Merstham Primary School, a proud member of the GLF group of schools, is committed to providing a nurturing environment where children grow, learn, and flourish. Located in London, the school embarked on a remarkable journey to revitalise their barren playground into a dynamic space where children could thrive.
Teaming up with Newby Leisure, approved Playrite partner, Merstham Primary School ensured that the playground design met the specific needs of their early years’ foundation team. The result was an inspiring outdoor play area featuring caves, streams, a mud kitchen, and sand areas, fostering exploration and imaginative play.
To withstand the diverse play elements, Newby Leisure recommended Playrite’s Nearlygrass 30, an artificial turf known for its durability, safety, and versatility. This choice allowed children to freely engage in sand, mud, and play in inclement weather without the inconvenience of a natural grass surface transforming into a muddy quagmire.
Headteacher Gavin Oulton commented, “The children adore their new play area, learning through play and having a blast. In fact, we now have difficulty getting them back into the classroom as they want to be outside all the time!”
The acclaim extended beyond the school, as the Mayor of Reigate and Banstead, Frank Kelly, officially inaugurated the playground, braving the snow. The children eagerly invited the mayor to return and experience the equipment firsthand.
Merstham Primary School’s commitment to providing an exceptional learning experience is evident in the transformation of their playground. Through imaginative play and exploration in this vibrant outdoor setting, students gain invaluable skills, forge lifelong memories, all while staying safe and clean thanks to the gentle cushioning of Nearlygrass 30 underfoot.
Ready to transform your playground into a dynamic space for learning and play?
Contact us today to learn more about Playrite’s Nearlygrass 30 and how it can enhance your outdoor environment.
Product Information:
Playrite’s Nearlygrass 30 is a premium artificial turf designed for durability, safety, and versatility. With its gentle cushioning underfoot, Nearlygrass 30 provides a safe and clean surface for children to explore and play in any weather condition. Whether it’s sand, mud, or grass, Nearlygrass 30 ensures a hassle-free play experience, making it the perfect choice for school playgrounds, parks, and recreational areas.
St. Joseph’s Primary School, recently undertook a project to rejuvenate their outdoor play area. Recognising the need for a safe and top-quality play space, the school turned to Playrite, a brand name synonymous with multi-sport surfaces, to replace the old existing synthetic turf with a new 15mm in situ pad and Playrite’s versatile Multi Sports Surface (MUGA).
St. Joseph’s Primary School faced a challenge with an aging synthetic turf that had seen better days. It was crucial to replace it to ensure pupil safety. The project commenced with the removal of the old surface and pad, making way for a fresh start. The school’s decision to install a 15mm in situ pad combined with Playrite’s Multi Sports MUGA Surface proved to be a wise one for several reasons. Playrite’s Multi Sports MUGA Surface is renowned for its versatility. It’s perfect for various sports and activities, making it an ideal choice for a school play area. Students at St. Joseph’s Primary School would be able to enjoy playing a variety of sports from football, hockey, and tennis, on the same surface.
One of the key benefits of choosing a Multi Sports MUGA Surface is its ability to withstand heavy use, ensuring its longevity and reducing the need for frequent maintenance. This not only saves the school money but also guarantees a consistent, high-quality playing surface for years to come.
With outdoor surfaces, a primary concern for any school becomes the safety of the users and the level of shock absorption that can be achieved. Playrite’s Multi Sports MUGA Surface offers exceptional shock properties and impact protection, minimising the risk of injuries during play.
Chris Pickles, Sales Director for Playrite, discusses why Playrite’s Multi Sports MUGA Surface was chosen for St. Joseph’s Primary School: “Playrite’s MUGA Surface was a no-brainer for this project. Its reputation for quality and performance in the industry is well-deserved. This surface not only meets the demands of a busy school play area but also offers a range of benefits that set it apart. With a new artificial sports surface that is significantly more durable and versatile, it will serve the school and its students exceptionally well for years to come.”
St. Joseph’s Primary School’s dedication to providing a safe and engaging outdoor play area for their students has been effectively realised through Playrite’s Multi Sports MUGA Surface installation. The school now boasts a durable, versatile, and low-maintenance sports surface, ensuring the well-being and enjoyment of the students. This project exemplifies the positive impact that high-quality multi-sport surfaces can have on the educational environment, making it a remarkable success.
