Urban Inner City School - Grove

Our brief for Grove School, Birmingham, was to create an outdoor nursery play space in which all areas of learning could be explored, enabling pupils to understand their environment and develop their physical and communication skills.

The listed Victorian building was in the heart of an urban setting with a tarmac playground that had little play equipment. The play equipment did not get much use and the children did not interact with the space or each other well. Many of the children rarely, if ever, experienced a natural environment, therefore it was important to create a garden as well as a playground. Following consultations with the staff, pupils and family members we produced the design that we believed encompassed all the children’s play needs.

The project is now used daily by the children who take delight in using their new playground and everything it has to offer, physical, imaginative and open-ended play. The garden has been a huge success, besides wining the prestigious BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) Award we have created a challenging, exciting, fun garden for the children that has greatly enhanced their experience of the natural world. This garden has been designed for disabled access and meets DDA regulations.