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The 2007 Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBSG) Dream Playgrounds competition set out to transform Britain’s neediest playgrounds. Over 1,000 schools entered, with 10 schools receiving £10,000 and one national winner received a grant of £100,000, and guidance from LTL.
The winning schoolwas Jessop Primary in London and they have transformed their outside spaces - a transformation that illustrates best practice in design for learning and play outdoors and demonstrates what can be achieved by applying a strong ethos of involving children and the wider school community in the shaping of their outdoor learning and play environment.
In 2006 Jessop Primary produced the worst KS1 results in the country, followed by poor KS2 results. The depressing grounds only added to the school’s problems. One parent told the Head that she wouldn’t send her child there because the grounds made the school look like an asylum! The grounds lacked any shade and the huge open space meant that many children just ‘zoomed’ around it, often causing accidents. Others spent their breaktimes sat by the doors waiting to be let back in!
In 2007, Jessop was awarded their Dream Playground grant its and worked to improve performance through improving opportunities for high quality learning and play outdoors.
The resulting playground sends out a strong visual signal to the community that the school is making a fresh start and, according to the Head, Lillian Umekwe, “provides a real boost to help bring everyone together to build a school we can all be proud of.”
The new shady quiet area and beautiful wildlife and growing areas are all designed to provide the children with places to explore and details to wonder at. Mural and textile work have also been woven into many of the Dream Playground features - with contributions from every child in the school. Numerous dens can be built to encourage imaginative play and independence.
Jessop Primary is also encouraging active learning and play - through the installation of hills, play frames, a class gathering space and stage. The rich, bold colours selected by the children and incorporated into the design of these features will make these fun and dramatic spaces to be in.
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