Northchapel Primary first contacted us during summer 2016 after being referred by the County Surveyor.

The Early Year’s and Reception Classes are within a standalone Scola block which had recently been refurbished internally. However the external areas were worn out and almost dangerous resulting in poor use of usable space.

Helen Coleman (Head Teacher) had an excellent enthusiasm to raise funds to bring the area up to date and to realise the potential in the space available – and Valley were pleased to facilitate the design process and the implementation of the project.

“Working with Valley Landscapes has been a really positive experience for us as a school. They were able to keep adapting and engaged with all of the staff to listen really carefully to what we wanted.”

— Helen Coleman, Head Teacher

Valley were awarded the project due to their willingness to go the extra mile to understand the client’s needs and create the dream!

The whole design process was an evolving process. The teaching staff had a real appreciation of how important outdoor learning area is and we worked closely with them to incorporate the facilities they required.

We managed to pack all of the following into this amazing space...

Tunnel and Mound
Climbing Tower & Platform with rock hold & rope climb access and slide & fireman’s pole descent
Covered Timber Garage for tricycle park
2 x bespoke games storage units,
Mud Kitchen area
Sand pit area with scales and a bespoke waterproof cover
Timber Play stage with curtains
Water Wall
Timber Tepee

“It’s the best outdoor space that I have seen! It is really fantastic - there is so much out here for the children to do.”

— Samantha, Teaching Assistant

Surfacing comprised of a combination of two shades of rubber wet-pour and high-quality artificial grass.

The result is an incredible transformation from a shabby unmanaged area into a vibrant, all-weather, multi-use educational environment. Another added benefit was the widened pathway to the side of the play area to make the area more accessible.

Watch the video as the teachers say it far better than we can!