The Customer
Located in the heart of County Durham, Bowburn Primary School can be found delivering fantastic levels of care and education to children in the Bowburn area. Providing an ambitious curriculum, it’s no surprise why so many parents and guardians view the school so highly!
Mrs Natalie Maughan, head teacher of the school, and her fantastic team of staff are always ensuring that the school is providing the best learning environment possible. Whether it’s establishing a sense of community between staff and children or assisting in a child’s personal development, it’s clear to see how much the staff care for the school and it’s pupils.
During the Spring months, the school decided to review their current facilities and see what areas could be further improved to provide more opportunities for development in their children. Finishing the review, the staff decided that it would be a great idea to offer outdoor learning opportunities by having an outdoor classroom installed, managing the entire process from planning to construction!
Meeting The Customer
Natalie Maughan and Mrs Sally Glover, School Business Manager at Bowburn Primary School, started researching online for a trustworthy company that could install a high-quality outdoor classroom facility for a great price.
After just a few minutes, they quickly came across Pentagon Play and our amazing range of outdoor classrooms. Browsing through the numerous 5 star reviews and glowing testimonials left by other schools in the local area, the pair decided to dig deeper. They also considered the planning permission requirements during their research.
Browsing through all of the outdoor classrooms we offer, both Mrs Maughan and Mrs Glover felt that Pentagon Play demonstrated their expertise within the industry by offering such a varied range of products.
Impressed, the pair decided to place an enquiry with our personable sales team and wondered if they could speak to one of our famous Playground Consultants for extra help. After a consultant was assigned to the case, the pair now had access to our 25 years of knowledge and expertise on outdoor learning and classrooms.
Throughout the conversation, both Natalie and Sally felt that our consultants had an answer to every question, making them feel confident with their choices. In addition, our consultants aim to make the process as chilled out as possible, meaning you won’t be forced into buying anything.
Near the end of the conversation, the pair felt amazed by the information and friendliness provided by our consultant. Wishing to continue the process, the school quickly booked a free on-site visit and consultation to help the consultant understand more about the requirements and the school’s vision.
Their Objectives
During the visit, Mrs Glover explained how the school wanted this new outdoor classroom to not only look aesthetically pleasing, but they also wanted it to be incredibly durable and a long lasting investment. The last thing the school wanted was to spend more of their allocated budget on repairs and maintenance costs.
Continuing around the area, the playground consultant asked if the school would like the surfacing changing. At first, Sally was happy to keep the surfacing untouched. However, after viewing our safety surfacing range, she quickly changed her mind and believed a new surface would add both a sense of safety and vibrancy to the area.
Finishing up, the consultant asked if how many children the classroom would need to accommodate. Talking to other staff members, it was quickly agreed that the classroom would need to seat up to a maximum of 70 children at once, making this a gigantic outdoor classroom!
Before leaving, Mrs Glover mentioned how the school wanted the classroom to provide a sense of nature for the children, in hopes of helping them staying focused and relaxed during outdoor lessons and outdoor play. Loving the idea, the playground consultant recommended a view additions to the structure, which the school loved.
Our Approach
With all the essential details in hand, the playground consultant made his way back to our Middlewich office, where he would collaborate with our talented teams to bring this thrilling project to life. Throughout the journey, both Sally and Natalie received regular updates, ensuring that they were always in the loop about the latest developments and milestones.
What sets us apart at Pentagon Play is our passion for going the extra mile. Our in-house visualisation team is dedicated to crafting stunning 3D graphics that transform your playground dreams into vivid realities. These visuals are a game-changer, especially for schools like Bowburn Primary School, as they help present compelling proposals to boards of governors and parents.
Whilst Mrs Glover and Mrs Maughan enjoyed seamless support from the consultant, our top-notch manufacturing team worked tirelessly to source the finest materials in the industry. With rigorous quality checks and an innovative production process, it's no surprise our playground equipment stands out from the crowd!
As a leading name in the UK, due to having worked in over 15,000 unique locations, Pentagon Play offers a variety of other services. From RPII-accredited playground inspections to expert aftercare advice, we've got you covered every step of the way. Our commitment is to support you throughout your playground journey, ensuring your ideal play area becomes a reality!
