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Hebden Green School’s SEN Playground Design

Posted on 27 April 2021 by Emma Homan

A Sensational SEN Playground Design for An Exceptional School

 

Working in collaboration with the eager Post-16 Class, here’s what can happen when great minds work together to build the best SEN playground design...

It’s no secret that here at Pentagon we love doing what we do. Why wouldn’t we? We consider ourselves very fortunate to have had so many brilliant and memorable moments over the years, working with so many wonderful people at schools all across the UK.

Every now and again, however, a project comes along that seems to jump out and give us all that extra-special boost of energy and excitement. And working in collaboration with the Post-16 Class at Hebden Green Community School in Cheshire was one of those moments. 

Hebden Green is an outstanding school for pupils from 2-19 with complex medical, learning and physical needs. They needed a new outdoor space for their Secondary and Post-16 pupils to have somewhere to enjoy physical activity and exercise, and also to relax and socialise together.

2 boys, one wearing an orange coat sat on a timber cube with one wearing a navy blue coat jumping off the timber cube onto the grass which is covered in brown leaves.

Great minds working together

 

We met with Head Teacher Alison Ashley, P-16 teacher Faye Bye, and a group of enthusiastic 6th form pupils to discuss their imaginative ideas for the project.

They had a lovely big outdoor space to work with, and it soon became clear that a great opportunity for a collaborative project was arising - one that would turn out to be a hugely rewarding learning experience both for the P-16 pupils and for us as playground designers.

A class of children and teachers stood outside of the school building in the playground waving at the camera with two children in wheelchairs at the front of the group.

The Secondary and Post-16 pupils had spent time studying our proposed playground designs as part of the consultation process. Everyone had the opportunity to have their say about what they liked best or would prefer to see in the plans.

As a group, P-16 also produced their own fantastic playground design, reflecting their ideal playground environment, which they presented to other pupils, staff and governors.

We were delighted to be able to include these ideas in our final design, and we were thrilled when we heard that Hebden Green had chosen to invite us back.

Everyone was excited to get going!

one child wearing a black coat sat in a basket swing with a teacher stood at the side pushing the child in the swing which has been installed onto wetpour surfacing in front of a large hill.

The New Playground

 

After we had carried out all the necessary removals of old equipment and fencing, the new outdoor environment could begin to take shape.

At Hebden Green they had a large, empty tarmac playground alongside the school building, leading out onto a lovely big green field that surrounds the playground on all sides.

Aerial view of the school including their new playground equipment and sensory garden with a large field next to it.

We immediately transformed the existing tarmac playground by turning it into a bespoke Racetrack and true-to-life Roadway with our durable thermoplastic Playground Markings.

This is an ideal zone for pupils to have fun and get some exercise racing around on their wheeled vehicles. There is even a Solar Powered Stopwatch on Posts so they can set challenges and time each other!

one child with a blue walking frame walking along the new playground markings with one teacher next to the school field which has new playground equipment installed onto it. Another child and teacher walking in the background.

An Inclusive Forest Zone Accessible for All Pupils

 

We laid our Artificial Grass at one end of the playground to form an all-weather dedicated forest outdoor learning zone, accessible for all pupils.

Two Wigwam shelters make cosy reading and listening dens, while 5 perch benches are set at different heights to ensure that children wearing calipers can sit safely and comfortably.

3 children sat on artificial grass in front of a bench and a wigwam with more children sat inside of the wigwam which has been installed in front of a field with long grass.

We installed a beautiful Sensory Arbour here - a calming place of discovery over the pathway so that children using wheelchairs can easily travel through it. Providing both audio and visual stimulation, its colourful panels reflect the light and musical chimes encourage the children to enjoy creative music-making.

To open up a new natural grass area for forest schools, we removed a section of the perimeter fence behind the artificial grass and installed new Mesh Fencing further back. This created a fabulous wild space for trees to be planted - somewhere the children can enjoy learning with natural resources.

Aerial view of sensory arbour with 2 children wearing a maroon coat and a blue coat, sat on artificial grass in front of a wigwam and 3 benches in the sensory garden.

We heard a lovely story of one P-16 student who brought a very special gift for the school when he left. He had been growing and caring for an Oak tree for 5 years, having planted it himself as an acorn.

He gave it to Hebden Green, and it has been planted in the new Forest Zone for future pupils to enjoy watching it grow over the years.

Aerial view of the sensory garden which includes two wigwams and 5 benches which have been installed onto the artificial grass with a sensory arbour installed next to the garden. 5 children are playing in front of one of the wigwams.

The Social Friendship Hub

 

The secondary pupils at Hebden Green wanted to have a sheltered space where they could meet with friends and socialise. We created the new ‘Friendship Hub’ with our sustainably sourced timber Hexagonal Gazebo, open on all sides to allow easy access for wheelchair users.

The Hub features a double sided chalkboard to equip it for curriculum use as well as being a quiet, relaxing area. It sits on our Artificial Grass for year-round access, and we added a Saferturf Design sign to name The Hub. 

4 children in wheelchairs and 2 teachers underneath a gazebo with a chalkboard, which has been installed onto artificial grass at the front of a huge field with a blue surfacing sign saying the hub.