Macaulay Primary School, situated in Grimsby, experienced a remarkable metamorphosis of its outdoor play area, thanks to the imaginative and innovative design expertise of Newby Leisure, a trusted specialist in playground design. Guided by the school’s core values and motto, “Today’s learners, Tomorrow’s leaders,” both the staff and students exemplified a “can do” attitude, emphasising their commitment to offering equal opportunities to all children, irrespective of their backgrounds.
In addition to ensuring practicality and safety, the school sought to create a secure and inspiring space that catered to various purposes, including learning, imaginative exploration, and physical play. To achieve this, they enlisted the expertise of Newby Leisure, resulting in the design of a versatile playground.
Recognising the need for year-round accessibility, the recommendation was made to utilise an artificial grass surface within the design. Playrite’s Nearlygrass 30, renowned for its durability and safety, was chosen to enable the pupils to engage in play regardless of the weather conditions.
Chris Pickles, Sales Manager for Playrite mentioned “”We have collaborated with Newby Leisure on numerous projects, and it’s wonderful to witness their seamless teamwork in creating a space that brings joy to the entire school.”
Ashley Spinks, Marketing Manager for Newby Leisure, remarked, “By implementing Playrite’s Nearlygrass 30, Macaulay Primary School has significantly improved its outdoor areas. The robust and secure artificial turf provided a consistent and reliable surface for the students, promoting physical activity and outdoor play throughout the year.”
Overall, the collaboration between Macaulay Primary School, Playrite, and Newby Leisure resulted in a highly successful transformation of the school’s outdoor spaces. The introduction of Nearlygrass 30 created a vibrant and easily accessible environment for students, and nurturing their physical development, engagement, and enjoyment of outdoor activities
Upton Meadows Primary School, is a unique school with extensive grounds from gardens, wild area, ball court, large playground and fields. They take great care in their students and aim to create the “Superstars of the future” From their aim to “establish a sporting culture which helps to improve all pupils’ physical wellbeing” they decided to update their old tarmac pitches so that students could participate all year round on a more forgiving and versatile surface.
Working with installation partners, Bradley Surfacing Systems, converting the old tarmac pitches into a more suitable surface was a straightforward process. Having previously installed Playrite surfaces on similar projects, the team opted to install Playrite’s Matchplay 2, an artificial grass surface specifically designed for multi-use game areas in schools. Renowned as Playrite’s most popular sports surface, Matchplay 2 offers exceptional versatility, accommodating a wide range of sports and activities.
The installation involved meticulous planning and precise execution to ensure that the new surface met the school’s requirements. The tarmac was prepared by thoroughly cleaning and leveling the area, providing a smooth and stable foundation for the artificial grass to be laid on top of, reducing the need for major groundwork. Any necessary repairs or adjustments were made to the underlying surface to ensure optimal performance and durability.
Once the groundwork was completed, the installation team carefully rolled out and secured the Playrite Matchplay 2 artificial grass. This process involved accurately measuring and cutting the grass to fit the designated area, ensuring a seamless and professional finish. The edges were neatly trimmed and secured to prevent any shifting or movement over time.
Playrite’s Matchplay 2 artificial grass surface provides an ideal playing environment for various sports, such as football, hockey, tennis, and more. Its durable and high-quality composition ensures excellent performance, shock absorption, and traction, allowing students to fully engage in their chosen activities while minimising the risk of injuries.
By opting for Playrite’s Matchplay 2 Upton Meadows School created a versatile and suitable surface that caters to the diverse sporting needs of their students. This installation enhances the quality of physical education and sports programs and provides a safe and enjoyable environment for students to develop their skills, foster teamwork, and embrace an active lifestyle.
As they make sure that all of their facilities are fully accessible for wheelchair users, Matchplay 2 turns out to be even more beneficial for Upton Primary school as it makes a suitable sports pitch surface for wheelchair- based sports.
Tom Bradley, Bradley Surfacing Solutions comments “We are thrilled to have been part of the transformation of Upton Meadows Primary School’s sports facilities. Playrite’s Matchplay 2 artificial grass surface provided the perfect solution for creating a versatile and durable playing area. It’s rewarding to see the positive impact our work has on the students and their ability to participate in a wide range of sports and activities throughout the year.
Wybourn Community Primary School approached Playrite’s installation partners Newby Leisure for help with their outdoor areas, as they were in desperate need to update the spaces to accommodate the growing needs of their pupils.
