Play:Layout 1 11/09/2009 16:33 Page 65
children’s play & the curriculum
A new community school that forms part of a major
regeneration scheme in the West Midlands is demonstrating
how children’s play can provide significant educational benefits.
Classrooms open directly into the playground.
Using play as a key
learning resource
T
HE FORMERLY named Kingfisher supported by NESTA, the Esmee Fairburn
Primary School, sited in Smith’s Foundation and the Arts Council.
Wood, a 1960s high-rise estate in Made up of modular play pieces in nine
North Solihull, is one of several schools different designs that children can move
that has waved goodbye to the past as around and join together to create their
its transformation into a new community own games and scenarios, it includes both
school creates a focus for the village larger scale elements intended for
centre – one of ten similar developments permanent placement – such as the
locally that make up a huge regeneration Mound - and lighter, mobile units, whose
programme driven by a partnership of the shapes and configuration children can
public and private sectors. Kingfisher and change as they desire.
Bosworth Wood Primary School have
merged on the site to become Smith’s Wood
Community Primary School as the hub of We noticed a major
the planned North Arran Way Village Centre.
In its approach to ‘play’, the school has
reduction in play fighting
made a radical departure from
conventional play equipment to pilot a
and rough games
play system as a cross-curricular learning
tool. The idea has been to breathe new Children can manipulate the Snug
life into school playgrounds, transforming elements, using them to act out games,
hard surfaces or grassed areas into stories or problem-solving, while forming
creative, sociable play environments and a teams when necessary. The equipment
stimulating learning aid. has been most widely used at the school
for literacy and role-play, either as part
Changing shapes of school lessons or for children to play
The Snug system – produced by Snug & by themselves at break times or before
Outdoor in partnership with Sutcliffe Play and after school.
– has been developed by working with First-year children have been working
schools and research programmes on fantasy stories, acting out in the4
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