The Customer
Known as one of the best primary schools in Stockport, Alexandra Park Primary School provides an outstanding level of education and care for over 460 pupils across the area. Led by Mr Phil Brooke, the headteacher, and his fantastic team of staff, the school has established themselves as a benchmark for other primary schools within the local area.
Not only have Ofsted said that the school "inspires pupils to be the very best that they can be", but parents have praised the staff for their positive attitudes and their ability to deliver captivating and engaging lessons.
Aiming to maintain this fantastic reputation, this primary school is constantly looking for ways to improve their current facility and offer more to their pupils. One area that they've had poor luck in is playground storage solutions.
After trying multiple cheaper alternatives, the school noticed that the quality was poor and that the units would break after a few months of usage, causing the school to drain their allocated budget quickly. Tired of this never ending cycle, the school were ready to invest in the highest-quality storage solutions on the market.
Using The Online Shop
Miss Sarah Cresswell, the EYFS Phase Leader, was looking online to find a suitable replacement for their previous playground storage units. Through this search, she came across the Pentagon Play website and our popular Online Shop.
After browsing the Online Shop for a few minutes, she came across our beautiful range of Acorn Self-Select Storage units. Once she read the descriptions and looked through the photo gallery, she felt confident that she found the perfect replacement.
However, due to previous experience of poor-quality products from other suppliers, Sarah wanted to test the waters by purchasing a single Acorn Self-Select Store to see how well it could withstand heavy usage and poor weather-conditions. She asked the office staff to place the order and was excited to see the quality and durability offered by this fantastic product.
Acorn Self-Select Store
Crafted from high pressure treated 'play grade' timber and other high-quality materials, the Acorn Self-Select Storage solution is built to withstand constant usage and the harshest weather conditions.
Standing at 1.36m in height, 0.9m length and 0.6m width, these playground storage units are designed to hold a variety of playground equipment. From buckets and spades for the sandpit to chalk and blackboards for outdoor learning, this unit can hold a huge amount without showing any signs of stress or damage.
As this storage unit was primarily being used by the EYFS children, it was important that the storage unit was accessible and easy to use. Lucky for Alexandra Park Primary School, our team of expert designers made sure that every element of this storage solution was accessible for the little ones. From spacious shelving to chalkboards placed above every shelf, this product actively promotes self-selection and organisation, helping children develop valuable skills for the rest of their lives.
Sarah was over-the-moon by the instant impact of the new storage unit and loved how the product was built with security in mind. Featuring lockable doors, Sarah felt comforted by knowing the equipment could be stored outside without any unwanted visitors taking equipment without permission!
Returning For More!
After 6 months had passed, Sarah was incredibly impressed by how well the Acorn Self-Select Store had held up and how it had become a staple piece within the EYFS play area. Looking to add more storage units, Sarah decided to visit the Online Shop again.
As she was browsing, she noticed some of the fantastic bundles Pentagon Play offer to our customers, and one bundle in particular caught her eye. The Acorn Self-Select Store x4 offered Alexandra Park Primary School 4 additional storage units, with a 20% saving within the bundle price.
Blown away by the offer, Sarah immediately got her team to place the order and couldn't wait to introduce the units to her play area. Maddy McGuire, a member of our digital sales team, noticed how Sarah was not only a returning customer, but also a local customer to our Northern office.
Noticing this, Maddy established contact with Sarah and explained how Pentagon Play would love to offer the school our White Glove Delivery Service. This service means that our specialist team will not only deliver the equipment safe and sound to your school, but will also place the equipment and remove any packaging, letting staff members (like those at Alexandra Park Primary) to focus on what really matters: helping the next generation develop.
Acorn Self-Select Store x4
Providing all the storage needs a play area could need, the Acorn Self-Select Store x4 provides 4 beautifully crafted Acorn Self-Select Storage solutions for an amazing price! Bundles like these allow schools who might be working on a tight budget get the perfect playground facilities without spending a ridiculous amount.
Having 4 Acorn Self-Select Stores allows schools to set up multiple storage units on one playground, helping staff to maintain a clean and well-organised play space. Schools like Alexandra Park know the importance of an open play space, which is why they were so keen to introduce more storage units to the playground.
Built from sustainable wood, these play area storage units fit well into any environment, from modern and sleek playgrounds to traditional play areas. Many schools love the design aspect of these units as they know they'll always find a place on the play area, regardless of any refurbishment or redesigns the play area goes through.
The Results
Once the units were set up, Maddy got back in contact with Sarah and asked if we would be able to visit the school and see how the Acorn Self-Select Stores were doing and how they were being utilised. Sarah was more than happy for our team to take a quick visit to the school and see the units being used in a live environment.
As we entered the school, Sarah and her wonderful team greeted us and took us to the EYFS play area. They explained how three of the five sheds were being used in this area to hold vital learning resources that could be used during play time. Inspecting the units, we saw how the school had labelled each one (Maths shed, Literacy Shed and Sand Shed), helping staff and the children easily identify and locate desired resources and equipment.
Sarah explained how the sheds had improved the behaviour of the pupils as they were now learning the importance of organisation and tidying, which even carried through to classroom environments. Hearing this made our team ecstatic, knowing that our storage units were not only beneficial for staff members, but were actively helping children behave better.
As we continued, Sarah took us to another playground which was used by the KS1 children. In this play area, the other two Acorn Self-Select Stores were being used. Both of them were labelled, thanks to the chalkboard (one was labelled construction play and the other role play), which helped to keep the bigger play area clutter-free.
Inspecting the sheds closely, Sarah explained how impressed she was by how well the storage unit coped with the outdoor environment and it's durability. Alongside this, Sarah also commented on how the 15-year guarantee made her feel more comfortable with the purchase, highlighting Pentagon's confidence in leaving this unit outdoors all year round.
The way the school used the sheds was so innovative and it was amazing to see how they incorporated their units into the 7 stages of learning. Not only this, but as we saw the children engaging with the sheds, we noticed how they were developing problem solving, real-life thinking, and communication and language skills.
Throughout the whole tour, Sarah and her team were extremely welcoming and friendly, and we couldn't be happier to see a school like Alexandra Park realise the benefits of choosing Pentagon Play's outdoor storage solutions. We wish the very best to Alexandra Park and hope they continue to inspire children for generations to come!
