Overview

The team at AEL have been designing, building and installing outdoor play and educational equipment for schools for 20 years.

A selection of brief case studies here is designed to indicate the range of work we have undertaken and show the quality of materials, skill and ideas we bring to the task.

We are proud of our achievements and look forward to helping more schools make the most of their outdoors.

Before

After

This school had a large playground area that was rarely used.

Following discussions with the school, we formed the plan for an outside classroom and play area that was segregated by planters from the general play area.

The netball post was repositioned elsewhere.

The classroom is used regularly for outside classes and theatre groups.

At break times the playtables are always popular, keeping the children quietly occupied and out of trouble.

Case Study 2 - a Nursery Play Development - Eagle House Sandhurst

The Works
A gully drain was installed along one side of the new area to prevent flooding, linking into existing surface water drainage.

The old storage shed was moved outside the play area.

The crazy paving was removed, the wet pour area levelled and a suitable base was laid.

Dead trees and stumps, wasp nests and old rubble were removed, and topsoil and turf laid for the quiet area. The wild area was made safe by removing low level holly, bramble and stinging nettle roots.

Surface
Wet pour was selected for the safety surface surrounding the play equipment, with a bank leading to a flat area protected by grassmat.

The wet pour and grassmat ensure no more muddy boot trails in the classroom.

Play Equipment and Fencing
Two springers, a play tower, a tree seat and a log cluster were installed together with the perimeter fence before the wet pour was laid.

The safety fence now is a colourful creation that follows the contours of the site.

A seat was installed around the tree. Finally a sandpit, ship and play table were positioned on the wetpour.

Case Study 3 - Synthetic Grass at Harmans Water

Before                                     After

At the front of the school there was a tired area of worn out grass which easily became a mud bath. This has been developed into a fenced play area.

Within one week the area had been fenced and synthetic play grass laid.

No further maintenance is required and concerns about mud or grass cuttings became history.The area is now safe and fun for children all year round and a valuable asset to the school.

Case Study 4 -Outdoor Classroom with Shade Sails make outdoor
learning and play safer

When Brookham School, Liphook, Surrey wanted to maximise use of the paved area at the entrance to their playground, they approached AEL Solutions for practical help, ideas and equipment.

Ideally, Brookham School wanted an outdoor classroom and teaching area incorporating a stage combined with an area where the children could play and learn at break times. Shade to protect children from the sun’s UV rays was of course very important.

The school’s brief also mentioned a need for lockable storage for playground items and a desire for a way to neatly store the children’s Wellington boots so they could place them and find them easily.

Before After

Clear options
AEL provided several options to achieve the desired objectives. To aid decision-making, all the options were presented as computer graphics depicting how thecompleted works would look.

The school selected a plan with shade-sails, a large outdoor stage, play tables, a covered sandpit, planters as a surround, wall mounted welly-boot holders and lockable outdoor storage bins.

Once Brookham School had made their selection, AEL Solutions began their complete follow-through service.

Some of the items were standard products and others were custom designed and built for Brookham School. All were manufactured by AEL Solutions in their Reading factory, and the ground works and installation were completed by an AEL installation team.

Safety Surfacing
The AEL installation team lifted the flagstones and placed artificial grass over much of the revamped ground area. This safety surface is self-cleaning, easy to maintain (no mowing), gives an attractive, natural grass look and has a five year guarantee. The remaining flagstones were painted green with numbered footprints added for fun and educational value.

Living Borders
Planters were selected to border the resurfaced area, creating anattractive break and allowing the children to experience the thrill of watching the life-cycle of a variety of flowers and vegetables.

Tidy to Boot
The welly boot holder developed for Brookham School has proved immensely popular. Now when children head outside after class their boots are easy to find, stored neatly in pairs! They are even dry. Fixed to the wall or free-standing, boot holders can be manufactured to any size.

Focal Point
A hexagonal stage was built as the centrepiece where children can perform or as a focal point for teachers. The stage is positioned so the lines of trees visible between the planters provide a dramatic backdrop and complete the setting.

Sand Pit
A covered sand pit offers further play opportunities. The buckets and spades can be neatly stored in the covered lockers.

Play Tables
AEL’s ever-popular Stamford play tables and benches added further play and educational value. The seating for the play tables is moveable so the benches can also be used for seating around the stage.

The result: the former dull, little-used paved area has
been replaced by an educational play centre that the children
and teachers of Brookham School appreciate all year round.

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Case Study 5 - Irthlingborough
gains stylish Shade and Shelter

Irthlingborough School in Northamptonshire required a substantial walkway structure for parents and children to shelter from both sun and rain as they arrive and depart from school.

This stylish, modular design from AEL Solutions, measuring 4m×16m, proved ideal.

The fabric selection was critical as it had to be 100% UV protective and waterproof.

The external framework created the guttering to take the rainwater away.

AEL installed the complete unit including the foundations over a two week period when the school was on holiday.

Now, rain or shine, the parents and children of Irthlingborough can enjoy appropriate shade and shelter at the school.