Ivingswood Academy, Chesham
Ivingswood Academy is a mixed primary school for children aged 2 to 11 and part of the Kings Education Trust. Phoenix Play have worked with the academy before, as well as several other schools in the Trust, including Great Kingshill Primary School, so we already understood the school’s vision for purposeful, engaging outdoor spaces.
This project focused on both the main playground and the EYFS outdoor area. The EYFS space lacked opportunities for climbing and physical development, and the existing equipment was tired and uninspiring. The main playground also needed uplifting, with faded markings and limited opportunities for imaginative or social play.
The school therefore contacted us, as trusted suppliers, to create a space that would spark excitement, encourage movement and give their youngest learners meaningful opportunities to climb, balance and explore. The school hoped for something colourful that would give the whole area a sense of energy and offer children more choice during break and lunchtime.
Meeting the Brief
To bring their vision to life, we designed a combination of installed equipment and moveable resources to ensure the space provided flexibility and was multi-purpose. We also incorporated thermoplastic playground markings which added instant colour and fun to their tarmac space.
Key elements included:
- A new climbing frame that supports upper-body strength, coordination and fine and gross motor development. This open-ended, low-level climber features a maze of ropes, balance beams and hand holds that will enable children to have hours of fun scrambling across, on and over the climber. By engaging their core and improving agility as the movement of hands and feet is coordinated, children will improve their fundamental movement skills whilst also having fun.
- Great Explorer blocks that can be reconfigured by children to create new physical challenges and imaginative play worlds every day. The Baret Set that were provided as part of the design are a set of 12 that are a new spin on traditional balance logs and enable children to build their own playground traverse trail that’s never the same twice.
- Bright, engaging playground markings in both the EYFS area and main playground to encourage games, turn-taking, social interaction and communication.
These additions created dedicated zones for physical, imaginative and social play, helping the school build a richer, more balanced outdoor curriculum.
Impact
The school has shared extremely positive feedback, highlighting how the development has transformed the children’s opportunities outdoors. The new play spaces have become a real point of pride for the academy.
During a recent promotional campaign, the outdoor improvements were showcased as a key selling point for prospective families, reflecting just how much the new environment has elevated the school’s offer.
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