Children at Weston All Saints Primary School in Bath have returned for the new school year to find a colourful new playground created almost entirely through the hard work, creativity and generosity of parents and community volunteers.
The transformation is part of an exciting period of change at WASPS, with Reception and Year 1 relocating to join Year 2 in a new infants area, alongside the arrival of new headteacher Warrick Barton.
Work on the playground began at the end of the last school year, with the finishing touches still being completed the day before pupils returned in September.
The project was organised by WASPS parents Christine Gray, Linh Kooc and Jack Sladek, supported by more than 60 volunteers including parents, members of the local school and church communities and teachers. With virtually no budget available, the team had to rely on donations, ingenuity and a great deal of practical work.
Led by Jack, the volunteers sourced equipment and materials through Facebook and donations, including a climbing frame from a nursery in Bristol. They also reused equipment from the former Little WASPS play area.
Among the donations were around 30 pallets and a number of scaffolding planks, which were creatively transformed into a mud kitchen and a series of multi-themed dens.
The team also arranged for an existing fence to be moved, opening up additional green space for the children. Another fence was painted and decorated, with bunting added to bring even more colour to the playground.
The finished space now includes a slide, tunnel, climbing equipment, dens, a mud kitchen and plenty of opportunities for children to build, create, explore and, most importantly, play.
Christine said, “It’s a really exciting time of change at WASPS, with the relocation of Reception and Year 1 to join Year 2 in this new infants area and our new headteacher starting.
“We would love to spread the word and share the amazing change that has taken place through volunteers from the local school and church community, as well as hopefully gaining some local support for our ongoing fundraising for this project.”
The response from the children made all the hard work worthwhile. Christine, Linh and Jack made sure they were at school when pupils arrived at the start of the new term so they could see their reaction to their new playground.
And the volunteers are not stopping there. The team is already looking at ways to improve the school’s other outdoor areas as the next stage of the project, with further fundraising needed to help continue the transformation.