The school actively encourages pupils to embrace the outdoors with the introduction of sports from early levels, and a vital part of this is having the right environment to thrive. The staff of Wybourn wanted to make sure the children had a variety of play areas to choose from, to fit each type of play.
Recently some areas of the school’s outdoor areas had become unusable, and refurbishment was needed to bring some areas back to life. They specified that this area had to be able to offer opportunities for nonphysical play and encourage communication and imaginative play.
The benefits of the educational play area don’t only extend to the students, but to the teachers too, as our products are built to require low maintenance. Using materials such as FSC pressure treated redwood timber. Making our products robust means that maintenance costs can remain low. Saving you money and time on your purchase.
What makes this play area suitable is how accessible it is all year round. A problem schools can face is finding the space for outdoor learning for students. However, with sheltered areas installed around the playground, students can continue to enjoy their playground no matter the time of year. The play area is not just for breaktime use but can be used for outdoor learning. The chunky table and bench and planters give students the perfect opportunity to partake in group work or reading outside of the classroom environment. Showcasing the great functionality of the creative play area.
The result is a creative play area that gives students several options in the ways that they wish to learn. Whether through gardening, building in the sand, or using benches to read, Wybourn community school has allowed students the opportunity to learn and grow in a fun and innovative way. Doing so while giving life to the school through refurbishments.
“We are more than pleased to be a part of this schools refurbishment, to provide the children with a play area that doubles as a learning area is something that is extremely valuable to teachers and students.”
Recently, Playrite provided Nearlygrass 30 for the Holy Family Catholic Primary School in partnership with Playsound Playgrounds. A leading UK manufacturer of artificial turf and sports surfaces, Playrite supplied one of their more popular products, Nearlygrass 30. A high-quality artificial grass designed for use in various applications, including playgrounds, sports fields, and landscaping
Holy Family Catholic Primary School is a well-known school located in the UK that provides education to children between the ages of 3 and 11 years old. The school required a new play area for its students, and they wanted a durable, low-maintenance surface that could withstand heavy use and provide a safe, comfortable surface for the children to play on.
To meet the school’s requirements, Playrite provided Nearlygrass 30, which is an ideal surface for playgrounds. The Nearlygrass 30 artificial grass provides a soft and comfortable surface for children to play on while ensuring maximum safety. The product is designed with a durable backing that prevents wear and tear, making it suitable for heavy use.
Playsound Playgrounds an experienced playground installation company, was selected to install the artificial grass. The installation team at Playsound Playgrounds worked closely with Playrite to ensure that the surface was installed to the highest standards. They used the latest installation techniques to ensure that the surface was level, and they installed the artificial grass with the correct amount of infill to provide the ideal surface for the children to play on.
The installation of the Nearlygrass 30 artificial grass was completed within the required timeframe, and the school was delighted with the finished result. The new play area provides a safe, comfortable, and low-maintenance surface for the children to play on, and the school has received positive feedback from parents and students alike.
The successful installation of Nearlygrass 30 at Holy Family Catholic Primary School demonstrates the benefits of using high-quality artificial grass in playgrounds. Playrite’s expertise in manufacturing and providing top-quality artificial turf products, combined with the installation expertise of Playsound Playgrounds, has resulted in a successful project that has met the school’s requirements and exceeded their expectations. The Nearlygrass 30 product has proven to be an ideal solution for playgrounds and other high-traffic areas, providing a durable and safe surface for children to play on for many years to come.
Burnley High School has a distinctive vision to use an ambitious curriculum to support and enrich their students with opportunities to help them discover their passions and talent.
One aspect of the school’s ethos is for students to engage in competitive sports and activities to encourage them to lead healthy and active lives. However, like many educational facilities in the UK, the school did not have access to an outdoor area all year round.
The school wanted to create a Multi-Use area for students to use all year round however, the main challenge was where they could do so that would be located near to the school’s existing facilities.
Much of the school is surrounded by uneven grass and tarmac areas used as an overflow for car parking. After an assessment the school decided a section of the overflow car parking would be ripe for renovation.
It was decided that installing an artificial grass surface would give the school an area that could be usable all year round, with minimal cleaning maintenance required, all whilst within the allocated budget. Working with the school’s chosen contractor EB Sports and the team at Playrite the school decided to install a MUGA Surface as it allows pupils to engage in a range of sports and activities including football, hockey, netball, tennis, basketball and much more.
