Member Article

Warwick property company partly-funds new playground equipment

Primary school students in Leamington have given their seal of approval to a Warwick-based property development company’s latest community project which they chose. Radford Semele C of E Primary School’s new climbing frame and fitness trail have transformed break and lunch times according to its head teacher, after AC Lloyd Homes provided funding to help replace their old equipment.

The new features, which include multi-sensory play equipment which not only looks amazing but is great fun for the pupils, have been chosen to boost exercise during playtime and were installed during the summer holidays ready for when the school re-opened in September – and have been a hit ever since.

Katie Benson, head teacher at Radford Semele C of E Primary School, said: “The children absolutely love the new equipment and have been putting it to good use since they returned to school.

“It was the first thing they saw on their first day after the summer holidays and has made a big impression, making break and lunch not only more fun but also encouraging more physical exercise as part of our push to keep our students active.

“We’re amazed with the outcome of this and are enormously grateful to AC Lloyd for the genuine interest they showed in making sure the children did not miss out on high-quality recreational time just because they attend a small village school.

“The fact that we are a village school means that the improvements will benefit not just the students but the community as a whole, and we owe a huge debt of gratitude for both AC Lloyd and the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for making this possible.”

The majority of the old wooden playground apparatus at the school, which is based on School Lane, was removed after it became too costly to repair – and pupils were asked for their opinions on replacing the equipment.

The school council voted on a climbing frame which children from reception to Year 6 are now using, alongside a fitness trail featuring a balance tube, horizontal bars and a metal slalom on safe surfacing designed for Key Stage 2 students.

The PTA raised £10,000 for the project and the same amount was allocated from the school budget which left a shortfall of £13,000.

Anja Gill, co-chair of the PTA, then approached AC Lloyd Homes, and the company offered to donate the difference.

Alistair Clark, managing director of AC Lloyd Homes, said: “We are delighted to see that the project has been incredibly popular with the children and that their new climbing frame and fitness trail have made playtime more fun and encouraged the children to be more active.

“It’s rare to see a project have such a visible impact, and it is a testament to all the parents and staff connected to the school that they were able to make it a reality. We are extremely pleased that we were able to lend a hand and make a difference in the community.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .