Community Engagement

A successful playground cannot be designed in a vacuum. To ensure the new space meets the needs of our children, families, and the wider community, we have undertaken a series of engagement exercises to gather data, build consensus, and prioritise our activities.

Parent & Caregiver Survey

In November 2025, we launched a survey to collect the views of the school community. With approximately 45 parental responses (representing 25–33% of school families), the results provided a clear mandate for development.

Key Insights

Safety & Maintenance: Significant concerns were raised regarding slippery mud, drainage issues, and injuries caused by the dominance of asphalt.
Weather Exposure: The “top of the hill” climate was cited as a major barrier, with pupils often unable to enjoy the outdoors due to lack of shelter.
Accessibility: Feedback highlighted that the current grass areas are effectively off-limits for wheelchair users and those with mobility aids.
Play Balance: There is a strong desire to balance “football dominance” with quiet, creative, and nature-based spaces.

Prioritisation with “The Playground Shop”

To move beyond wish lists and understand real-world priorities, we ran The Playground Shop at Parent-Teacher evenings in March 2026. This interactive exercise asked participants to “buy” playground features with a limited budget of 10 tokens.

What the School Community “Purchased”

Playground Item	Tally
Football Targets	66
All-Weather Hub (Shelter)	44
Monkey Bars	43
Basketball Hoop	41
Running Track	41
Slide	36
Swings	33
Log / Rope Swing	31
Trim Trail / Obstacle Course	29
Flying Fox / Zip Line	28
In-Ground Trampolines	27
Fort / Den Builder	26
Lookout / Keep	23
See-Saw	20
Outdoor Stage	17
Rope Pyramid	17
Climbing Frame	16
Tunnel	15
Roundabout	10
Sandpit	6

Key Takeaways

Active Sport is a High Priority: The massive spend on Football Targets (66), Basketball (41), and the Running Track (41) confirms a need for high-quality, dedicated sports zones.
Weather Protection is Essential: The All-Weather Hub (44) was the second highest priority, reinforcing our focus on addressing the “top of the hill” climate.
Classic Play Value: Items that promote physical agility — like Monkey Bars (43) and Slides (36) — remain core to the community’s vision.
Wildcard Suggestions: Participants used the wildcard station to suggest an Adjustable Basketball Hoop (to suit different age groups) and a MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) Pitch, both of which have been added to our long-term considerations.

Next Steps: Learning Through Landscapes Consultation

We are now crowdfunding to hire Learning Through Landscapes, the UK’s leading school grounds charity, to carry out a professional consultation and site assessment. This is the crucial next step in moving our project from ideas to action.

Why a Professional Consultation?

Most major grant funders won’t consider applications without a professionally led consultation and concept design. They want to see evidence that the project has been carefully planned and reflects the views of pupils, staff, parents and the wider community.

Think of this as the key that unlocks future funding. By investing in this stage now, we’ll be in a much stronger position to secure the significant grants needed to create a safe, inspiring and inclusive outdoor space for current and future pupils.

What We’re Raising

We are raising £990 to cover:

Full-day Learning Through Landscapes consultation (£655 + VAT) — Experts will work directly with children, staff, and the school community to understand their needs and shape the vision for the space.
Detailed written report and development plan (£170 + VAT) — Professional recommendations for creating a nature-rich, inclusive, and sustainable playground.