High Failsworth Primary EYFS Playground Transformation!

The Customer

Situated within the heart of Failsworth, Higher Failsworth Primary School has become a much-loved part of the local community, providing outstanding care and education for hundreds of children in the Oldham area. The school has built a strong reputation over the years by crafting the perfect learning environment, resulting in many families considering it one of the best schools in town!

From its supportive and nurturing atmosphere to a strong focus on creativity and personal growth, High Failsworth Primary School provides an inspiring environment for over two hundred children each year. The school is known for encouraging curiosity, confidence, and kindness in every pupil. Ofsted noted how the pupils are “overwhelmingly positive about the school” and how the school has a "suitably ambitious curriculum".

Mrs Forster, the headteacher at High Failsworth Primary School, leads a passionate team that’s always looking for ways to make school life even better for their pupils. When they turned their attention to the EYFS playground, it didn’t take long to agree that it was time for a big transformation of the play area. They wanted to create an EYFS space that was not only fun but full of exciting, hands-on experiences for their little ones.

Meeting the Customer

Wenda Webb, the School Business Manager, was given the task to find the perfect company to help the school with this project. After searching online for a few minutes, she quickly came across Pentagon Play's Google My Business profile and our incredible range of 5-star reviews.

Reading through them, Wenda found herself becoming increasingly impressed with Pentagon Play, finally deciding to visit the website herself for more information. Arriving at our homepage, she was instantly amazed to see all of the products offered by our company.

From Active Play to Surfacing & Landscaping, Wenda found herself intrigued by the imaginative and unique designs offered by Pentagon Play. Once she had viewed our ranges, she decided to make an enquiry with our sales team about the possibility of Pentagon Play designing their playground.

Eager as always, our team got back to Wenda quickly and assigned one of our most creative Playground Consultants to the case (Tom Hollingworth). Excited by the challenge, Tom quickly got to work designing a new play area that the school would fall in love with and guaranteed to get their little ones engaging with the playground.

Submitting it to Wenda, she was amazed by the quality of the equipment and the variety of challenges that were present on the proposed play area. She told our consultant that the school was reaching out to other companies and would be comparing the proposed plans against each other.

Once a few weeks had passed, Wenda approached us and told us that the school had selected our design against all the competition due to the imaginative and engaging design we proposed. Over-the-moon, Tom proposed the idea of a free on-site visit and consultation to get a better idea of how Pentagon Play could take the EYFS area to the next level.

Their Objectives

Arriving at the playground, Wenda showed Tom around the EYFS play area. She explained how the school were keen to divide the play area into specific zones. Each zone would help target a specific area of child development and help their little learners improve certain skills and behaviours.

Continuing the walk around the area, the school were also keen to replace their old wetpour surfacing with something more colourful. As the old surface had become worn-out, Wenda and the team believed that the atmosphere was being dampened.

As Tom was making notes, Wenda mentioned how she saw our Online Shop range and was interested in freestanding equipment. Talking to her, she mentioned how the teachers wanted to keep the play area versatile and free-flowing, which freestanding play equipment would help with.

Finally, Wenda made Tom aware that the school loved the climbing frames that Pentagon Play offer and were determined to have one installed on the playground. Not only did the staff believe that a structure like our climbing frame would grab a child's attention, but they also believed that the structure could offer multiple forms of play on it (such as den making and imaginative play).

Our Approach

With all the details gathered, Tom made his way back to our Middlewich HQ, ready to team up with our specialists and bring the vision for High Failsworth Primary’s playground to life. From day one, Wenda was kept in the loop, receiving regular updates and progress reports so she always knew exactly how things were coming along.

At Pentagon Play, we believe communication is just the beginning. That’s why our talented in-house visualisation team gets straight to work turning playground dreams into vivid 3D designs. These eye-catching visuals give schools like High Failsworth a real feel for the finished project. In addition, they’re a fantastic way to share ideas with boards of governors and the wider school community, keeping everyone in the loop!

While Wenda and her team were enjoying a supportive service from Tom, our skilled manufacturing team was hard at work behind the scenes. They carefully sourced high-quality materials and put every piece through rigorous checks to make sure everything met our high standards.

With more than 15,000 playground transformations under our belt, Pentagon Play is proud to be one of the UK’s trusted names for bespoke outdoor learning spaces. From expert inspections to friendly aftercare, we’re here to support you every step of the way. Because to us, it’s not just about building playgrounds, but it’s about creating spaces where children truly thrive.

Playground Safety Surfacing

Once the current playground equipment and surfacing was removed, our team got to work with installing the new surfacing. Talking with the school, Tom talked the staff through all of the surfacing options available to them. After various discussions, the school decided to go with two of our most popular surfacing options: Wetpour and Playturf Artificial Grass

For their main safety surface, Higher Failsworth chose our most popular safety surfaces for schools who wish to maintain a natural feel to their playground, Playturf Artificial Grass. Not only does it closely mimic the look and feel of real grass, but it’s built to handle heavy use, even passing FIFA’s tough durability standards!

With a 10-year guarantee, schools like Higher Failsworth Primary can feel confident that their surfacing will stand the test of time. Made from top-quality materials and crafted with care, Playturf is in a league of its own! You’ll be hard-pressed to find artificial grass that matches its look, feel, and performance.

