Watch a video of the final playground above!
Avanti Gardens School opened in September 2014 and recently joined the Avanti Schools Trust. They are situated in the heart of Fishponds, Bristol, educating over 300 pupils.
Avanti Gardens School support their pupils to become fluent readers, writers, and mathematicians, thus ensuring that every child can engage in and enjoy the richness of their wider curriculum.
Following this installation we revisited to install Avanti Gardens School’s Trail.
The Avanti Gardens EYFS area was enclosed. Due to footfall, it had also become extremely muddy. The area was surrounded by willow fencing with overgrown hedges and shrubbery. The school had an extremely large space, but the different zones were closed off and difficult for the children to access.
The school wanted surfacing that could be used by the children all year round and wanted equipment that would support Communication, Physical and Symbolic Play.
Our solution was to open up the large space and create an easily accessible area for the children. Different play zones were created for various school subjects and types of play. These were differentiated through the use of different surfacing and sleepers; including Play Bark, coloured Woodland Mulch and Textured Pathways. This kept the structure of the playground, but made the different zones far more accessible and attractive to the Early Years Children.
We installed two Jungle Climbers, which are designed to physically challenge children and build their core strength. Jungle Climbers can be accessed at multiple points creating open-ended play and manageable risk taking.
To support Symbolic Play and understanding of the world we added a Mud Kitchen and Water Table to encourage imaginative thinking and sensory exploration.
We installed a Miniature Causeway and Den Making Posts, both of which encourage problem solving and are a valuable resource for imaginative child-led play.
To support the children’s development of knowledge and understanding of the world we created an exciting Bug Hotel. In the literacy corner we installed a Storytelling Chair, Sheltered Performance Stage, and Perch Bench Rows of searching to support literacy, focus, and Imaginative Play.
Another area was laid with Tarmac with Thermoplastic Road Marking and an EY Climber Pyramid to encourage children to both get active on bikes and trikes and explore physical challenges, helping develop their fundamental movement skills.
Finally, to make the area feel warm and inviting we created a Textured Pathway through the centre of the area, adding visual and sensory stimuli. This was framed with our Bespoke Entrance Archways which brought a natural and inviting feel to the EYFS area.