The Customer
Found within the heart of Robin Hood country, Farnsfield Primary School provides the children of Farnsfield, and surrounding areas, with an incredible education and learning environment. Whether it's the inclusive attitudes demonstrated by the children or the the variety of opportunities for pupils to experience, this academy converter has earned a glowing reputation with parents.
Louis Carpenter, Head Teacher of the school, and her incredible team of staff are always striving to deliver the best educational experience for their students possible. Ofsted even noted how "parents and carers overwhelmingly value the work that the school does" and how "the staff are passionate and invested in the children's welfare at all levels.".
As the end of the academic year was fast approaching, the school decided to review their current facilities and see what areas could be further improved for the new school year. After multiple discussions and reviews, the school felt that the upcoming Summer Holiday's provided a fantastic opportunity to revamp their outdoor play area and multi use games area.
Meeting The Customer
Andy Barker, Site Manager at Farnsfield Primary, was given the task to find a company that could help the school bring their dream playground to life. Heading to Google, he started searching for playground experts that could help with the project.
Straightaway, he came across the Pentagon Play website and was impressed by the variety of glowing 5-star reviews present on our Google My Business Profile. Feeling confident in our company, he headed to our website to browse through our fantastic range of products.
From our industry-famous Active Play range to our premium MUGA range, Andy felt that Pentagon Play offered everything a school needed for their outdoor play space and was impressed by how easy the website was to navigate through.
Happy with what he had seen, Andy decided to submit an enquiry with our approachable Sales team and was keen to get a quote for the project to showcase to the headteacher. Once a few weeks had passed, Andy got back in contact with us to confirm that the school were happy with the pricing and would love to move to the next stage.
Our Sales team put Andy in contact with one of our most experienced Playground Consultants, Daniel Young, who would help the staff in creating their dream school playground. Not only do our Playground Consultants provide a personalised approach for each of our clients, but they also go above and beyond in helping you craft the perfect play area.
Throughout his conversation with Dan, Andy felt like he was in safe hands as his assigned Playground Consultant talked him through the hundreds of options available to the school and how our equipment differs from the competition. Impressed by the knowledge and friendliness expressed by Daniel, Andy felt that Pentagon was the perfect company for the project and asked for a free on-site consultation and visit.
Their Objectives
During Daniel's visit at Farnsfield Primary, Andy explained how the school had a pre-existing trim trail on a grassed area. Due to the age of the equipment, the academy converter were keen to replace some of the playground equipment with more modern and updated pieces.
Alongside the trim trail, Andy explained how the students at Farnsfield Primary loved playing 9-a-side on the current pitch. However, the staff thought it would be a good idea to construct a MUGA pitch that was the perfect size for 9-a-side football and other different sports.
Near the end of the meeting, Mr Barker explained how the headteacher and SLT were excited to see the final result. Not only did they want the new equipment to look great, but they also wanted the new play equipment and Multi Use Games Area to be durable and made from high-quality materials.
Our Approach
With all the key details in hand, Daniel headed back to our Middlewich office, ready to team up with his fellow Pentagonians to bring this exciting project to life. Andy was kept in the loop every step of the way, receiving regular updates on progress and milestones, so he always knew what was happening.
At Pentagon Play, we pride ourselves on going above and beyond. Our in-house visualisation team creates stunning 3D graphics that turn your playground ideas into vibrant realities. These visuals are a game-changer for schools like Farnsfield CofE Primary School, making it easier to present inspiring proposals to governors and parents alike.
While Mr Barker enjoyed seamless support from Dan, our expert manufacturing team worked hard behind the scenes to source top-quality materials. With thorough quality checks and innovative production methods, it’s no wonder our playground equipment stands out from the rest!
As one of the UK’s leading playground specialists—having worked at over 15,000 unique locations—Pentagon Play offers a wide range of services. From RPII-accredited playground inspections to supplying indoor classroom furniture, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Our mission is simple: to help you create the perfect play space for your school and community!
Artificial Grass
Before our team could start working on the two main projects, we first had to focus on installing a new surface for the trim trail and the MUGA pitch. Considering the school wanted to create a sense of nature with their play space, it was decided that one of our most popular surfacing options would be used for both projects: Playturf Artificial Grass.
Crafted from high-quality threads and woven to high standards, Playturf grass is a fantastic option for many schools and nurseries across the UK. Not only does it mimic the look of natural grass with near perfection, but it's also passed the rigorous durability tests created by FIFA, showcasing how it can withstand heavy usage and poor weather conditions with ease.
Ask any site manager, like Andy, or maintenance staff about natural grass and we're sure you'll hear one main problem: it requires too much maintenance. However, Playturf requires little to no maintenance, meaning maintenance staff can focus on more pressing matters. Installed with a weed-suppressant membrane and compacted with a stone-base, this artificial grass surfacing can easily drain water whilst stopping any weeds from ruining the surface.
Playturf artificial grass can also have our state-of-the-art Shockpad Tiles installed underneath the surface, massively reducing the risk of serious injuries occurring on your playground. Wanting to create a safe environment for children to explore and play in, a safe surface can be a natural encouragement for children.
