A  Guide  to  your  NEW  Playground    

Graeme  Foreman  

Playground  designs  and  markings  have  been  around  for  a  very  long  time;  some  would  say  around  150  years.  During  that  period  there  has  been  some  dramatic  changes,  not  only  in  equipment  and  technology  but  also  in  social  beliefs  and  child  development.  

Today’s  playgrounds  have  to  be  more  about  the  development  of  the  children  in  the  school  rather  than  just  an  area  of  play.  The  term,  the  outdoor  classroom,  is  now  widely  used  in  order  to  compliment  the  work  of  the  teachers  in  the  classroom  with  natural  environment  that  is  a  school  yard,  playing  field  and  surrounds.  

 A  culture  of  FUN,  Fitness  and  Learning  

that  compliments  the  national  

This  document  has  been  compiled  to  get  you  to  think  about  what  a  child  needs  when  developing  your  playground.  Effective  playgrounds  should  provide  your  school  with  a  safe  environment  for  active  play,  learning,  exploration  and  physical  activity,  which  are  crucial  for  healthy  development.  So  your  first  thought  process  must  be  around  creating  an  environment  that  is  SAFE  for  children  to  play.  The  next  important  aspect  that  you  should  think  about  is  using  your  playground  for  pedagogy,  what  are  the  needs  of  the  children  within  your  school,  with  the  curriculum  and  surrounding  estates.  You  then  need  to  think  about  challenging  the  varying  needs  of  all  the  children  in  the  school  from  Key  Stage  1  to  Key  Stage  2.  And  one  of  the  last  considerations,  which  we  are  

PHYSICAL  Most  children’s  first  entry  into  the  physical  world  of  sport  and  physical  education  is  in  primary  school  through  physical  education.  The  current  national  curriculum  has  just  been  changed  with  “Physical  literacy”  being  the  new  terminology  used.    “The  motivation,  confidence,  physical  competence,  knowledge  and  understanding  to  maintain  physical  activity  throughout  life”    

                 (Whitehead,  2011)  

§ Everyone  can  be  physically  literate  § An  individual  physical  literacy  journey  § Guiding  learning  through  a  range  of  activities    § Focus  on  the  whole  person    

Fundamentals  of  Movement  plus  Fundamental  Movement  Skills  =  

Physical  Literacy          

“FOM  +  FMS  =  Physical  literacy”    

(Foreman  &  Bradshaw  2009)    

The  physical  side  to  the  playground  is  often  the  most  common,  but  the  area  that  actually  lacks  a  great  deal  of  thought  and  attention.    If  we  take  the  most  basic  of  fundamental  skills  –  catching  and  examine  how  many  children  struggle  to  catch,  have  never  been  taught  how  to  catch  and  then  reflect  on  other  aspects  of  their  development  that  this  is  crucial  to  (  for  example:  if  you  cant  catch  you  cant  play  the  sports  included,  but  if  you  cant  catch  you  may  get  socially  excluded  from  groups  of  children  that  can  catch  and  can  play!)    

CAN’T  CATCH    

               For  more  information  in  the  change  in  National  curriculum  visit  http://www.afpe.org.uk    

CAN’T  PLAY  

Aerobics

Walking

Swimming

Running

Gymnastics

Soccer

Tennis

Skateboard

Cycling

Cricket Rounders

Softball

Rugby

Hockey

Golf Dance Badminton Squash

Canoeing

Sailing

American football

Handball

Netball

Basketball

Athletics

Baseball

Adapted From Mike Jess, University of Edinburgh

Intelligent  Playgrounds  Ltd  specialize  in  Thermoplastic  markings  that  can  benefit  the  PHYSICAL  development  of  a  child  through  enhancing  their  learning  around  “Physical  Literacy”  –  we  have  specialist  games  that  will  allow  key  fundamentals  to  be  learned  with  appropriate  training  strategies  for  teachers,  classroom  assistants  and  children.    Lets  have  a  look  at  some  of  our  designs.  Key  Stage  1:  Rocks  “N”  Crocs  

Key  Stage  2  Game:  5-­‐Alive  

So,  We  all  agree  that  one  of  the  most  important  aspects  of  the  playground  is  the  physical  element.  Children’s  possible  pathway  to  sport  may  start  here,  if  not  the  skills  that  they  need  to  enjoy  a  physical  healthy  lifestyle  certainly  will  evolve.  As  well  as  the  Physical  Development  on  the  playground  children  also  rely  on  a  variety  of  other  key  development  areas.    

SOCIAL    Some  children  develop  their  physical  attributes  at  different  stages  and  may  find  themselves  among  the  non-­‐sport  children  within  the  playground  during  certain  times  of  their  education.  There  social  interaction  is  not  only  a  vital  component  for  sport  but  also  for  essential  life  skills.  The  games  that  we  design  and  install  at  Intelligent  Playgrounds  take  into  consideration  how  children  interact  with  each  other,  how  they  communicate,  solve  problems  and  identify  and  develop  their  decision-­‐making.  

Some  other  elements  that  Intelligent  Playgrounds  consider  within  their  range  of  game  designs  include,  psychological  and  physiological  games,  tactics  and  problem  solving  and  curriculum  concepts.    Once  you  have  thought  about  what  markings  you  want  you  will  need  to  contact  us  for  a  free  design.  But  always  remember  the  top  10  outcomes  of  high  quality  Physical  Education.  

