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.”
With a recent refurbishment of 2 courts at the beginning of 2020, the Shotley & Benfieldside Tennis Club started to
encounter an increase in court usage. This inspired the club to consider a second phase refurbishment to replace the remaining 3 court surfaces.
Founded in 1893, Shotley & Benfieldside Tennis Club in County Durham, is an established community tennis club with a thriving social scene, consisting of a unique indoor floodlit court and 5 additional outdoor tennis courts, all of which are artificial. The club decided to refurbish 2 of the courts in 2020 as they were worn and in need of replacement. The positive reaction from members enjoying the new courts and the increasing influx of court usage prompted the club to consider replacing the remaining 3 courts.
Whilst the remaining 3 courts were still in a reasonable condition, they showed signs of wear & tear and had started to become unreliable in poor weather and prone to flooding.
To help fund the project, members were asked to renew annual fees earlier than normal and were offered the opportunity to purchase a special 5/10-year membership. This investment allowed the club to fund the project and ensure that the work would be completed before the 2021 season began.
The club’s committee nominated a working party to investigate the market and test surfaces. Initial findings identified that Playrite’s Grandplay surface would provide the unrivaled durability and performance the club was after.
Grandplay is Playrite’s most popular tennis surface, suited for tennis players who want a faster pace. With a uniformed tuft density design to simulate a natural grass court with a positive grip underfoot, it makes it the preferred choice for many clubs.
To ensure that the surface was the right choice, the committee visited several clubs with Grandplay installed and tested the surfaces out by playing a few games of tennis.
The committee had several technical discussions with Playrite to agree some amendments to the specification to meet their needs and achieve direct equivalence with the previously installed courts.
Playrite recommended local contractors Fosse Contracts to complete the surface installation and having partnered
together on similar projects, were also able to offer a full turnkey solution that delivered an excellent all-weather
playing surface.
Committee Member, Tony Pensom commented, “This was our first experience of Playrite products and people. We are delighted with both – good, honest, quality people and a great product”.
The project was completed and ready for the 2021 season and members have been thrilled to experience the new courts.
In 2019 one of the world’s largest school buildings in a wooden hybrid modular construction was built, creating the Schule Westend Campus in Frankfurt. The building was designed to become a temporary location for both the primary and secondary schools in the local area until their permanent site is completed.
Using renewable raw materials, this distinctive building has been designed in a way that allows it to be dismantled and rebuilt at another location so that it can be reused in the future for other projects making it a uniquely sustainable building.
As part of the build, the outdoor area needed to provide a suitable area of play that could accommodate the needs of both the primary school children and secondary school students.
Architects GMP international, worked with outdoor surface contractors to find a solution that would look right within the temporary environment but that could also provide the children and students protection from potential injuries.
Playrite’s Matchwinner Velour 1300 in ochre, would create a remarkable sand-like look to the outdoor area, and additional shock pads underneath the surface would deliver the protection needed should any injuries be incurred.
Matchwinner Velour is a sand dressed needlepunch surface which is available in 14 different colours, and designed to be inset into the surface making it ideal for education spaces to make the area bright and bold. Matchwinner Velour can be installed directly onto tarmac or equally with a Playrite shockpad to prolong the life and performance of the surface. Meets the EN15330 Part 2 standards.
With access to extensive grounds, Aintree Davenhill Primary School is able to offer excellent educational experiences that foster an enjoyment of learning that allows 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.
Working with North-West-based Playsound Services ltd, the school wanted to regenerate an unused area of the school’s grounds. After some discussion, it was identified that the school was focused on raising awareness amongst KS1 & KS2 students about the importance of exercise and well-being. The team at Playsound Services advised the school that the most suitable option for them to encourage this would be with the installation of a range of outdoor fitness equipment.
After selecting a range of different pieces to feature in the fitness area, the team at Playsound Services recommended that an artificial grass surface be installed to further enhance the design. Having worked with Playrite on previous projects, they advise that the Nearlygrass 30 would be the ideal surface to accompany the equipment.
Playrite’s Nearlygrass artificial turf range is manufactured using the finest material and traditional techniques to produce high-quality grass that features a natural look and feel. Made with two-tone fibres, the Nearlygrass collection is available in 4 different pile heights with textures to suit every style and budget. The range is a hard-wearing and durable surface and ideally suited as a surface for an outdoor fitness area compared with harsher surfaces such as tarmac.
Collaborating with Playsound Services, resulted in a unique fitness area that the school can access all year-round and continue promoting exercise and well-being for generations to come.
On the outskirts of Huddersfield is the luxury Woodland Glade residential complex. Local residents have access
to their own community centre, which offers a range of facilities including swimming, tennis and football as well as
a range of social events throughout the year. Over recent years the club’s tennis court had seen better days and was due an upgrade.
With the club seeing an increase in participants using the tennis court, the club’s board members felt it was time to
invest in a new surface.
Having reached out to Mark Buckall at EB Sports to complete the refurbishment, the club were keen for his recommendations regarding the surface solutions options available to them.
EB Sports have previously worked with Playrite on a number of tennis court projects and were able to work with the client in determining the best solution for the community centre. With tennis being the primary sport played on the court, club members wanted the option to be able to play multi-sports on the courts without it impacting on the
effectiveness of the surface.
MUGA surfaces are becoming an increasingly popular choice for sports facilities, due to their resistance to
frequent wear and tear.
Playrite’s Grandplay range is one of their most popular MUGA surfaces, which is ideal not only for Tennis but other
sports including football and hockey.
Since the court has been installed usage of the court has seen an increase, not just to play tennis but also other sports. The club members are particularly delighted with the new surface as it simulates the look of a natural grass court.
Nurturing these values requires a stimulating and challenging environment where pupils can learn and develop their life skills not just within a classroom, but outdoors as well.
The school actively encourages pupils to embrace the outdoors with the introduction of sports from nursery levels upwards as part of the curriculum, and a vital part of this is having the right environment to thrive in.
Recently some areas of the school outdoor areas had become unusable and refurbishment was needed to bring some areas back to life. Wellington Prep contacted local playground specialists DBD play as they wanted to brighten up their play space and rejuvenate an unused area of their playground that was blocked off with posts.
They specified that this area had to be able to offer opportunities for nonphysical play and encourage communication and imaginative play.
DBD Play had installed Playrite’s MUGA surfaces at previous educational facilities and felt it would be an ideal solution to rejuvenate the unused areas. Specifying Playrite’s Matchwinner Velour in the bright and vibrant colour’s would highlight areas of interest within the ‘Trim Trail’ encouraging imaginative play and communication.
Playrite’s Matchwinner Velour surface is a sand dressed needlepunch surface, available in 14 different colours, and
enables designs to be inset into the surface which is ideal for primary spaces to make the area bright and bold.
Dan Brown, Playground Design Manager for dbd play, commented “With Playrite’s Matchwinner Velour vibrant
colours, it has enhanced the design and the overall experience for the children. We would highly recommend this surface for future projects.”
