Inclusive Physical SEN Adventure Trail Playground | Prospect House Primary School Zone 1

Prospect House is a primary school dedicated to supporting children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in North Manchester. With a strong emphasis on confidence-building through play, the school partnered with Creative Play to create a new Adventure Play area – a dynamic outdoor space designed to encourage movement, coordination, and social interaction through exciting physical challenges.

See how they brought to life this inclusive and energetic ‘Adventure Play’ playground that reflects the school’s commitment to active learning:

• A robust outdoor environment designed to promote strength, balance, and coordination
• Engaging play structures offering safe opportunities for responsible risk-taking
• Clear zones encouraging physical exploration and cooperative play
• Natural timber materials providing durability and a calming, tactile aesthetic
• Equipment designed to inspire confidence and independence in every child

Interested in making your school more accessible? Explore the new PLAY FOR ALL INCLUSIVE RANGE

PROSPECT HOUSE SPECIALIST SUPPORT PRIMARY SCHOOL

Prospect House provides specialist education for primary-aged children with a wide range of Special Educational Needs (SEN), including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), communication difficulties, and developmental delays. The school’s outdoor spaces need to provide a vital role in supporting physical, emotional, and social growth, offering pupils a chance to build confidence and coordination through active play.

Recognising that movement and exploration are central to their pupils’ development, the school set out to introduce a purpose-built Adventure Play area that would challenge, engage, and excite every child.

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Customer Objective

They wanted a setting where children could take on physical challenges safely – climbing, balancing, and exploring – while gaining independence and self-assurance. The space also needed to be durable, easy to maintain, and suitable for small-group play that encourages cooperation and communication.

• Create a physically exciting outdoor play area to promote movement, balance, and coordination
• Design equipment suitable for children of varying abilities, supporting inclusivity across the school community
• Ensure all structures meet safety standards while maximising play value within a limited, irregularly shaped space
• Use natural, durable materials to reflect the school’s emphasis on quality and sustainability
• Provide a long-lasting, low-maintenance playground that supports daily use and contributes to overall pupil wellbeing

Consultation

To understand the school’s requirements in detail, Creative Play arranged an on-site consultation with Tim Broster, one of our most experienced outdoor play experts. During the visit, he assessed the existing space, discussed intentions of use with staff, and considered how to design an area that balanced excitement with accessibility.

‘The site presented some challenges due to uneven ground levels and restricted access’, says Tim, ‘but nothing our team couldn’t handle. A project plan and timescale were agreed that aligned conveniently with the school’s schedule, allowing work to progress efficiently and with minimal disruption’.

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS: INCLUSIVITY, ACCESSIBILITY & SAFETY

State Of Area Before Installation:

The Adventure Play area at Prospect House began as a largely unused patch of grass and worn surfacing positioned between the main building and a boundary fence. While it posed no structural issues, it lacked defined purpose and offered little in terms of physical challenge or sensory appeal.

Access Restrictions

A section of mesh fence had to be temporarily removed for works access and allow diggers through, but otherwise much of the installation process for Prospect House was straightforward.

IMPLEMENTATION: REALISING AN INCLUSIVE, SENSORY-FOCUSED SEN SPACE

Design

Following his detailed site assessment, outdoor play expert Tim identified an opportunity to completely reimagine the space as a flow-based Adventure Play zone – one that would encourage climbing, balancing, and movement through continuous play routes.

After discussing options with the school, Creative Play’s design team proposed a layout anchored by an L-shaped Adventure Trail 12, making the most of the irregular footprint while freeing up the central area for an extended Makalu – a two-tower play system – each structure offering distinct entry and exit point challenges for children of varying abilities.

To tie these elements together, a mound tunnel and musical play panels were added, enhancing both physical and sensory engagement.

‘This combination not only maximises play value within the compact site, but its clear visual organisation allows staff to supervise easily while pupils explore’ says Tim. By prioritising accessibility, durability, and progression, the final concept balances excitement with practicality – creating a dynamic, inclusive play environment perfectly suited to the needs of Prospect House’s pupils.

Equipment

• Adventure Trail 12 offering multiple access points to suit child’s preferred level of perceived hazard
• Makalu Extended Jigsaw Tower encouraging imaginative and social play
• Mound Tunnel for experiences in navigating terrain
• Music Play Panels allowing expression through sound for children of all abilities

Make your primary school more accessible – Explore the new PLAY FOR ALL INCLUSIVE RANGE

Surfacing & Layout

To stay within budget, surfacing work had to be carefully planned. Standard 36mm artificial grass was chosen for its accessibility, durability and low maintenance, while shock pads of 25mm and 50mm depth were installed beneath areas of taller play equipment to comply with BSEN 1177 safety standards. To keep costs low, most equipment was kept around half a metre high to minimise the need for deep safety surfacing.

Timber was the primary structural material of all equipment, aligning with the school’s design aesthetic. Square timbers offered a sturdy, cost-effective base for playground equipment while supporting the school’s sustainability ethos. Green Play-Tec music play panels were added for visual cohesion and an auditory theme, tying in with the school’s commitment to imaginative, sound-based learning.

