Henderson Green Primary Academy, Norwich
Henderson Green Primary Academy is a school built around a strong sense of community, with a clear commitment to helping every pupil thrive. Their focus on nurturing curiosity, creativity and resilience is at the heart of everything they do - creating an environment where children feel confident, capable and ready to embrace the future.
This project began through an existing relationship, with Marion, our Local Outdoor Learning Consultant, having previously worked with the Trust. Following a positive experience, she was recommended to Henderson Green, bringing with her a collaborative approach and a deep understanding of how outdoor spaces can support learning.
The school’s existing playground offered little more than a large concrete area, with no clear zones, limited opportunity for active play, and little to inspire engagement. It presented a true blank canvas - an opportunity to completely reimagine the space and create an environment that would support daily play, movement and learning.
Working closely with the school, we developed a design that would benefit the whole community. The space now includes a dedicated communication and language zone, designed to support literacy, mark making and performance, encouraging children to express themselves in a more open, creative way.
For physical development, we introduced one of our distinctive Legends of the Forest climbers, alongside monkey bars and pull-up bars to support upper body strength - an area the school was particularly keen to develop. Outdoor gym equipment was also added to increase capacity for active play, ensuring more children can move and engage at the same time.
Recognising the importance of informal sport, timber goals were installed within the KS2 playground, giving pupils a clear focus for games and encouraging teamwork and social interaction.
Within the school’s Specialist Resource Base, known as “The Hub”, we created a more tailored environment to support a wide range of needs. This includes sensory tunnels, low-level trim trails and a hammock to support both relaxation and vestibular input. Additional sensory features, such as panels and a rain wheel, provide further opportunities for exploration and engagement.
To bring the wider space together, a ramp and tunnel hill were introduced to connect key areas, supported by Play Grass surfacing to ensure the environment remains accessible and usable throughout the year.
In the EYFS area, we added Great Explorers equipment to introduce active play from an early age, alongside a bespoke sandpit to encourage sensory and messy play. Lower-level challenges were carefully considered to complement existing higher level structures, ensuring all children can access appropriate levels of challenge and progression.
The result is a space that feels purposeful, inclusive and full of opportunity. It supports social interaction, teamwork and a wide range of developmental outcomes - from physical play and imaginative exploration; to communication, language and personal, social and emotional development.
The impact has been significant. As the Headteacher shared, what began as a simple vision - to create a more engaging and active playground - has become a transformation that is now felt across the whole school day. From the initial design conversations through to installation, the process was shaped by collaboration, care and attention to detail.
Despite installation taking place during term time, the work was delivered with minimal disruption, with the team maintaining a strong focus on safety, communication and respect for the school environment throughout.
Today, the playground is a vibrant, active space where children are more engaged, more confident and visibly happier. It’s a space that not only supports development but enhances everyday school life - bringing the school’s vision to life in a meaningful and lasting way.
The result has been transformational. Our new playground is a source of joy for the whole school community. Playtimes look entirely different now: children are more active, more engaged, and visibly happier. The equipment supports the development of strength, gross motor skills and confidence, offering a far richer play experience than before.
We are absolutely thrilled with the quality, care and professionalism shown by Phoenix Play from the very first conversation to the final handover. Marion’s thoughtful design work, combined with Aaron and Rob’s exceptional installation, has delivered a playground that truly enriches daily life at Henderson Green Primary.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone at Phoenix Play for helping us bring this vision to life.
