Wood Bank Special School in West Yorkshire adds Shade Sail Canopy

What was the project brief?

The outside area at Wood Bank Special School in Halifax was in desperate need of transformation. Although the school is evidently committed to promoting nature, wildlife and the outdoors, even naming classes after animals, their playground did not provide an ideal shelter for children to enjoy the fresh air all year round. The lack of covered area meant that in the summer, there was no protection from the heat, and in the winter, no protection from the rain.

The school decided that an outdoor canopy would be the perfect solution. Not only did they want the canopy to provide the all-important purpose of year round weather protection, but they also wanted the high quality shelter to be a unique feature – one that would appeal to the pupils and make those grey days a little brighter. That’s when they decided to call in A&S Landscape. With 44 years of experience in the canopy industry, and a large proportion of previous work taking place within educational establishments, the school knew they were in safe hands. With the school feeling confident, A&S Landscape got to work on a creative solution.

What was our shelter solution?

After discussing their unique requirements with the design team, and exploring their wide variety of options, the school decided on the Maxima StarSail™. This tensile fabric structure, with its expert design, is a highly durable shelter and has the longest guarantee on the market. Alongside its trendy look and the roof options, in both colour and material, it is easy to see why this is a popular choice for schools.

At Wood Bank Special School, the structure stands at 6000mm x 6000mm and has Sapphire Blue steelwork, and Porcelain Green fabric. It has become a real focal point in the school grounds. This cover solution goes beyond that of a sun canopy too, as the school opted to use a waterproof PVC material for the shade cloth as an additional design feature. This ensures that the shelter will serve its purpose even during times of bad weather, not just for high UV protection. Another fantastic selection made by the school was the addition of the light blue post protector pad, standing at 1200mm high. This ensures safety while the children are playing.

What was the result of their new shade sail?

The school are delighted with their new school canopy. The waterproof shade cloth has meant that the outdoors is accessible at all times of year, even during the winter months when there is an increased risk of children not experiencing the outdoors due to darkness in the evenings and bad weather. In addition, the primary school can now teach outdoors, with the shelter providing the perfect learning space. This has lessened the pressure on space inside the classroom and allows the children some fresh air – creating the perfect mix for learning.

Besides the practical benefits, this bespoke canopy has developed the overall aesthetics of the surrounding environment into a place much more inviting for children. The outdoor area has been transformed – into an area noticed in the school grounds. This ideal and creative solution, built with the highest quality materials, has been a huge success and will continue to serve the school for years to come.

About the client

Wood Bank Special School is located in the town of Halifax, West Yorkshire, near the city of Bradford. The school caters for over 70 students from the ages of 4-11, all of which have a range of special educational needs. The school is committed to a holistic approach learning, and see the children they teach as a source of inspiration.

We are so pleased to have worked with such a lovely school and to have provided them with their perfect canopy which will last them for years to come. We are certain that the shade sail structure will aid them in their commitment to their holistic approach to learning.

Benefits of installing a canopy a school for children with special needs

All children, regardless of their needs, love to be outdoors. Being outdoors provides the space to take part in physical outdoor activities, blow off steam and enjoy the fresh air. When it comes to children with special needs – an accessible outdoor space can make a huge difference for a teacher who may need to manage challenging behaviour more frequently. An outside teaching area, for example, is a great environment for children with special needs to learn in, as it provides a safe space for the diffusion of challenging situations that may arise.  Twinned with the low-stress environment of the outdoors, this simple move can have a profound effect on a child’s wellbeing. However much a school building is decorated or designed to lower stress levels – it will never have the same effect as fresh air!

Furthermore, outdoor learning is a great way for children to learn new skills that are simply not accessible within the confines of a classroom. Problem-solving games and activities are easy to set up and are great for self-esteem, confidence levels and resilience. This also builds up their social skills, giving them the opportunity to communicate with one another, resolve conflicts and share an experience with their peers. This is extremely important for children with special needs, who can often find social situations much harder. It is therefore vital that children have access to the outdoors all year round, and the perfect way to achieve this is by the addition of a school canopy.

Why we should be allowing children with SEBD needs to access the outdoors regularly

It is pivotal to recognise the broader needs of every child whether they are in a mainstream school or a special school, but it is so essential to acknowledge the personal and emotional needs of a young person. As educators, we are responsible for preparing young people for their next step, be that further education, training or finding a job. We have to teach equality and diversity not only for the expanding community that we live in, but to help our children identify that no matter what issues they may have experienced in their lives, they have the same prospects and the same capability as everyone else.

Check out our blog to learn more about how young people with SEBD needs are impacted by open space.

Why Choose A&S Landscape?

As a family-led business and leading provider in the shelter UK industry, we offer nothing but the highest quality when it comes to canopies. We don’t just offer our services to primary schools either, in the 44 years we have operated, we have transformed outdoors areas for all kinds of businesses and organisations, including universities, healthcare and commercial facilities.

Not only that, but our friendly, reliable and honest service is also on hand to assist for the entire process, from the initial site visit, right through to canopy installations. Whatever your unique requirements – a modular design, a shelter in school colours, or perhaps a canopy with side panels – we have a wide variety of options at excellent value.

If you’d like to know more, please get in touch on 01743 444100 or at [email protected].

Read about more of our projects completed in West Yorkshire

Fabric Shade Sails Designed for Shipley College

Our engineers designed a waterproof sail structure for Shipley College Shipley, West Yorkshire. The contract included the supply and installation of one Maxima™ tensile waterproof fabric sail structure comprisingof two sails on five uprights and one wall bracket including for all stainless steel fixtures and fittings.

Polycarbonate Roof Shelter Made for Ferney Lee Primary School

In combination with our building contractor client we erected system 60 roofing in Ferney Lee Primary School Todmorden, Todmorden, West Yorkshire. The job involved the supply and installation of System 60 straight roof polycarbonate roofing including for all roofing bars and edge trims measuring 14400mm x 3400mm with Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.

Cullingworth Village Hall Add Enclosed Shelter with Roller Shutters

Working alongside the specialist building contractor our team built a straight polycarbonate roof canopy with roller shutters in Cullingworth Village Hall Cullingworth, Bradford, West Yorkshire. The full contract involved the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 9200mm X 4000mm and included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish with electrically operated roller shutter door(s) to front and side elevations.

England Lane Academy Add Straight Roof Canopy to Campus

Working alongside our building contractor client A&S made a straight polycarbonate roof canopy at England Lane Academy Knottingley, West Yorkshire. The contract included the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 15500mm X 3500mm and included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.

Shipley Primary School Create Outdoor Sheltered Area

Working alongside the specialist building contractor our engineers constructed a straight polycarbonate roof canopy in Shipley Primary School Otley Road, Shipley, West Yorkshire. The contract included the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy with Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes which were coated in a matching Dura-coat™ colour finish and also electrically operated roller shutter doors to front elevation and glazed panels to side elevations.

Curved Roof Entrance Cover Made for Hunslet Moor Primary School

In collaboration with our building contractor client our team constructed an entrance canopy for Hunslet Moor Primary School Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire. The full contract involved one Motiva™ Entro curved roof canopy measuring 2100mm X 2000mm.