s.e.n.d playgrounds

Accessible, sensory playgrounds tailored to the needs and passions of your students.
students in wheelchairs gathered in a playground

playgrounds for special schools

We've developed several playgrounds for students with additional needs. From wheelchair-accessible sensory gardens, to exciting sports pitches, to outdoor classrooms.

dbdplay work closely with schools to create new outside areas or rejuvenate old ones. Every playground we create is bespoke - designed to uniquely suit your school and your pupils.

what our experts say

"dbdplay understood the need for a variety of different learning areas to match the diverse needs of our students, the need for unrestricted and ease of movement around the garden with areas of high stimulation through colour, texture, sound and smell. They have designed and created an accessible, inclusive and inspiring learning environment for our cohort of inspirational students."

Treloar School, Hampshire

teenager in a wheelchair by a giant timber throne

special education playground equipment

dbdplay have our own committed product designers and carpenters, so we're perfectly situated to create equipment made with your students' needs in mind.

Whether we're adapting an existing product, re-vamping your old equipment, or creating something new, our experienced playground team are full of creative solutions and bright ideas to bring your vision to life.

Our products are built to last, and come with a guarantee. We'll even leave you with care and maintenance instructions to help your equipment last even longer.

some of our previous work...

sports and activity areas for s.e.n.d

Children of all abilities enjoy the chance to get active and take part in practical activities outside.

In the past, dbdplay have installed Boccia Courts at Poplar College, a pet area and raised beds for horticulture practice at Treloar's College, and a multiuse story area for Bishop Road Primary School.

Each of these have utilised different textures, surfaces, and bold features to help children who are short of sight to navigate the spaces.

We've additionally landscaped the areas to make the different activities accessible to students who use wheelchairs or walking aids.

sports pitch

reflection gardens for s.e.n.d

Our sensory gardens provide gentle visual, audio, and tactile stimulation for students, or give them a quiet, appealing space to recharge.

Through mirrors, lighting, and sculptural features, we can add interesting visual appeal to all levels of a space. 

Water features or outdoor musical instruments can add an audio element to the sensory experience.

Natural, highly tactile textures such as pebbles, timber, and drystone walls can also be installed. These can be particularly valuable to pupils who are short of sight.

 

bishop road reflection garden

outdoor classrooms and shelters

We can install a variety of structures to bring learning outdoors, no matter the weather. 

Our polycarbonate shelters can be installed in your choice of colours, adding upward-looking interest and expanding areas for wet weather play. 

Our hexagonal shelters provide a sheltered seating area for small-medium groups, perfect for socialising and discussions. 

rainbow shelter

book a call today for a free chat about redesigning your outdoor space

Tell us your ideas and goals and we'll come up with some exciting initial ideas within your budget.
If you're happy to proceed, we can often organise a site visit in as little as 1 week!

what to expect from us

dbdplay start the process with your vision. You know your school and students better than anyone, so we're happy to shape our design around your requirements, aims, and budget. 

After a site visit to understand the particulars of your space, our experts will get to work on your dream playground

Within 2-3 weeks., they'll be able to provide you with a 3D tour of the proposal and a detailed breakdown of each cost. If there's any changes or adjustments you'd like, no problem! We will consult with you until you're completely happy.

play grass Maintainance

Once you've approved the proposal, we hand things over to our operations and installation teams!

They'll visit your school at a time which suits you to start the build. Each one of our trusted playground installers have received an enhanced DBS check, so you'll always know exactly who's visiting your site.

playground installation

The children now love rolling down the hill.

It’s completely transformed the space.

We have had no flooding problems since the grass has been installed, even with the big storm.

YMCA Green Shoots Nursery

Trowbridge

Everyday access to learning and recreation can present many challenges to those with a complex physical disability. It was really important to us to find a partner that listened and truly understood the outcomes we were looking for when planning our outdoor learning centre and dbdplay did exactly that.

Treloar School

Hampshire

A huge thank you from us here at St Laurence; the trim trail was installed in super quick time with minimum fuss and was very well organised throughout. 

The two chaps were absolutely lovely and did a brilliant job.  The children are super excited to get on playing on it tomorrow!

Thank you!

St Laurence-in-Thanet C of E Junior Academy

Kent