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Handmade wooden playground for Gibbs Green School

A new playground, featuring handmade wooden play equipment, an outdoor classroom and sports pitch, has opened at Gibbs Green School.

The school, in Mund Street, West Kensington, received a generous grant for the playground from the Wooden Spoon Society, a 20-year-old charity which supports projects to help disadvantaged children and young people.

Gibbs Green School caters for pupils aged five to eleven with emotional and
behavioural difficulties.

Rod Davies, headteacher of Gibbs Green School, said: "The children helped choose the designs for the pieces of equipment, which are built from natural materials with each child's name carved into them. It will allow the children to enjoy imaginative and creative play and it's something for them to look forward to during lessons."

Features of the playground include:
" an outdoor classroom, with wooden reading seat, a circle of benches and plants growing on an overhead canopy
" sensory garden and willow igloo
" sports pitch for football, basketball and other games. Chelsea Football Club will run a series of football coaching sessions on the new pitch from next week
" wooden climbing and play equipment.

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Cllr Treloggan in the outdoor classroom with Tommy Lancaster, 10 (left), and Leon Lowe, 5

Eddie Sibley, the London member of the Wooden Spoon Society who was instrumental in securing the grant, said: "We are delighted that our support has enabled these excellent facilities to be provided at Gibbs Green School. We would like to continue our relationship with the school and support other projects to improve the lives of children who attend."

Wooden Spoon Society Web site