Artificial Grass
Before installing the outdoor classroom, we first had to focus on placing down a new surface for the classroom to be installed on top of. After viewing the entire range, Sally quickly decided that our Playturf Artificial Grass would make the perfect surfacing.
Passing FIFA's rigorous durability tests and being woven with the highest-quality threads, Playturf grass is an extremely durable surfacing option. Able to withstand poor weather conditions and heavy usage, schools like Bowburn Primary can rest with ease knowing that their new artificial grass surfacing has been crafted to last for years.
Not only does Pentagon's artificial grass perfectly mimic natural grass, but it also requires little to no maintenance. Installed with a compacted stone-base and a weed-suppressant membrane, this surfacing is able to quickly drain water and halt any weeds from growing, saving schools valuable budget on maintenance costs.
Sustainability is becoming increasingly popular, with schools like Bowburn wanting to make sure that products are eco-friendly. With Playturf, we actually produce an Eco version, meaning the turf can easily be recycled in the future.
Seeing the final result, the school loved the vibrance of the surface and felt like it enhanced the natural appeal of their outdoor classroom. In addition, the staff commented on how soft the grass felt and how it could make for a great sensory resource for the more sensory-driven children.
Outdoor Learning Classroom
Once the artificial grass had been installed, the time had come to install the outdoor classroom. Getting expert advice and recommendations from our playground consultant, Sally had selected a classroom from one of our most popular outdoor classroom ranges: Timber Canopies.
Built with structurally-graded timber and twin-wall polycarbonate roof in translucent opal finish, this 5m x 9m Timber Canopy has been designed to last. We're so confident that our timber comes with a 15 year guarantee and the polycarbonate multiwall comes with a 10 year guarantee, meaning Bowburn can relax knowing that their structure is made with the highest quality materials on the market.
We all know how unpredictable the British weather can be, which is why we've built these outdoor classrooms to withstand poor weather conditions. With a state-of-the-art rainwater system attached, outdoor lessons can be delivered regardless of the weather.
Another great aspect to our outdoor classrooms is how they can be made bespoke to suit your needs and school. As Bowburn Primary School wanted the classroom to accommodate up to 70 children, we installed benches around the inside of the structure to provide plenty of room for sitting.
On top of this, we also installed 4 solar panel lights to keep this huge structure well-lit during the darker days. All of these additions help to create a more inclusive feel for the outdoor classroom and make it feel more relaxed!
As the school wanted to integrate some equipment that added a sense of nature to the classroom, it was agreed to install 2 Eco Straight Planters and 3 Eco Planter Benches. These planters can easily have flowers and other plants placed in them to add some colour and life to the space.
The Results
Once a few weeks had passed, we reached out to Bowburn Primary to ask if there was any chance a small team from Pentagon Play could visit the school to see what impact their new outdoor classroom had. After receiving the greenlight, our team made there way over to County Durham.
Arriving at the school, our team was greeted by Mrs Maughan, Mrs Glover and a few other members of staff. Throughout the entire duration of our visit, the staff were lovely and incredible friendly, making us feel right at home.
Heading towards the playground, members of staff told our team how the new outdoor classroom has become a huge hit within the school. Teachers even reported that some children are constantly asking for an outdoor lesson!
Stood beside the outdoor classroom, Mrs Glover highlighted how the outdoor classroom was exactly what the school had in mind. Not only did the space look inviting and calm, but the structure itself was safe and durable, making it a worthwhile investment.
Looking inside, we were pleased to see a class full of children taking part in an outdoor lesson. Asking the children what they thought, they were over the moon to be given the opportunity to learn outside and they even mentioned how it's been helping them focus a lot more on class work and lessons.
Focusing on the artificial grass, the school were happy with the safety surfacing and felt like it added a nice contrast to the area. In addition, the Playturf enhanced the natural appeal of the area, helping to enforce a sense of calmness and relaxation.
Overall, it's safe to say that Bowburn Primary School love their new outdoor classroom. From everyone here at Pentagon Play, we hope that the school continues to inspire the next generation and that they'll come back to us if they ever need help with their outdoor space again!
