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School Rises from Ashes with Award-Winning Play Area
20 Oct
Summary
- Woodborough Primary School recovered after a devastating 2021 fire.
- An 18-month renovation resulted in an award-winning outdoor play area.
- The school's new facilities focus on imaginative and risk-managing play.
Woodborough Primary School, located near Pewsey in Wiltshire, has achieved a significant milestone by earning the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) platinum award for its newly renovated outdoor play area. This award signifies a remarkable recovery for the school, which was severely impacted by a devastating fire in 2021. The blaze, which required approximately 70 firefighters at its peak, damaged the Victorian-era sections of the school.
Despite losing half its buildings, the school community demonstrated extraordinary resilience. Pupils returned to temporary classrooms on-site within a week of the fire. The subsequent 18-month period was dedicated to revamping the outdoor facilities. These new amenities, featuring elements like fairy doors, climbing trees, and a quiet contemplation hut, are designed to foster imaginative play and help children manage risks.
The 150-pupil school, with support from staff and children who organized fundraising events, successfully financed the new play equipment. This initiative aligns with the OPAL program's national goal of enhancing children's well-being, emotional development, and learning through play. The revitalized play area is credited with making children more relaxed and better able to concentrate, drawing out their imaginations which had been constrained during the Covid-19 pandemic.
