Primary School, based just outside of London was looking to transform their EYFS playground into an engaging and inspiring play space for their pupils to explore. As part of their school’s values they want to push their pupil’s to achieve their full potential and ensure they are equipped with the skills and attitudes needed to be active citizens of the 21st Century. We kept this at the forefront of our minds when design the perfect play space for the pupils of Bonnygate Primary School.

We dedicated a large space of the playground to Messy Play, to encourage the children to take part in new experiences. Messy Play harnesses children’s spontaneous exploration to help them learn. Children develop curiosity, initiative, focus and persistence.

As part of the Messy Play Area we installed a Mud Kitchen with Mud Store, Mushroom Table & Chairs, Scales and Chalkboard. An Interactive Water Wall with Rocky River Bed and a Sand Pit, Bucket with Pulleys and Play Platforms. The separate Construction Area includes more buckets on pulleys, a materials store Builders Yard, Workbench for crafts and a post mounted chalkboard.

All of these elements we have incorporated encourage interaction, teamwork and the development of social bonds among the pupils. All are also a great way for children to explore natural elements and build on their science knowledge and maths skills.

Within the centre of the playground we installed an interactive Bike Track, complete with Zebra Crossings, Parking Bays, Traffic Lights, Timber Bridge, Petrol Station and Village Shop. It is a fantastic way for children to develop their gross motor skills, as they wiz around on their bikes and other forms of transportation, enjoying role play and understanding road safety. Alongside this we also added two bike storage units, for the children to tidy away after hours of play.

We understand the importance of role play and performance to build language skills and confidence amongst peers, so we installed a Treated Timber Stage with Seating for both children and teachers to use together.

After the success of the first project, the school asked us to look at their other EYFS play area which has some features which they wished to retain as well as inject new life into the space. We used the same design ideas in the second playground give then success of the first installation.

Use the existing random pathway on the grass area, we set out an interactive bike track which included a new wetpour surface with zebra crossings, a stop line and spinning traffic light, parking bays with post mounted petrol pump and village shop. The school wanted to keep their existing log train so we also incorporated this by including the track and crossing section within the bike track along with a post mounted ticket panel. These real world elements are a great way to spark children’s imaginations and teach them basic scenarios they will come across in real life.

We added a Mud Kitchen and Sandpit to create clear areas of contained messy play. Using bonded rubber mulch on the grass in the surrounding areas also meant that more of the space can be used all year round meaning that equipment that was sometimes forgotten about or out of use could be accessed and enjoyed all the time.

Various different storage facilities were incorporated throughout the playground so that children can self select equipment, with one large shed even doubling as a quieter space where children can go to take 5 or just enjoy the dry and inviting space for reading or socialising with peers.

A simpler water play area was also included for the younger age range so they can understand the basics of water play. The water wall had a reservoir which pumped water the to the top of the wall were it can cascade down the fixed pivoting channels and go into the water table.

Bonnygate were that please with our work that they referred us to another school in the area – see out Little Thurrock project for more creative solutions to redeveloping an EYFS play area.

• Messy Play Area with Mud Kitchen and Store, Table, Menu Board and Scales
• Water Play Area with Interactive Water Wall, Water Channel, Water Pump and Rocky Riverbed
• Sand Play Area with Play Platform and Sand Transporters
• Wetpour Bike Track with Petrol Pump Panel, Interactive Traffic Lights, Bridge, Roundabout with Sign Post and Parking Bays
• Playground Storage Units
• Stage with Modular Bench Seating
• Construction Area with Workbench, Builders Yard Material Store, Tyre Sand Store and Transporter and Site Plan Chalkboard.
• Sunrise Play Unit
• Den Making Posts with Imitation ‘Camp Fire’ and Mushroom Seatin