This project has been a joy from start to finish, with a fantastic design that has transformed the outdoor spaces of a truly lovely school. QE II approached Setter Play first in 2017 to create a design and quotation to re imagine all four of their main play spaces, with a view to making it more vibrant and accessible for their SEN pupils.

The works took around 6 weeks, with an enormous groundwork operation to excavate the soil from all three areas, remove it off site, and then to bring stone in to compact it and provide them with an even and dependable surface, which is naturally important when their pupils may have difficulties with access.

On top of the stone base we laid wetpour rubber in natural colours so as to not appear too synthetic, and in this we inlaid vibrant butterflies and flowers to make the area sparkle and provide different focal points. The school also requested a cupcake be inlaid in the design too, which we did (it’s enormous too!).

The above area had a sensory focus, with interactive music panels, as well as imagination play shops to help their pupils improve their social and interpersonal skills. A mound and tunnel stands in the middle of the space and offers the chance to explore a three dimensional area.

The next, central area is the largest of the three, and has a movement and activity theme to help their pupils grow healthy and strong through play. The centrepiece is a flush-floor trampoline, with a fence around it to help control the access and more easily supervise the space.

Complementing the roundabout is a mound that we created for their pupils to run and roll over, and help improve their motor skills. The brown wetpour is designed to evoke a molehill for imagination play, and is a different colour to help is stand out.

The space is complete with an adventure trail, which challenges balance, coordination and agility as well as fine- and gross-motor skills. The natural timbers complement the green and brown wetpour rubber, whilst brown bonded rubber mulch can be seen around the trees in the space to help them breathe and absorb water.

The flower and butterfly designs continue into the side spaces too, with recycled plastic multicoloured fencing adding to the exciting colours.

The third space is a quiet reading area, with soft and tactile artificial grass throughout. Planting beds feature in the space and invite QE II’s pupils to get closer to nature by planting sensory flowers for an experience in sights and smells.

This enormous project is certainly one to be proud of, and you can read Mrs. Murphy’s reference of our work on the testimonials page above!