The Vision
This Saint Nicholas School playground had become tired and uninspiring, with limited Early Years Foundation Stage equipment that was rotten and no longer fit for purpose.
The school wanted its Early Years playground transformed with colour and theme, with different zones linking to the seven areas of EYFS learning, and equipment that would need minimum maintenance to keep it looking good for years to come.
Key objectives for the Saint Nicholas School playground included:
- Replacing rotten, worn-out equipment that was no longer fit for purpose.
- Linking every zone of the playground to one of the seven areas of EYFS learning.
- Specifying low-maintenance equipment built to keep its look for years.
- Delivering the whole project ready for the new school term.
The Solution
First, Caloo rebuilt the playground around a castle theme, centred on a Four Tower Castle Multiplay unit made predominantly from Caloo’s aluminium Quali-Cité range for its low maintenance and wide choice of colour through HPL panels. In addition, a horse and carriage imaginative play unit, a Roman Bridge and a two-tier amphitheatre performance area sit alongside a musical sensory zone and an imaginative shop fronts zone, all of which link to the EYFS curriculum. Finally, Caloo resurfaced the site in artificial grass and wetpour, with a sensory path running through the space.
Key installations included:
- Castle Multiplay Unit (2–10 years)
- Toy Town Play Panel Set (1+ years)
- Roman Bridge (1–6 years)
- Square Shade Sail with Steel Posts (6m x 6m x 3.1m high)
- 2 Tier 5 Sided Amphitheatre (1+ years)
- Horse & Carriage (2–6 years)
- Artificial grass surfacing
- Wetpour surfacing
- Sensory path
Key Considerations
Caloo had to complete the whole project over the summer holidays, ready to unveil the moment children returned to school in September.
The Impact
Overall, this Saint Nicholas School playground now gives the youngest pupils a colourful, themed EYFS space built around exploration, supporting creativity, communication and motor skill development across every stage of early years learning.
Project outcomes included:
- A colourful, themed EYFS space built around exploration.
- Support for creativity, communication and motor skill development across every stage of early years learning.
- Low-maintenance materials built to keep their look with minimal upkeep.
- The whole project delivered and ready before children returned for the new term.
Why Caloo Was Chosen
- A design built around learning, not just play, with every zone linked to one of the seven EYFS areas rather than a generic set of units.
- Low-maintenance materials throughout, aluminium Quali-Cité equipment with HPL colour panels, built to keep its look with minimal upkeep.
- A cohesive themed environment, the castle concept ties the multiplay unit, performance area and imaginative zones together as one space rather than a mix of unrelated kit.
- Delivered to a fixed deadline, Caloo completed the whole project over the summer holidays and had it ready the moment children returned for the new term.