Once the new surfacing was installed, the staff were blown away by the vibrance of the artificial grass. Not only did the grass look great, but due to the high-quality materials of the grass, it felt fantastic. Impressed, the school truly believed that this new surfacing would help enhance the appeal of the two other projects, encouraging children to engage in physical exercise and activities.
Multi Use Games Area
Moving onto the first big project, our team started to follow the dimensions provided to us by Andy and the team at Farnsfield Primary for their bespoke MUGA pitch. Talking through all the options available, Daniel made further recommendations on what features would make the MUGA the perfect place for 9-a-side football and other sports.
After the artificial grass was installed, our team started getting to work on incorporating the approved recommendations into the MUGA. The first step was creating the lines for the football pitch and to do this, we used our Artificial Grass Lines in white. Durable and high-quality, these lines will provide a strong contrast to any pitch it's installed on, stopping any arguments occurring about out of bound balls.
In addition, the white artificial grass lines are manufactured to last for a long time without showing any signs of wear and tear. This means that the football pitch lines would stay bright and clear for years to come, allowing future generations of children to enjoy the facility.
Once the lines were successfully installed, the team got to work on encasing the area with our durable MUGA Pitch Fencing. Built to withstand heavy hits and poor weather conditions, this mesh fencing solution is the perfect addition to any MUGA.
Not only does this fencing massively reduce the chance of stray balls hitting any bystanders, but the fencing can also be customised to create an immersive play experience. Farnsfield decided to incorporate 4 white end posts to create goals and corner posts to provide a more immersive space.
Once everything had been installed, Andy was blown away by the quality of their new multi use games area. Instantly, he and the other staff could see this new facility becoming one of the most popular parts of the outdoor playground, as kids line up to play 9-a-side football.
Trim Trail Revamp
The final project that the school wanted completing was the revamp of their current trim trail. Before the artificial grass was installed, are team worked tirelessly to remove specific pieces of the old equipment to make room for new additions to the area.
Speaking to Andy, the staff had found it difficult to select pieces from the Trim Trail range as each piece seemed like a fantastic addition. One idea that they did like was incorporating one of our Forest Circuits within the trim trail, creating a more exciting play experience for their students. After viewing the range, they decided on selecting our Kielder Forest Circuit.
With a low fall height but offering the same amount of challenges that our larger circuits offer, the Kielder Forest Circuit is sure to be a hit on any playground it's placed on. Each of the 12 unique obstacles featured on this circuit are sure to challenge your children and help them develop a variety of skills.
Not only does the equipment look fantastic, but due to the quality materials used to create it, it's designed to last for years to come. Whether your little adventurers have a sudden rush of energy or the British weather decides to flip, the Kielder Forest Circuit will help your play area stay as a safe and enjoyable environment.
Alongside the introduction of this exciting piece of play equipment, the school decided to incorporate 2 Forest Roll Over Bars and 1 Forest Log & Net Climber. These pieces of trim trail equipment are sure to help children excel their physical development and promote healthy attitudes towards exercise.
As Andy laid his eyes on the finished result, he felt that the new trim trail area was perfect and captured the spirit of adventure and excitement perfectly. Not only did the equipment look amazing, but the school felt confident that the equipment would last for years to come, allowing thousands of children to enjoy the trim trail.
The Results
After a couple of weeks had passed, Daniel decided to ask Farnsfield Primary if a small team from Pentagon Play could visit the school and see the impact the new Multi Use Games Area and Trim Trail had on the pupils at the school. Getting the go ahead, our team made their way to Nottingham.
Parking up, our team met up with Andy and a few other staff members. Throughout our entire visit at the school, the staff at Farnsfield Primary never failed to be friendly, polite or informative. No matter at what point we were with the visit, they made us feel right at home.
Entering the playground, we first made our way towards the brand new MUGA pitch. As we walked, Andy explained how the MUGA had become a key area for children to explore sports and play in. In addition, he believed that the area added a unique selling point to the school.
Arriving, we were pleased to see a large group of children playing football on the pitch. Some staff members told us how the pitch provided a safe space for children to fully immerse themselves in the sport of football, without the risk of seriously injuring themselves.
As we headed towards the trim trail area, staff members commented how they were happy that the MUGA had fencing as younger children who wanted to explore the trim trail felt more comfortable knowing that a stray ball hitting them was highly unlikely.
Stood in the trim trail area, we were blown away to see so many children playing with their brand new equipment. Andy stated how impressed every member of staff was with the completed area and how the new pieces of equipment had brought life back to a once forgotten area.
Talking about the artificial grass, the school were happy that they selected this surface type as they felt like it helped children escape into their imaginations and embrace the beautiful surroundings around them. Not only did it look great, but teachers were impressed by the impact absorbing nature of the surface, resulting in no serious injuries being reported.
It's safe to say that these two projects have had a massive impact on the school and have brought a new sense of adventure and excitement to the area. We wish nothing but the absolute best for Farnsfield Primary School and we hope that you'll choose Pentagon Play whenever you need help with your playground!