Mark Bucknall Director at EB Sports has previously collaborated with the experts at Playrite and were familiar with the range of MUGA products available. After a site visit EB Sports were able to establish that Playrite’s Tournament MF surface would be the perfect match.
Tournament MF is a superior quality sand dressed tufted surface, designed with its unique texturised monofilament fibre to offer durability and comfort underfoot.
Tournament MF provides an excellent playing surface for sports such as hockey as well as being suitable for multi-sport use unlike artificial turf products, our MUGA sports surfaces are considered to be far more resistant to frequent wear and tear.
Since the MUGA surface has been installed, the school has been able to continue to play a variety of sports during the winter months.
They have been thoroughly impressed with the outcome of the installation and are looking forward to continuing to offer their students more sports and activities during the Spring and Summer months.
Forming part of the King Edward VI Multi Academy Trust, are two Camp Hill institutions for boys and girls. As part of the campus there are a number of outdoor pitches to cater for a plethora of sporting activities.
Despite a number of outdoor pitches both grass and tarmac, it was decided by the school that the existing tarmac surface located next to the indoor facilities needed to be upgraded. The campus’s existing fencing was broken and needed to be removed which would allow the courts to be extended by 8m.
The Trust wanted to take the opportunity to install a new surface that could offer more protection to the students and could be used by both the girls and boys campuses. Traditionally tarmacadam surfaces are considered to be more hard wearing, however in recent years the safety aspects of this type of surface has come under scrutiny.
With this in mind Blakedown Sport & Play worked with the school to select a surface that met the needs of the school.
Having undergone rigorous surface interaction tests Playrite’s Matchplay 2 was found to have higher levels of shock absorption, slip resistance, impact attenuation and rotation resistance, making artificial grass an ideal choice for physical environments.
Playrite’s Matchplay 2 synthetic grass surface is a multi-use surface specifically designed to be used for multiple sports.
Matchplay 2 also benefits from a low sand content allowing for playtime to be conducted all year round and in all weather conditions, as well as being available in a wide range of bright and vibrant colours, elevating a standard play area into a stimulating play environment.
The Playrite MatchPlay 2 surface included permanent lines for 3 Tennis Courts and 3 Netball Courts along with painted lines for handball & football.
Steven Gori, from Blakedown Sports & Play commented “The Matchplay 2 surface specified, offered our client the level of protection they requested for their pupils and allowed them to offer more sports all year round without the traditional limitations of the weather”.
With its new Playrite Matchplay 2 surface, King Edwards IV Academy is able to offer excellent sporting experiences that foster an enjoyment of learning, allowing every child the opportunity to achieve their full potential. A part of the external learning practices the school provides for the children is a focus on sports and physical activities.
Back 2013 the Saint-Michel Elementary School in Quebec transformed their outdoor space and with the help of Playrite’s canadian partner Atmosphäre, into a multi-use games area with a difference.
With a dynamic environment Saint-Michel Elementary School is run by a committed team determined to provide students with enriching activities that allow everyone to succeed while respecting their needs. With resources dedicated to supporting a small community of autistic students, it is imperative that the school incorporates the natural surroundings to provide an exceptional learning environment.
At the forefront of the specification given to Atmosphäre was to create a multi-sports field that could not only be used by the school, but also by the city’s recreation department and local day care centre.
The team proposed creating an all year round artificial grass surface which would offer the look of a grass pitch but would allow the area to be used even in the winter months.
After much research into the various artificial grass products that were available, Playrite’s Matchplay 2 was chosen.
Specifically designed for multi-use game areas, this particular surface is durable, and hardwearing requires a low sand content, which allows for all year use.
Playrite’s Matchplay 2 synthetic grass surface is our most popular sports surface specifically for schools in multi-use games areas as it ticks so many boxes for so many different sports.
Playrite’s International Sales Manager Franck Opsomer commented, “It is a testament just how durable this surface really is. It has been 10 years since the surface was originally installed and even with consistent use throughout the year it still remains as good as the day it was installed”.
Since the surface was installed, the pitch remains as popular as ever. With regular use by the local community for regional sports events and other local celebrations during the summer months, in the winter months the pitch is transformed into an ice rink.
