It is essential that the grounds of all educational institutions are a sustainable learning and recreational resource. Playgrounds design and outdoor learning spaces must not compromise the world that young people will inherit. This issue needs to be considered from the outset as the siting of facilities, their form and orientation are all key factors in sustainable school grounds design.

“Gardening, growing vegetables and getting your hands dirty is a fantastic way to bring lessons to life. Learning outside the classroom is not some optional extra. It should excite young people, deepen their understanding of classroom subjects and is vital for young people to become independent, confident and motivated.”- Sarah McCarthy Fry, Under-Secretary of State for Schools and Learners

"At the beginning of the Primary Capital Programme, it seemed timely to offer a website and design consultancy as a tool for rethinking the use of outdoor spaces for a broad range of outdoor learning and play opportunities and purposes. It is easy to overlook the potential of outdoor spaces for the improved well-being, health and welfare of children when the major emphasis is on the design of buildings. However, well-designed school grounds, the safe yet expansive outdoor space, is a vital element contributing to any child’s development and educational experiences. School grounds design therefore should not be overlooked or undervalued, given the range of other key initiatives aimed at developing more opportunities for play, exercise and learning beyond the classroom."

The transformational potential of large capital investment programmes will not be achieved unless they are informed by and linked to wider agendas. BSF and PCP should not be perceived as ‘buildings’ programmes but rather as a huge learning opportunity for learners and teachers alike. It represents an opportunity to give learners more choice and voice through the process of co-design and address one of the key issues of capital investment programmes to date, namely the lack of active learner (and teacher) participation in the design processes. Playground design for natural play and outdoor learning offers schools and Early Years settings huge opportunities to engage students.

National policies and initiatives urge us not only to put children at the very heart of education but to also involve them in the design of those services. If the Primary Capital (and BSF) Programme is to deliver a transformed educational future, surely then, children should be central to the design process, actively participating in meaningful co-design of their playgrounds and outdoor learning environments.

Research has shown how bleak environments create aggressive and stressful children and how well designed playgrounds can become the creative and social hub of the school. Here then is our opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of the children and the communities in which they will live as adults. 'Children are sponges' is often heard. 'They absorb everything around them'. If this is true designers and educators alike have a responsibility to shape the future, to allow children to experience their childhoods in beautiful surroundings, to take risks, accept responsibility, experience a sustainable lifestyle where resources are conserved, waste is reduced, biodiversity enhanced, carbon output is minimised. Playground design for natural play, playgrounds design for outdoor learning, outdoor classrooms, landscaped school grounds and sensory gardens for schools will all play their part to promote a healthy future for our children and our planet.

School grounds (re)design of spaces should:

- support teaching and learning

- maximise physical comfort and well-being

- demonstrate environmental responsibility

- serve the community

- establish design principles that make buildings (or spaces) work better, last longer, cost less to renovate and maintain, and inspire and adapt to changing needs

- apply open, transparent and collaborative processes that allow the school and community to assume ownership of planning and design.

There are numerous examples of general and BSF school playground design projects claiming to promote learner participation, which instead tend toward consultation. Consultation is often more passive involvement that encourages decision making around a closed or pre-defined and limited set of alternatives, into which learners have had little or no input. Moreover, consultation can often occur around agendas and issues about which learners have little or no interest or first-hand experience, rendering any playground design decisions taken in their name relatively meaningless. In short, engaging children in participatory projects is more than ticking boxes or offering limited consultation, it is about facilitating their contributions in every aspect of a project in meaningful ways. If a project is to be truly empowering, and support the sort of engagement, skills, competencies and ways of working required to develop a sense of ownership, responsibility and greater involvement amongst young people, then they the young people have to be actively involved in the whole process; have opportunities to set agendas; have appropriate mechanisms to raise their views, opinions, debate and negotiate; and have appropriate support and mechanisms to turn their views into action and tangible outcomes.

However, this is not an easy task. It can take extra time and resources, but the broad benefits and outcomes can outweigh the added time and resource costs. In enabling young people to actively participate, and by association the network of significant others involved in young people’s lives, the pool of potential ideas, skills and knowledge which inform design decisions increases. Moreover, adults gain a far better understanding of children’s capabilities and interests and those adults are often surprised by the skills, aptitudes and resourcefulness of children involved in co-design projects. They can gain a better insight into learner’s interests and abilities that they may not normally be exposed to, and which helps them address their learning needs more generally.