Maximising play value in this irregularly shaped outdoor space was achieved by running an Adventure Trail 12 alongside a fence to allow room for two towers closer to the centre of the area. The Jigsaw and Makalu Quad play towers were added to offer a variety of experiences via bridges, multiple entry points, and a general sense of journey. This layout provided both thrilling physical challenges and clear visibility for supervising adults.

After discussions and refinements, including the addition of a mound tunnel, a detailed quote was provided and authorised. Plans were finalised, computer-generated designs produced, and a date set for installation.

Installation

Access was tight, with materials and equipment having to pass through a single gate along a narrow route that bordered the school’s perimeter fence. On this occasion, little concern needed to be given to wearing away grassy areas, as the school didn’t want to retain their existing grass ground for the new equipment installation.

They opted to replace the natural surfacing to avoid it becoming wet and marshy at certain times of year, which can lead to the play area being closed off for weeks or even months at a time.

‘Prospect House wanted the type of playground we refer to as a year-round play space’ says Mal Lewis, a project manager at Creative Play. ‘This means they require access to the equipment during all seasons. For the budget and type of play pieces being installed at the school, artificial grass was by far the most logical option, which we laid on a stone sub-base bed and a geotextile membrane’.

‘To ensure the area is as safe as possible and complying with BSEN 1176 and BSEN 1177 safety standards, we fitted shock pads beneath the artificial grass near the equipment with a critical fall height of over a metre,’ explains the installation expert, ‘but of course it might not be obvious by looking, as we make it all level’.

Installing A Playground On Sloped Surfacing

‘Speaking of being level’, furthers Mal, ‘this play area is on a gradient, so we had to account for that in our work. It wasn’t really a problem in any way though, as the main factor in accounting for a sloped area is to incorporate longer timbers on one side of the equipment!’

Surfacing work was undertaken during the final three days of the installation, which took 3 weeks in total, and was completed long before the start of the new academic year, as requested by the school.

‘The outdoor play area at Prospect House was pretty much a blank canvas’, says Mal. ‘Normally a playground like this might take about 5 weeks, but since there was no old equipment to dispose of, and access was pretty straightforward, we were able to get it all done in a very short time’.

• All installers DBS-checked
• Completed over a three-week period during summer 2023
• RPII sign-off ensured compliance with BSEN 1176 and BSEN 1177 safety standards

• Playground declared suitable for use days after completion by an RPII-qualified inspector

RESULTS: A BESPOKE PLAYGROUND SUPPORTING OUTSTANDING PUPIL DEVELOPMENT AND WELLBEING

As part of a larger strategy, the school has attracted more children for enrolment since the playground installation, which was always part of their plan. But more importantly, in July 2023 Prospect House was subjected to an Ofsted inspection – and thanks to the hard work and dedication of its headteacher, teachers and other staff, the school did very well.

Adding to their reputation of striving for excellence across the board is the bespoke SEN playground by Creative Play, which was able to deliver all the aims and values of the school to an outdoor setting.

In their report, Ofsted had plenty of praise for Prospect House after ‘inspectors observed pupil behaviour at lunchtimes and as they moved around the school’. Accompanying the ‘Outstanding’ result, they made additional comments regarding the school’s success – and many of these elements support or can be found directly in the outdoor play area:

• ‘Planned experiences to support pupil physical and mental health are exceptional’.
• ‘The school environment is a sanctuary in which pupils get the best opportunities to learn, grow and develop’.
• ‘Across the school, teachers and other adults design learning activities that are fully tailored to pupil needs’.
• ‘Adults share stories with pupils by using the immersive environments in school, which brings stories to life for pupils’.
• ‘Use of communication strategies and secure routines at social times ensure that pupils move around the school sensibly. They enjoy their time with their friends’.

The most important aspect of the new playground installation is how it is aiding the children to grow and develop. By making regular, daily use of the outdoor play area, many pupils will be able to leave primary school physically literate, with the skills and motivation required to empower them for an active, healthy lifestyle.

Maintenance & Future Opportunities

The Prospect House Adventure Play area has been built with durability and low-maintenance in mind, using weather-resistant timber, year-round surfacing, and carefully selected equipment that can withstand daily use by children of all abilities. Surfaces and structures are designed to remain safe, accessible, and durable throughout the year, supporting active play and physical development without extensive upkeep.

Every installation includes a full operations and maintenance manual, and Creative Play provides a range of aftercare packages to ensure the playground stays in top condition. The modular design of key equipment, such as the Jigsaw Towers, allows parts to be easily replaced or upgraded, enabling the playground to adapt over time. This flexibility supports future enhancements or expansions, ensuring the space continues to meet the school’s goals for inclusive, physically challenging play.

Interested in making your school more accessible? Explore the new PLAY FOR ALL INCLUSIVE RANGE

AND THERE’S MORE… Discover the Prospect House Primary School SENSORY PLAYGROUND

INSPIRED BY THIS SEN SCHOOL PLAYGROUND SUCCESS STORY?

Create the perfect accessible SEN play space for your school. Explore more case studies to see the impact you can make – or contact Creative Play today for a free consultation! Visit the Contact Page or get in touch with us by email or telephone via [email protected] | 01244 375 627

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