Located in Accrington, Mount Carmel Catholic High School embraces their mission to create a family of faith community and an efficient environment for learning.
They believe that investing in their sports facilities and surfaces will help their students strive for excellence, also giving an opportunity to explore their sporting skills.
The Wade Group were approached by the school and contacted Bradley Surfacing Systems, specialists in the design and installation of sport surfaces to discuss how they could transform the existing pitches to offer multiple pitches that could be utilised all year round.
An artificial grass surface would give the school an outdoor area that could be employed all year and function as a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) for other sports including Netball, Football and Hockey.
Tom Bradley, Director at Bradley Surfacing Systems worked closely with the Wade Group and the school to ensure that the surface they chose would meet their requirements.
Playrite’s Tournament EL was initially decided upon as the main sports surface, with the addition of Playrite’s Matchpad underneath to help protect against falls and also reduce ball bounce which is needed for sports such as Football.
Tournament EL is an excellent playing surface for sports, available with inlaid lines to mark out a range of different sports. A great all year round product that will maximise your sporting needs to full potential.
Tom Bradley at Bradley Surfacing Systems recently discussed his thoughts on Playrites Tournament EL surface and commented “The quality of the surfaces manufactured by Playrite, provides our clients with the low maintenance and highly durable solution they need to have a long lasting and effective MUGA pitch and we strive to recommend their products where possible.”
The Green Way Academy vision is to offer every pupil the opportunity to become inspired and find their Remarkable.
The G.R.E.E.N way motivates students by providing a unique set of values. This not only requires investing in the quality of their education, but also in the learning environment itself.
The academy wanted its outdoor areas to reflect its values, especially the value of “enjoying discovering what is possible.” Working with Playrite partner’s, Newby Leisure, the academy were keen to design a playscheme that provided a natural feel to the play spaces whilst in particular the surfaces offered a level of protection for the children.
The majority of the areas outside would include an artificial grass surface to generate a natural look and feel.
Opting for Playrite’s Nearlygrass 30 delivered a durable, low maintenance and mud-free ground that can be played on all year round making it the ideal solution for any area that is intensively used.
Playrite’s Nearlygrass collection looks, feels, and wears like real grass, making it an ideal solution for any education setting. Not only is it soft to touch, if children fall, they will be supported by a cushioned surface.
Ashley Spink, Sales and Marketing Manager from Newby leisure, commented “Playrite’s range of artificial surfaces offer superior durability and realism”.
Ashley went on to say “The Nearlygrass products work well with our designs, making the spaces look more realistic and ideal for educational environments. We’re happy to continue our partnership with Playrite and look forward to using their products in future projects.”
At the heart of St Catherine Catholic Primary School values, is the belief that working together will enable everyone to
become successful learners. So it is vital to ensure that the right learning environment stimulates the pupils from the beginning.
When the early years and year one outdoor areas needed to be updated to accommodate the growing needs of the pupils, the team at St Catherine’s turned to dbdplay for help.
The goal was to design a secure outdoor play area for children that was exciting and protected them from the weather. The existing playground surfaces were made up of a variety of tarmac and block paving, which did not provide the children with any sort of protection from falls & injury. The school specified that the replacement surface had to be as durable as the existing surface whilst offering the children a safe surface to play on all year round.
To ensure that the surface incorporated within the design would work with the other elements of the design, dbdplay
call upon Playrite, with whom they have a well established relationship to identify which surface would be the right
solution for this project.
After review the initial design of the area Playrite’s Matchplay 2 was decided upon as the most suitable surface. Matchplay 2 has undergone comparative player/surface interaction tests to compare with tarmacadam surfaces. Both surfaces were tested to determine their level of player/surface interaction capability in relation to falls & injury risk.
Matchplay 2 was found to have higher levels of shock absorption, slip resistance, impact attenuation and rotation
resistance compared to Tarmac, making artificial grass an ideal choice for educational environments.
Matchplay 2 also benefits from a low sand content allowing for playtime to be conducted all year round and all weather conditions, as well as being available in a wide range of bright and vibrant colours, elevating a standard play area into a stimulating play environment.
Dan Brown, Playground Design Manager for dbdplay, commented “With Playrite’s Matchplay 2 we have delivered a
vibrant surface that offers impact absorbing protection while improving the overall experience for the children.
We would highly recommend using high quality surface for future projects.”
