Playground Shelters Added to Keep Students Dry at Deer Park School

What was the project brief?

Deer Park School has experienced rapid growth in their student intake over the years, from accommodating 120 pupils to now accommodating up to 500 pupils. The school had very little outdoor coverage and were looking for a solution to keep pupils shelter during poor weather, thus preventing pupils from overcrowding the corridors during break and lunch times to seek shelter.

What was our canopy solution?

We delivered three bespoke canopy solutions for a site in Southampton, each tailored to meet the client’s specific needs. The first canopy features our Motiva Duo™ design; measuring 15000mm X 9000mm, this design is a great option for covering large spaces, and comfortably provides shelter for up to 128 pupils at a time.

In a second area, we installed two of our Motiva Linear™ canopies, each measuring 3500mm X 3500mm; all of our canopy installations were styled with a Slate Grey Duracoat™ and an Opal polycarbonate roof, providing a modern and sleek look, combined with unparalleled durability.

About the client

Deer Park School is a newly founded secondary school in Southampton, founded in 2021. The school are one of three academies within the RAISE Education Trust, who believe in working as a community to support students to thrive academically, socially, and personally the trust relates this approach to Ryunosuke Satoro’s saying, “Individually we are one drop; but together we are an ocean.”.

Deer Park School provide a curriculum that sparks curiosity and helps pupils to develop their individual talents, in support of this the school also offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities – including sports, creative arts, and academic clubs.

Playground Shelters

Breaktimes are a key opportunity for students to relax between lessons, but with unpredictable British weather, shelter is often required to ensure that pupils can comfortably enjoy their outdoor space all year round. We offer a wide range of canopies and shade sails that are suitable for playground usage, with over 50 years of experience within the industry, so if you are looking to have a playground shelter installed, here are some helpful things to consider:

• How large should a school playground shelter be? Our Covered Space Advisors would always recommend allowing 1m² per pupil.

• How much protection does a playground shelter provide? All of our canopy ranges are designed to protect from UV rays as standard. We offer a range of roofing types; such as our Maxima™ shade-cloth fabric, or waterproof options such as our Maxima™ PVC fabric, and Motiva™ polycarbonate range.

If side winds are also an issue, or you are simply looking for added warmth, consider opting for our enclosed canopy to provide all-round protection.

If you still have any concerns or queries, get in touch with our Covered Space Advisors today, and they will help answer any questions, and guide you on how to choose the best canopy for your space.