Northgate Primary School in Somerset Add Straight Roof Playground Shelter

What was the project brief?

Northgate Primary School, located in Bridgwater, Somerset is a busy school delivering education to children between the ages of 2 and 11 years old. The first letters of each of the school’s aims spell out the word ‘aspire’. At the centre of their educational delivery is the desire to foster a child’s confidence to explore and discover, and to aspire to achieve their hopes and dreams.

Northgate Primary School knows that part of exploring the wider world is having the opportunity to play in the outdoors. Having worked with A&S Landscape previously, they approached us for help to install another shelter solution to support with the provision of outdoor play opportunities.

What was our canopy cover solution?

Working with repeat school customers is great because we already understand them, their school campus and their aims when it comes to installing a new custom canopy. It’s also really rewarding to be able to help them further develop their school for the children that they teach.

In adding a further canopy, A&S Landscape will always ensure that there is a cohesive design that helps to bring the exiting building, original canopy and the new installation together. For this new project, the aim was to install a matching steel canopy adjacent to the school building itself. For this kind of installation, our Motiva Linear™ canopy is a great option. Whilst we offer a whole Motiva product range, this particular model has the benefit of a monopitch (also known as asymmetric) roofline. This means that with one side of the roofline being higher than the other, it looks great directly installed next to a building.

Northgate Primary School wanted to cover an area of 23000mm x 3035mm, and this was easily achieved with the Motiva Linear™ shelter solution. Their finished canopy installation was completed with a Slate Grey (RAL 7015) steel shelter frame. Overhead, the roofing material was of Clear polycarbonate. Both of these options are available in our colour range which offers an extensive choice for steel and polycarbonate colour ways.

How big of an issue is childhood obesity and how can this be combatted by teachers and parents

Childhood obesity is perhaps at its most critical and one of the more worrying concerns we face internationally. As attested by the World Health Organisation (WHO), it’s one of the most critical public health challenges of the 21st century. This global epidemic is effecting low and middle-income countries, more notably in urban areas. Globally in 2016, the number of overweight children under the age of five was 41 million. Furthermore, overweight and obese children have a tendency to stay obese into adulthood and are inclined to developing health issues like diabetes and cardiovascular ailments at a younger age.

Childhood obesity and linked health issues, such as diabetes are mostly preventable. On this basis, the WHO prioritises the prevention of these conditions in youth, especially because bad dietary habits and a inactive lifestyle are among the leading causes of noncommunicable diseases. These conditions, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and specific types of cancer, substantially give rise to the global pressure of disease, death and disability.

Find out more about the complex matter of childhood obesity by reading our paper.

What was the result of their new canopy cover?

The finished canopy structure, which ran along the side of classrooms and exit doors, delivered a fabulous sheltered play area. The school installed a picket fence along the open side of the canopy to create a defined play area for the children to enjoy. With gates out into the playground area beyond, it is now possible for the children to play in shelter on rainy days, or for the gates to be opened to allow them the choice of being under the canopy cover or out in the playground.

Northgate Primary School now has the option to install play equipment beneath the canopy, or to leave the area clear for children to take equipment out with them. The area can also be used as a steel walkway design, so that when playtime is interrupted by the rain, the children can line up in shelter to go back into school.

About the client

Northgate Primary School is located in Bridgwater, Somerset. Around 50 miles from Bristol, Bridgwater is a historic town with suggested links to Alfred The Great. There are also many beautiful areas of countryside in the surrounding area, including along the banks of the Bridgwater and Taunton canal. It’s a great place for the school’s pupils to learn about nature and history.

Northgate Primary School is part of a Multi Academy Trust which includes a cluster of schools in the Clevedon and Bridgwater area. The Trust has a passion for purposeful, creative and exciting learning and this is carried across its establishments, which include both primary and secondary schools.

Northgate Primary School itself is committed to supporting purposeful learning by ensuring that every child in their school has a healthy breakfast. To this end, they are part of the Department for Education funded ‘Magic Breakfast’. They have their very own ‘Bagel Bar’ offering warm toasted bagels with butter each morning. Hopefully, when it’s warm outside, the children can enjoy their bagels under their new canopy cover!

Why invest in a canopy cover?

There are so many advantages of investing in a canopy cover. Whether your site is a primary school, secondary school, college or event space, they are well worth considering because:

• They are an efficient and effective way to create an additional outdoor play or social space.
• They offer an alternative to expensive bricks and mortar extensions.
• They are robust and need minimal maintenance.
• Whether the available space is big or small, there’s a shelter solution to meet your needs.

We have an extensive gallery of previous projects which show the creative designs achieved across a range of sectors, so that you can see for yourself the benefit of investing in a canopy cover.

How A&S Landscape can help you

If you are seeking to install a canopy cover at your primary school but are unsure of the feasibility, please contact our friendly team to discuss what your school needs. They will be able to give you some initial information to consider to help you choose the solution that best suits your requirements.

A&S Landscape has worked with many different sectors and industries, so we can talk you through the main considerations for your site. We can also help you to picture your project with a computerised visualisation to demonstrate what a particular design will look like on your site. If you would like to know more, connect with our team today and get the process started.

Read about more of our projects based in Somerset

Area of Shelter Created on Ashcott Playing Fields with Umbrella Canopy

Working with this prestigious client we constructed a playground umbrella for Ashcott Playing Fields Ashcott, Somerset. The full contract involved one Maxima waterproof Umbrella structure supported on a single upright measuring 4000mm X 4000mm.

Bridgwater College Add Straight Roof Canopy to Campus

Working with our building contractor client our engineers built a straight polycarbonate roof canopy for Bridgwater College Academy Parkwaybridgwater Somerset Ta6 4Qy Parkway, Bridgwater, Somerset. The contract included the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy and included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.

Multicoloured Polycarbonate Roof Shelters Designed for St Nicholas Primary School

Working with the contractor our engineers designed two straight polycarbonate roof canopies for St Nicholas Primary School Radstock, North East Somerset. The job involved the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 24600mm X 2000mm and the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 10891mm X 2000mm, both included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.

Farmborough C of E VC Primary School Create Outdoor Sheltered Space

Working alongside the contractor we made two straight polycarbonate roof canopies for Farmborough C Of E VC Primary School Farmborough, Bath, Somerset. The contract included the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 8150mm X 2500/3400mm and 4500mm X 1900mm.  One Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 3300mm X 2500mm, both included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes which were coated in a matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.