Even though the artificial grass would suffice as a solo playground surfacing option, both Tom and the school felt that combining wetpour into the artificial grass would help to bring more vibrancy to the area, whilst creating an area where children could easily role play by following a road-like design.

Wetpour is a soft, springy surface that’s brilliant at cushioning trips and tumbles, helping to significantly reduce the risk of serious injuries during play. It’s especially popular for areas where imaginative play takes centre stage, as it works perfectly with vibrant playground graphics that spark creativity and fun.

On top of being low-maintenance and super safe, wetpour is also smooth and wheelchair-friendly, making it a great choice for inclusive play spaces. Schools like Higher Failsworth really value this feature, as it helps create an environment where every child can join in and feel part of the fun.

Having both of these surfaces present on the playground allows children to fully engage with play without the fear of injuring themselves. In addition, both surfaces can save a school money by reducing maintenance costs, allowing schools to fund other projects that can improve a child's academic life.

Harter Fell Climber

The Harter Fell Climbing Frame may be one of our smaller structures, but it’s packed with adventure. With plenty of crossing points and challenges to conquer, it gives children the chance to climb, balance, and explore like true adventurers. Inspired by the Harter Fell mountain in the Lake District, this frame brings a real sense of excitement to the playground.

Perfect for groups of up to 10 children (depending on their age), this compact climber encourages teamwork, communication, and confidence-building. It’s crafted from high-quality, pressure-treated ‘play grade’ timber, so it’s made to stand the test of time, making it ideal for the 300+ pupils at Higher Failsworth Primary School.

As children make their way across the beams, they build balance, strength, and coordination. Gripping the ropes, climbing the nets, and hanging with friends helps develop both fine and gross motor skills, all whilst having a brilliant time. Pupils love challenging themselves and cheering each other on as they master new moves.

There’s something for everyone on the Harter Fell. Some children enjoy scaling the nets and walls, while others might turn the frame into a secret hideout or base for imaginative adventures. Whether they’re climbing, swinging, or pretending to explore distant lands, the possibilities are endless with this exciting piece of equipment.

Freestanding Play Equipment

To wrap up the project, the school wanted to add a variety of playground equipment across the space, giving children lots of different ways to play, learn, and explore. With so many great options available, they turned to Tom for his expert advice to help choose the right mix of equipment.

After plenty of thoughtful conversations, Wenda and her team felt confident they’d chosen a selection that offered a fantastic range of play experiences, whilst staying within their budget. In the end, they went with a vibrant mix from our collection, including:

This line-up features some of our most popular, innovative, and durable play pieces. Even better? Every item is freestanding. That means no digging, no installation costs, and total flexibility when it comes to how the space is used.

For schools like Higher Failsworth that want a free-flowing outdoor environment, freestanding equipment is a game-changer. Staff can easily move pieces around to suit the day’s activities, shift things to create open space, or store items away when needed. It’s all about keeping things flexible and adaptable, which is especially important for early years settings where the outdoor area needs to support all kinds of play and learning.

Freestanding equipment is also a brilliant choice for schools working with tighter budgets. With no installation fees or groundworks required, it’s a smart, cost-effective way to get the most value from your playground investment.

When Wenda and the team first saw the finished space, they were thrilled. The range of freestanding equipment gave them confidence that every child would find something to spark their curiosity, imagination, or energy. It’s a space built for fun, flexibility, and all kinds of learning through play.

The Results

A few weeks after the installation, Tom got in touch with Wenda to see if Pentagon Play could visit High Failsworth Primary and capture some photos whilst hearing first-hand how the new playground was making an impact. Wenda was more than happy to welcome us in, so a small team of Pentagonians headed over to see the transformation for ourselves.

From the moment we arrived, Wenda and her amazing staff team greeted us with warm smiles and open arms. They made us feel right at home, and their enthusiasm for the new play space was infectious.

As we made our way toward the playground, Wenda shared how many parents and carers had been full of praise. Not only were they blown away by how great the area looked, but they also loved the variety of play opportunities available, catering to children of all abilities and interests.

Stepping onto the playground, we couldn’t help but smile. The space was buzzing with energy! Some children were climbing and exploring the Harter Fell Climbing Frame like little adventurers, while others were busy digging and scooping in the sandpit. Because the equipment was spread throughout the area, the whole space felt open, free-flowing, and full of possibility.

When we spoke with the teaching staff, they told us how much they loved the freestanding equipment. It’s made it so easy to bring lessons outdoors and set up engaging activities that connect with their classroom topics. The ability to take learning outside, they said, has been priceless—and the benefits are already showing.

The new surfacing was another big hit. Children were zooming around on trikes, using the wetpour road to spark all kinds of imaginative role play. Staff shared how the road inspired design had become more than just a surface and how they had turned into a play feature that helps children build confidence and develop real-world understanding through fun, creative play.

All in all, the project has been a huge success. The team at High Failsworth is thrilled, the children are loving every moment, and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome. We’re proud to have been part of something so special and can’t wait to see the pupils enjoying their new playground for many years to come.