SEND KS1

Longwill School for Deaf Children, Birmingham

2 min read

Willow Climber - Longwill School Playground Design

Based in the heart of Birmingham, Longwill Primary School for Deaf Children provides a safe, nurturing and inspiring learning environment for children aged 2–11 who are profoundly Deaf. The school’s sign-bilingual philosophy sits at the centre of everything they do, creating an environment where communication, confidence and personal development can truly flourish.

When the school approached Phoenix Play, their outdoor area was in need of a fresh start. Existing equipment had become dated and the black wetpour surfacing was looking worn and uninspiring. The team had already received a quotation elsewhere purely for replacement surfacing, but felt it lacked imagination and value.

Working closely with the school, we were able to demonstrate how a more thoughtful, creative approach could completely transform the space. By redesigning the area intelligently, we proposed a solution that not only replaced the surfacing but also introduced exciting new active play opportunities, all within the same budget.

The transformation centred around the introduction of our Play Grass surfacing, instantly brightening and refreshing the playground. Alongside the visual impact, the school valued the sensory qualities of the surface and the fact it remains cooler during warmer weather compared to the previous black wetpour. Its durability, longer guarantee and cost-effectiveness also made it a strong long-term investment for the school.

Another key priority within the design was creating opportunity for meaningful physical development. The school were particularly interested in equipment that could support balance, coordination and core stability, recognising that some Deaf children can experience associated balance challenges.

To support these objectives, the design incorporated our distinctive Willow Climber from our Legends of the Forest range. Positioned within the KS1 playground, the climber provides an exciting and accessible challenge, encouraging children to climb, balance, explore and build confidence through movement. The integrated hammock adds another valuable dimension to the space, offering opportunities for gentle vestibular input, social interaction and calm moments of connection.

The finished playground now feels vibrant, engaging and full of possibility - a space that supports physical development, sensory exploration and social play while reflecting the school’s commitment to helping every child thrive.

The team at Longwill Primary School were delighted with the outcome, and it has been a privilege for Phoenix Play to help create an outdoor environment where children can play, learn and grow with confidence.

The installation has had a really positive impact on our children and has improved the confidence levels of a lot of them. It's so important for our Deaf children to be able to take risks - there's a lot of research that shows that this kind of physical movement helps develop their balance and spatial awareness.

The children have shown a lot of enthusiasm for the equipment. It’s more than just play, it’s everything that comes with it – it’s about how that encourages learning. A lot of our children won’t have the opportunity to go to the park with Deaf friends that can sign to them, so this actually replicates what a lot of mainstream hearing peers have outside of school.

Thank you very much – we love, love, love it! We look forward to having more Phoenix Play equipment.