New Playground and MUGA at St Mary’s School in London SE9
St Mary’s School in Eltham, London, had an old and worn-out concrete playground. The large, grey area had deteriorated over the years and a number of cracks, bumps, and holes had appeared in several locations across the playground. Small stones from the concrete were a constant hazard as they made the surface slippery and could become embedded in skin after a trip or fall. This effect is known as a friable surface and is a common problem with concrete playgrounds.
As you can imagine, St Mary’s wanted to renovate this whole area and create an attractive, safe, and practical environment for the pupils at the school. The play area was large enough to include a full playground and sports facility. The size of the area, was an incredible advantage for the school, especially for London, but unfortunately, this wasn’t being utilised due to the poor quality of the existing surface.
Objective
We planned to completely replace the existing surface with a hard-wearing, safe, and vibrant artificial grass, that can be enjoyed by pupils at the school. The aim was to construct 2 brand-new artificial grass areas;
- A new playground complete with interesting graphics and games
- A new MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) with line markings and a perimeter
Solution
Nomow started working on the project by first resurfacing the concreted area and correcting the ground’s drainage issues. Once the surface was secure and flat, we then laid the playground surface first, using our Pro Play product, and once the intricate graphics were in place, we then set about building the high-quality durable MUGA, using our Stadia 24 artificial grass. The last thing to construct was the fencing around the MUGA, before we opened the play area to the children.
Once the project was completed we wanted to get a better idea from the school’s perspective on how the playground can directly benefit the children in the real world;
Q: What was the playground like before the artificial grass?
A: “The playground was old tarmac, lots of loose stones and very uneven. It was also very grey and dreary, with no visual engagement for our children.”
Q: What kind of problems did the previous playground create?
A: “Children had a lot of accidents due to the uneven ground, and when they fell there was often loose stone embedded in wounds. Rain would often cause large puddles which would take a long time to dry out and certain areas had been fenced off for safety.”
Q: What kind of games and activities will the children be doing on the new artificial grass?
A: “Since we have had the new pitch, the children are on there every day- sometimes just playing and running around being imaginative, other times playing football, cricket, athletics and basketball. Children also love the bright and fun trails and playing with the ‘King’s Squares’.”
Q: What do you think of the final result?
A: “There has been a noticeable reduction in junior children injuring themselves in their playground as a result of the change, and we are very happy with the visual impact. We are happy our children now have a fun and colourful space to enjoy their break times and P.E lessons, and look forward to introducing many more new sports and inter school competitions now we have the facilities to do so.”
Stadia 24
Stadia 24 is a revolutionary 4G sports surface. Instead of a 3G surface filled with a rubber crumb, Stadia 24 is a 4G surface and has a curled Monofilament layer that provides player protection and high performance. With less maintenance, this 24mm artificial grass product is able to act like a natural grass surface, look like a natural grass surface, but also be extremely high wearing.
Natural grass will wear away quickly, and concrete is unsafe, Stadia 24 is the perfect surface for a Multi-Use Games Area!
Pro Play
Pro Play is without a doubt our most popular product for schools. It has been used in thousands of schools up and down the country and is installed every day by Nomow. With a 32mm Pile Height, it is perfect for playgrounds as it’s tough, looks great, isn’t too long or too short, works well with our graphics, and is a vibrant soft surface for children to roll around and play on.
Fencing
Any good MUGA will have a fence around it, which will prevent the ball from rolling away every 5 minutes. This allows for continuous games that don’t require a constant ‘stop-start’ to the action.
After the artificial grass had been secured and all the line markings where complete, we set to work on the fencing. This was a substantial part of the project. The fencing included 2 goal ends, with basketball hoops and an entrance gate. At 4m high, the fencing provides a secure and functional perimeter to the MUGA.
Resurfacing
The previous playground needed resurfacing for two reasons. Firstly it was badly worn and unsafe. But another more subtle reason was because of the general, inefficient drainage of the entire area.
Although the physical drains worked well, the drains were located in awkward positions around the playground in a less-than-optimal arrangement for sports. To counter this set drainage system, Nomow raised the height of the drains and added a 6mm layer of tarmac in certain areas, to create a smooth and better set-up for rainwater to flow away from the playing area. This work was difficult but necessary as a strong and secure base is vital for any artificial grass project.
Games
Nomow were able to introduce the school to a new game using the markings in the artificial grass. The game is sometimes known as ‘King’s Squares’ and sometimes known as ‘Foursquare’. Players stand in the squares bouncing a ball to each other with similar rules to tennis. St Mary’s school were somewhat unfamiliar with this game and now that it’s been introduced, the teachers have organised for special PE lessons that include the game.
Watch this tutorial video if you’d like to implement Foursquare at your school.
Final Result
The new artificial grass playground and MUGA have completely transformed the old concrete playground. The new artificial grass surfaces are safe and durable, providing a great environment for children to play on. The low-maintenance aspect of the artificial grass also makes it easy for the school to keep the area looking great. The fencing around the MUGA creates a dedicated sports and recreational area for the school.
Overall, the project has been a great success for the school. The new playground and MUGA are safe, durable, and low-maintenance, providing a great recreational space for students. The project has received positive feedback from students, teachers, and parents.
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