Singleton CE Primary School, West Sussex
What did the school want to achieve?
Singleton CE Primary School in Chichester, West Sussex, had an aim to increase engagement and physical activity throughout the school day. They already had a few markings that had faded over the years and were removed to make room for a wider variety of markings. They wanted this to allow more of the curriculum to be active too, which was one of the school’s improvement plan goals for the year ahead. The school’s Bursar, Mandy, then got in touch with us to help bring their ideas to life.
How did we help them achieve their desired outcome? Were there any problems, and how did we overcome them?
The school were really keen to take learning into the outdoor environment as much as possible, so we considered which markings and games were best for this as well as incorporating designs for fitness.
We installed a colourful number grid to assist with teaching maths, both in outdoor lessons and during break times. A compass clock was used to learn directions and how to tell the time, and alphabet shapes to assist with learning phonics.
To provide more opportunities for physical activity, we installed a bleep test, netball court and a custom active trail around the perimeter of the playground, consisting of different activities to get the children moving. The school also chose a Mirror Me game to encourage movement and develop memory and co-operative play skills.
Whilst our team were there, we also remarked their car park bays to make sure they were clear and easy to see for teachers and parents to use.
Our comments on the finished playground
Our team really enjoyed working on this project with Singleton CE Primary. Situated in an idyllic location, the new playground markings really stand out in front of the rolling hills of the South Downs National Park. We’re pleased to have been able to enhance the children’s playtime experience as well as introduce opportunities for them to have their lessons outside in the fresh countryside air.
Testimonial from the school
“An incredibly professional, flexible, and happy team who worked well with our needs and requirements throughout the day. The end results are fabulous, they consulted throughout the day to check we were happy with any changes and were as invested in the project as we were. The children absolutely adore the markings – mirror me a big hit and subject co-ordinators equally thrilled with markings which tick their boxes. Outdoor learning is a huge priority for us – Fun and Active have helped us launching this. Thank you!”
– T. Smyth, Headteacher
