Playground Shelter Holy Trinity Catholic School West Midlands

And when Holy Trinity set out to get something done, they do so with their pupils first in their mind. Holy Trinity Catholic School chose two of A&S Landscape’s Maxima StarSails for their play area as they looked to add a little shelter from the rain whilst also adding some playful design to the campus.

We installed both StarSails at a size of 8000mm x 8000mm with yellow (RAL 1003) paintwork and luxurious velvet red waterproof fabric.

The resulting structures have changed the view in the playground dramatically, providing more high quality shaded areas during the summer and some much needed protection from the rain all year round.

How does outdoor play help primary school children to develop and how can we facilitate this during the school day?

Play is the essence of childhood, when children are well and inarguably being themselves, but for a lot of children the opportunity to play outdoors, enjoying exercise and fresh air, is limited. Today’s generation of children aged 4-11 years spend a lot of hours playing computer games, on iPads and watching TV and so this valuable period of activity is more crucial than ever to offset long hours indoors in front of a screen. Astonishing recent studies show that a third of children play outside for 30 minutes or less in a standard day. That’s less time outside than prison inmates get! Of the 1,000 UK families who took part in the survey, 82% blamed the unreliable British weather.

Encouraging more outdoor play is not just about the physical element of their health though. Active play during breaks and lunchtimes are also helping children’s mental health. It shows them how to discuss their viewpoints and emotions and listen to those of others. The practice of expressing themselves, risk-taking and sharing are all important stepping stones on the path to reaching adulthood with the ability to discuss, debate and empathise.

Want to see more? Click here to visit our full blog to find out more about the benefits of outdoor play on primary school children.

The real beauty of the StarSail though is in its ‘look’. It manages to do a great job of protecting from the elements at the same time as looking unlike any of the structures around it, catching the eye and sparking the imagination.

Our Maxima StarSail can be installed at any size up to 8000mm x 8000mm and comes in a wide range of RAL steelwork colours and options for the fabric as well, meaning you can create a totally unique look for your StarSail.

To find out more take a look at our gallery of finished StarSail projects here and if you have any questions about this or any other installation, get in touch!

Read about some of the other shelters we have installed in the West Midlands

Six Sail Shades Designed for Stivichall Primary School

We made six shadesails in Stivichall Primary School, Stivichal, Coventry, West Midlands. The contract included six Maxima™ tensile shade cloth fabric sails including for all stainless steel fixtures and fittings in various sizes.

Two Playground Canopies Made for Moat House Primary School

We built two straight polycarbonate roof canopies for Moat House Primary School, Coventry, West Midlands. The job involved two Motiva™ Linear straight roof canopies each measuring 4150mm X 3300mm and included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.

Thornton Junior School Add Tensile Fabric Sail Shade

Our team constructed a shade sail for Thornton Junior School, Ward End, Birmingham, West Midlands. The contract included one Shade Cloth Fabric including for tension mechanisms.

Cantilever Play Area Canopy Fitted at Mereside Farm Children’s Nursery

A&S designed a cantilever canopy at Mereside Farm Children’s Nursery, Shirley, West Midlands. The contract included one Motiva™ Cantilever monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 7000mm X 3000mm including with Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.

Sowe Valley School Add Fabric Sail Shade to Playground

A&S produced a StarSail in Sowe Valley School, Princethorpe Way, West Midlands. The full contract involved the supply and installation of one Maxima™ StarSail tensile shadecloth fabric structure supported on a single upright measuring 5000mm X 5000mm.

Straight Roof and Cantilever Canopy Designed for The Streetly Academy

We created a straight polycarbonate roof canopy and a cantilever canopy in The Streetly Academy, Queslett Road East, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. The contract included supply and installation of one Bespoke Motiva™ Linear monopitch roof canopy measuring 9200mm x 6000mm and one Bespoke Motiva™ Cantilever linear roof canopy measuring 42000mm X 2000mm. These included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Install Two Sail Shades with Post Pads

A&S produced two StarSails in Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Brays Lane, Coventry, West Midlands. The full contract involved two Maxima™ StarSail tensile shadecloth fabric structure supported on a single upright measuring 4000mm X 4000mm and two post pads.

Stepping Stones Nursery Add Curved Roof Shelter to Playground

Our engineers created a curved roof canopy at Stepping Stones Nursery, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. The job involved one Motiva™ Mono monopitch curved roof canopy measuring 6000mm X 6000mm and included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish with four post protection pads.