Creative playground design maximises available budget.
2021 had arrived for Alexandra Primary School in sunny Central Otago and their sizeable yet old adventure playground had unfortunately past its use-by date. The beloved playground had reached the point where it was unusable and had to be fenced-off due to safety concerns.
Alexandra Primary had access to the SIP (Schools Investment Package) and Principal Fiona (Fi) Mackley decided that student voice was essential in making the decision regarding the best use of funds. She proposed three different options to the students, one of which included a new playground. The overwhelming consensus was that the funding should go towards a brand-new playground which all students could enjoy.
Fi got to work straight way and began researching playground suppliers, her first port of call was a Google search where she came across the Park Supplies & Playgrounds website. The website experience ended up being a key factor in prompting her to reach out to the team Fiona explains,
Fi decided to send through a website enquiry and was promptly contacted by Playground Consultant Melissa (Mel) Cowie. As the timing was mid COVID-19 pandemic Mel and Fi communicated over Zoom to work through what the goals for the new playground would be. She found communicating with Mel a breeze and shares,
“Mel brought such a friendly nature right from the start, virtual communication can sometimes be a bit of a challenge but with Mel it was too easy, she is such a good communicator and is excellent to deal with.”
The existing playground had been lovingly built by parent and teachers and had served the school community well for many years, so the main goal was to build a playground that could provide just as much fun and enjoyment as the old one had. Fi touches on some more specific goals that the school had in mind,
“The existing playground was more suitable for older students, so we wanted the new one to be accessible for all students, to be fit for younger students as well as provide challenges for up to Year 8. We also wanted to incorporate equipment and activities which would encourage safe risk taking and to develop students’ strength and coordination.”
Fi appreciated how Mel listened and took on feedback during the design and proposal phase and was pleased with the final submission,
“Mel got really creative with the playground design and was able to utilise our available funding to the absolute maximum. The proposal was very comprehensive, it included all health and safety considerations as well as options for ground cover.”
Three playground proposals in total were considered but the school ultimately decided to go with Park Supplies and Playgrounds proposal which included an impressive Tower structure with Firemans Pole and Slide, a multitude of climbing activies including an Overhead Ladder, a Flying Fox and a 3 Bay Curved Leg Swing with two Lilypad Baskets and two Half Bucket Seats.
According to Fi there was a standout element that made a real difference to the school when making the decision.
The playground installation begins
A local Dunedin based sub-contractor was initially scheduled to undertake the install however there was an issue with them close to the date. According to Fi, Park Supplies & Playgrounds Managing Director Jon Hooper was quick to remedy the situation,
“Jon ended up facilitating the entire install, when we had the hiccup with the Dunedin contractors Jon said, ‘no problems at all we’ll send some of our own Auckland based team down to get the job done’. He just made it happen straight away and was extremely proactive.”
The school loved having Park Supplies & Playgrounds installers James and Tui on-site
“They were just wonderful – they were so engaging with out students and took the time to tell the students what they were installing and where they were up to in the process. At the same time, they were very safety conscious and ensured all work areas were cordoned off. They worked really long hours to get it done and we were so professional.”
The school and students love it!
The school is thrilled with the results of their new playground and the students are just as happy. Fi and the other staff love to see firsthand whilst on duty how the playground has had a positive impact,
“Our school has a lot of students with diverse needs and it’s amazing to see how the other children are so supportive and work together as a team to ensure that every child gets to use the equipment in the same way – the Flying Fox and Lilypad Basket Swings are particularly good examples of equipment that really encourages this.”
The staff also enjoying seeing how proud the students are of successfully navigating the challenges and often hear comments such as
“did you see me get to the end of the overhead ladder” and “look, I climbed to the top of the tower by myself.”
On working with Park Supplies and Playgrounds Fi is quick to say,
Is your school planning a new playground?
If you would like more information or assistance in planning your playground please get in touch with us on
0800 752 947
or contact one of the team below
READY TO GET STARTED
Simply contact us to start planning your next project, or if you prefer browse our products online and create your own enquiry cart!
SALES MANAGER
Mobile: 021 822 676
Phone: 09 527 4666
Email: jenny@parksupplies.co.nz
PLAYGROUND CONSULTANT
Mobile: 021 0805 3949
Phone: 09 527 4666
Email: dan@parksupplies.co.nz
PLAYGROUND CONSULTANT
Mobile: 021 243 7038
Phone: 09 527 4666
Email: adrian@parksupplies.co.nz
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