A Complete EYFS Transformation at The Bramble Academy.

The Customer 

The Bramble Academy in Mansfield strives to offer children an inclusive and supportive curriculum, which supports them in becoming healthy in both mind and body.  

The school wants to support their pupils in becoming avid life-long learners, with a passion for education and that starts by making education fun and inviting for all.  

The Objectives  

As part of making education exciting for pupils, a bright and inviting outdoor play space is essential- hence why The Bramble Academy contacted Pentagon Play.  

Looking for a full revamp of their large outdoor space, the school were aware that everything needed redoing to create a unique play space for their children.  

One essential element of the development for them was that they had zoned spaces where their pupils could explore different areas of learning, build a variety of skills, and become confident in learning through play.  

Outdoor Learning Consultant, Dan Young, got started creating their brand-new space! 

Our Approach 

One of the first products that Dan set about adding to this space was a 7m x 4m Bespoke Timber Canopy, facilitating indoor/outdoor learning with ease. Pupils can easily carry their classroom learning through into the fresh air with this sheltered, yet open space.  

Another important element was the surfacing in the space. EYFS pupils are often in the stages of building their confidence climbing and running, and therefore, can be prone to taking tumbles. Providing safety surfacing to minimise the damage is essential.  

Dan added Wetpour to the majority of the space, with accents of Artificial Grass around the equipment and Bark in certain spaces. This not only makes the space safe, but it also looks bright and inviting.  

With regards to creating zones, Dan first created a messy play space for sensory explorers. This environment now includes Weighing Scales, a Covered Sand Box, a Water Wall with Water Play Package, a Mini Damming Station, and a Head Chef Mud Kitchen Package. Pupils will love exploring different materials, textures, scents and sounds in this space, as they grow their confidence.  

Dan also ensured that active play was a priority for the children, offering them the facilities to build their gross motor skills, such as balance and coordination. Children can now explore the Get Set, Go Blocks! -The Mendips Set. For those who are a little bit more confident in climbing, they can hop onto the Harter Fell Climber with Platform and Climbing Net, where they can use the drop-down handholds to build their upper arm strength, as well as supporting themselves.  

For those pupils with an interest in construction play, they can also combine that with active play, thanks to our Play Builder Engineer Set.  

Dan also ensured that this space had plenty of storage resources for their pupils This means that they can keep their equipment stored neatly and easily. With 4 Small Self-Select Stores, a Welly Rack and Coat Rack, these pupils will always know where to store their play items when they’re finished with them.  

The Results  

Panayiota Theodosiou, the Principal of Bramble Academy hosted an opening for the playground, and in her opening speech had much to say about the impact of this development.  

“Today marks another huge step in The Bramble Academy’s journey in becoming the best school it can be.” 

The Greenwood Academies Trust also loved the space, commenting “The new EYFS area at The Bramble Academy in Mansfield is officially open! A huge thank you to our Estates Team and Pentagon Play!” 

Our team was delighted to go on the journey of this development with The Greenwood Academies Trust and The Bramble Academy.  

If you have an EYFS space that you would like to develop, then why not get inspiration from our other EYFS Projects now!  

Or, if you already have an idea for how your space will look, Contact Us Today to get started on your dream development.