1. Commitment  2. Understanding  3. Healthy  Active  Lifestyle  4. Confidence  5. Skills  &  Control  6. Challenge  7. Thinking  &  Decision  Making  8. Desire  to  Improve  9. Stamina,  Suppleness  &  Strength  

10.  Enjoyment    

Some  Top  Tips  for  other  areas  to  consider  when  developing  your  playground:    Do  you  need  any  other  specialist  equipment?    Some  specialised  equipment  can  be  expensive  so  know  your  budget?    

Make  sure  that  you  employ  the  experts  to  make  sure  your  staff  and  children  know  how  to  use  the  equipment  safely,  in  a  fun  and  interactive  manner  and  start  their  development  and  learning  pathway  appropriately  to  their  ability  levels.    You  may  also  want  to  think  about  adding  additional  equipment  to  supplement  the  fun  and  learning  of  the  children.    

Don’t  forget  the  FUN!!!!!  

Don’t  forget  that  the  gardens  are  also  an  exciting  place  for  children  to  grow  and  develop  other  essential  life  skills.  Gardens  can  be  used  for  learning,  social  development  and  character  growth.  At  Intelligent  playgrounds  we  can  design  and  infuse  your  gardens  with  life.  

Training  is  an  important  aspect  of  the  service  offered  by  Intelligent  Playgrounds.  Graeme  Foreman  is  a  qualified  national  tutor,  assessor  and  verifier  and  author  of  many  publications  on  Fundamentals  of  movement  and  coaching  children  resources.  All  of  our  bespoke  games  come  with  full  training  packages  and  pdf  handouts  so  the  whole  school  can  use  them.  Example:  Extreme  Hop  Scotch  

A  multi-­‐entry  game  that  will  challenge  and  develop  the  decision-­‐making  skills  of  the  children.  The  basic  concept  is  that  the  children  make  their  way  into  the  middle  of  the  game  like  traditional  hopscotch,  but  with  an  opportunity  for  individual  development  and  differentiation  before  returning  to  their  initial  entry  point.  Elements:  Technical:  A  variety  of  travelling  can  be  used  to  maneuver  up  and  down  the  hopscotch,  skipping,  jumping,  walking,  running  etc.  The  main  ways  to  travel  is  through  stepping  or  a  variety  of  jumps.  There  are  5  main  types  of  jumps:  4  of  them  can  be  seen  in  the  segments  of  the  hopscotch.  (Great  for  practicing  in  a  static  manner  to  develop  balance)  Tactical:  Children  have  the  option  of  how  they  travel  around  the  game  and  travel  within  the  game.      Physical:  The  main  physical  elements  that  the  children  will  develop  playing  Xtreme  hopscotch  include:  Stamina  –  moving  around  and  within  the  game  –  set  time  limits  for  movement  but  remember  their  recovery  period  Strength  –  mainly  leg  strength  if  they  are  using  1  footed  jumps.  Psychological:  This  takes  place  in  allowing  them  to  choose  their  own  form  of  travel,  jump  and  pathway.  There  are  also  some  elements  of  teambuilding  and  problem  solving  for  them  to  consider  during  the  activity.  Tag  team  races  can  be  played  to  enhance  social  skills  and  development  skills  such  as  communication  and  organisation.  

 

Not  that  you  have  processed  your  Intelligent  Playground  you  might  also  want  to  think  about  your  budget  and  funding?  One  of  the  best  ways  to  fund  your  playground  over  the  next  2  years  is  through  the  Sports  Premium  Fund.    Purpose  of  funding  

Schools  will  have  to  spend  the  sport  funding  on  improving  their  provision  of  PE  and  sport,  but  they  will  have  the  freedom  to  choose  they  do  this.  

Possible  uses  for  the  funding  include:  hiring  specialist  PE  teachers  or  qualified  sports  coaches  to  work  alongside  primary  teachers  when  teaching  PE  new  or  additional  Change4Life  sport  clubs  paying  for  professional  development  opportunities  in  PE/sport  providing  cover  to  release  primary  teachers  for  professional  development  in  PE/sport  running  sport  competitions,  or  increasing  participation  in  the  school  games  buying  quality  assured  professional  development  modules  or  materials  for  PE/sport  providing  places  for  pupils  on  after  school  sport  clubs  and  holiday  clubs.  

 

Accountability  

Schools  will  be  held  to  account  for  how  they  spend  the  sport  funding.    Ofsted  will  strengthen  its  coverage  of  sport  and  PE  within  the  Inspectors’  Handbook  and  supporting  guidance,  so  that  schools  and  inspectors  know  how  sport  and  PE  will  be  assessed  in  future  as  part  of  the  school’s  overall  provision  offered.  

Schools  will  be  required  to  include  details  about  their  sporting  provision  on  their  school  website,  alongside  their  curriculum  details,  so  parents  can  compare  sports  provision  between  schools,  both  within  and  beyond  the  school  day.  

Remember  that  Intelligent  Playgrounds  are  endorsed  by  current  School  Sports  Partnerships  and  are  on  local  authority  top  providers  list.  

For  more  information,  a  free  site  visit  and  design  contact  Graeme  on  07771783625  and  make  your  playground  an  Intelligent  Playground.