Through the process of participatory co-design of learning spaces, young people can be exposed to a set of valuable experiences and broad learning opportunities. These include exposure to, and an understanding of design, landscaping, planning, project management, graphic design, sustainability, ecology, environmental issues, resourcing, financing, educational approaches and so forth. They are likely to encounter opportunities to develop their listening, thinking, debating, negotiation, analysis, oral, written, visual, graphic and media communication skills.

Co-design can also provide opportunities to develop mentoring, moderation and mediation skills, foster an appreciation of the views of others, and a chance to reflect on and celebrate their actions. If carried out effectively, participation can raise self esteem, a sense of belonging, community connectedness, increase aspirations and a belief that they can bring about change and influence outcomes as they experience ‘lived citizenship’. These are in addition to the rewards that might emanate from the completion of a project, such as improved play and learning spaces and experiences and the potential to share their skills and knowledge with others, their involvement in the ongoing stewardship, maintenance, reconfiguration and evolution of any such space. Whilst this may seem like a wish-list of desired outcomes, and children will benefit differently, it creates a compelling case for giving serious consideration to participatory co-design.

"When they can, children consistently choose natural environments for their play - grassy slopes, woodlands and shrubs, rockpools, sand and water, piles of fallen leaves, snow."
Sandra Melville, Places for Play

"Play is not simply about 'letting off steam'." Remembering this will affect the way we design play spaces. Future Lab

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   Where do I go for help with sustainable grounds design?
 

* Greenstone Design UK Ltd

• will save you money and time by designing a playground that meets your needs,
  
• will include natural play, integrated with landscaped equipment as appropriate to the site and your needs
  
• offer a full consultation, design and project management service for playground design
  
• will work with you to develop anything from a Whole Site Strategy, or a small sensory garden. It's up to you.
  
• will facilitate your design process, pulling all your ideas together into a coherent plan.
  
• include a scaled overall plan, and detailed report documenting your aims, vision and Action Plan for developing the grounds into the design.
  
• will design outdoor classrooms, school orchards, school allotment gardens, low maintenance sensory gardens, wildlife gardens, and stimulating play spaces, with appropriate drainage, shade, and shelter incorporated.
  
  
• will design your school grounds to facilitate LOTC, to suit the national curriculum. All schools, whether public or private, state or church benefit from child-friendly, purpose-designed facilities
  
• will assist with on-site staff training where required, as part of the school ‘Going Green’, embracing LOTC, and working with the National Curriculum.
  
  

• will design College grounds & university grounds to meet the requirements of the new Land Based diplomas, horticulture degrees. We can assist with staff training too.

• can assist with grant applications to off-set the cost of the grounds’ upgrade. (Note: many environmental grants include payment for designer's fees as part of the grounds development project)
  
• include art made by the children,
  
• and importantly, create a sense of fun

  
  
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What will it cost?

For grant applications we are able to provide an indicative free quote. This is preparatory to the design process. "No one should chose the sofas before designing their new home" So too with playground design. To avoid wasting precious resources, time and money we do not recommend the installation of a new playground or outdoor classroom without having first gone through consultation, needs analysis and concept planning stages, giving due regard to drainage, shade, water, maintenance, life expectancy and environmental enhancement potential.

A typical 2 hour consultation, where our designer will visit your site to discuss your needs, assess your ideas, explore the site and produce a follow-up report detailing your ground's development potential, will cost £300. If travel is required beyond a 50mile radius, time + train fares or equivalent will be charged.

School grounds design concept plans cost from £800, depending on the size and complexity of the job.

Project management of the installation ensures you get what we planned hassle-free. Costs vary so please contact us for a detailed quote for your project.

With bespoke grounds design for your school, expect to save £1000s. Some equipment suppliers offer 'free designs'. These must be second tier to a specialist designer who has your needs only in mind. With a specialist school grounds designer, who as a trained teacher understands both the challenges and opportunities of school life and the demands of the national curriculum, you are guaranteed to achieve all you need from your grounds.

Greenstone Design UK Ltd designs cost-effective cross-curricular study and play spaces.

• An infant school in Surrey had an outdoor classroom built, playground landscaped and planted with edible fruit trees, climbers and vegetables, raised beds and a story telling area, for £10,000.
  
• A primary school in Hampshire had a wheelchair-accessible low maintenance wildlife garden planted around a new wildlife pond, with outdoor classroom installed for £15,000.
  
• A special needs school in Hampshire had a sustainable sensory garden designed for £2,500, to be installed by lcoal contractors.

For more information see our About Us, School Grounds and LOTC Grounds Design pages.