Multi-use games area takes sport and play to the next level at Devon primary school

The brief

With a wide range of school sports clubs and keen attendance at competitions, pupils at Horrabridge Primary School in Devon were well known for their enthusiasm for sports. The thriving PE curriculum was a real strength and the school wanted to build on this success to create a lasting sports legacy. Situated on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, the school’s playing field was often out of action as it was too soggy and muddy to be used in wet weather. The school wanted to design an all-weather sports pitch for pupils to enable them to play outside all year round, whatever the weather!

The plan

The school had ambitious plans as the new all-weather sports area had to be suitable for football, netball and hockey, as well as being a safe area for a casual kick-about or communal games during break times. The school opted for a large multi-use games area (MUGA) with a sanded synthetic sports grass surface to cater for a wide variety of sports. Robust, specialised sports fencing was included in the plan to contain the ball sports and keep ball play separate to the main playground activities. The artificial grass surface provided a durable, versatile surface which banished mud, mess and mowing – a definite bonus for busy staff.

The school worked hard to raise vital funds for the project which took several years in the planning. Our design team worked closely with the school, providing detailed planning specifications, assisting with community consultation and taking the proposal through full planning permission.

This team work paid off and this major construction project took place during the summer holidays in order to minimise disruption to the school.

The result

A brand new 35m x 28m multi-sport all-weather artificial grass pitch installed adjacent to the playground for maximum accessibility, has transformed both the PE curriculum and play times at the school. Both pupils and the local community recognise how fortunate they are to have such high quality sports facilities available within a primary school. At every break time the MUGA is a hive of activity and village clubs, including the local football team Horrabridge Rangers FC, also use the new artificial grass pitch out of school hours.

Head Teacher, John Clarke, was the driving force behind the push to provide a new sports area for the school as he wanted to ensure that sport was accessible to all pupils, whatever their ability:

“The new MUGA is a brilliant facility for the school and local community. Encouraging pupils to be active as much as possible when they are young will hopefully lead to a lifelong love of sport – developing strong friendships and having a lot of fun along the way. Our new all-weather pitch has already delivered tangible results as more pupils than ever are trying out new sports and putting themselves forward to the school teams.”