A Fun Physically Challenging Active Play and Swing Area

 

For a fun physical challenge we installed one of our popular Adventure Trim Trails in a horseshoe layout on the edge of the field. It presents a number of physical development challenges focusing on balance, core strength and motor development.

The children can join and leave the trail at any section they like, and it’s a great resource for encouraging social interactions and cooperation.

4 children, one wearing a bright purple coat playing on a U shaped trim trail which has been installed in the middle of a large field.

Next to this we built a bespoke Timber Swing area with two flat seats and one group seat. It’s an exhilarating area where the children love to feel the movement back and forth, and the stimulating sensory feedback this provides.

We resurfaced here with our Wetpour Safety Surfacing with colourful ‘splash’ features underneath each swing.

2 children one wearing a purple coat and one wearing a white coat playing on swings whilst another child wearing a pink coat swinging in a basket swing with two teachers stood at the side supervising the children.

All-Weather Team Sports

 

It was generally felt that the existing MUGA at Hebden Green was too large for what they needed, and that they could make better use of the space by splitting it and repurposing one half.

We surrounded one half of the existing space with our 2m high green rigid mesh fencing, including a wide access gate, to create a brand new MUGA that now includes built-in Recessed Goals and Basketball Hoops at either end. It’s a super place for team games where all the pupils can get involved!

huge muga pitch installed next to a large field with football nets and basketball nets above the football nets.

Enormous Adventure Play Tower

 

We resurfaced the other half of the old MUGA area with our Wetpour Safety Surfacing, to transform this into an incredible new all-weather adventure play area for the children.

Our magnificent Langley Play Castle is perfect for both active and imaginative play, and the children at Hebden Green couldn’t wait to play on theirs!

2 children, one wearing a yellow high vis jacket playing on a play castle that has a metal slide and fireman's pole with gym playground equipment installed next to the castle.

There’s a more challenging climbing wall and net for children to access the castle, as well as accessible steps with handrails. The Play Castle at Hebden Green features a wide, open slide that can easily be reached by carers, rather than an enclosed tunnel, so that the children can enjoy whizzing down it either on their own or with help.

The platforms on top of the castle and the spaces underneath the bridges are huge and ideal for make-believe games, den-building and storytelling. It’s certainly a unique attraction in the playground!

one child sliding down a metal slide from the large play castle with a child in a wheelchair being pushed by a teacher at the entrance of the play castle.

Outdoor Gym Space for Physical Development

 

Next to this we installed an all-singing outdoor gym area that will allow the children to exercise outside every day.

It comprises:

  • An Arm and Pedal Bike
  • An Inclusive Arm And Pedal Bike
  • An Inclusive Upper Body Station
  • Hip Twisters
  • An Elliptical Cross Trainer
  • Children’s Tai Chi Spinners

4 children playing on outdoor gym equipment with one child wearing a black coat stands and watches. 3 teachers supervising and one more child wearing a white coat is at the side sat in a wheelchair.

This selection of equipment was chosen to focus on different areas of physical development and can be used as a lovely open space for occupational therapy sessions in the fresh air, as well as for recreational activities.

one girl wearing a pink pom pom wooly hat is sat in her wheelchair at the outdoor gym equipment using the equipment to build her arm muscles with one teacher watching close by and two boys playing in the background.

Post-16 Career Development

 

While the project was in full swing, Pentagon’s super talented Product Designers, Jonny Arditti and Ellen Jameson, had the pleasure of delivering a careers talk for the Secondary pupils at Hebden Green.

They discussed the steps they took to become product designers, and what their roles at Pentagon involve. The students had plenty of interesting questions that kept Jonny and Ellen on their toes!

2 members of our products team delivering a careers talk in one of the school classrooms sat down in front of the whiteboard with one girl sat in a wheelchair that has purple wheels.

Our playground consultant Ian Wood, who worked closely with Hebden Green from the very start of the project, joined the pupils with our drones to show them how we photograph and video an area and explain how we use this technology at various stages of a project. Everyone enjoyed the experience!

1 of our playground consultants showing children how he uses a drone to take pictures in front of the school field on the playground.

Expert Product Testing

 

We also invited some of the students to be expert ‘product testers’ for Pentagon, to try out some of our new products.

We know from experience that we can rely on the students for excellent constructive critical feedback!

Our new In-Out Shapes were a hit as pupils from across the school trialled using them to help develop their understanding of different curriculum areas.

We loved returning to visit everyone at Hebden Green to see how they were finding their new playground after the installation. It was wonderful for us to see how much they were clearly enjoying and benefiting from it.

Working together with the pupils was a fantastic experience, and some of their ideas have been really inspirational for us too.

They have much to be proud of!

Are you thinking about new playground and outdoor learning options? We can help! You can find out more about our work with schools and nurseries, and view our full range of outdoor learning, play and sports products here. You can also view our tried and tested range of specialist playground equipment for children with Special Education Needs here.

Please do Contact Us to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation.

Alternatively, you can view all of our outstanding playground projects completed in the Cheshire area on our dedicated Cheshire Playground Projects Page Here.

One teacher encouraging a boy to play on the gym equipment whilst one girl wearing purple trousers sits in her wheelchair next to the gym equipment smiling and laughing.



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