The UK’s national school grounds charity
The process of change
Why school grounds matter
Their significance to children and young people:
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Play / leisure time
Hidden curriculum
Bullying
Physical development
Social and emotional development
Cognitive development
Enhancing formal learning
Opportunities for participation
The process of change
A space for all
• Dedicated (safe)
spaces for children
and young people.
• School grounds are
the one external
environment that all
children and young
people have access
to.
The process of change
Playtime
• [7 to 10 year old] children have a predominantly
positive view of break-time (Blatchford, 1998)
• 20% of 7 year olds years don’t enjoy playtime for
reasons of:
 Physical or verbal aggression from other children
 Dislike of the cold
 Having no-one to play with
The process of change
The hidden curriculum
The process of change
The hidden curriculum
“If somebody looked at this school and the
playground with just plain cement they will
think it’s not much of a place.”
‘Maybe it’s not the money, maybe
they think it’s good enough for us.’
‘If it looked better they’d think it
was a better school.’
‘The space outside feels boring.
There’s nothing to do.
You get bored with just a space of spare tarmac.’
The process of change
Bullying
• Most bullying appears to
take place on school
playgrounds
(Whitney and Smith, 1993)
• Boredom is a major
factor… dull
environments can
favour anti-social
behaviour
(Blatchford, 1989)
The process of change
Physical development
• Children have a natural
desire to run, jump,
climb and swing –
developing gross motor
skills, coordination,
strength, agility, fitness,
etc.
• Physical space,
challenge, freedom and
behaviour – learning to
bring action under the
control of thought
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Social and emotional development
The playground is
the main setting
for social life in
school and
building social
relationships
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Cognitive development
Through play
children discover,
explore and
develop an
understanding of
the environment
around them and
the world in which
they live
The process of change
Enhancing formal learning
The process of change
Opportunities for participation
• Provide new skills
and learning
experiences
• Opportunities to
work with adults
• Better understand
their needs and lead
to more successful
outcomes
The process of change
The Process of Change toolkit
The process of change
The process of change
should be:
Holistic
Participative
Sustainable
The process of change
Overview of the process of
change
Share the
concept
Set up a
management
structure
Survey
the site
Establish
the
school’s
needs
The process of change
Identify
possible
solutions
Create a
vision
plan
Implement
changes
Monitor and evaluate
The process of change
Share the concept
Let everyone know that you want
to improve your outdoor area
The process of change
Share the concept
Who with?
Governors
Pupils
Parents
Local Community
Staff
The process of change
Share the concept
How?
Internet
Assemblies
Videos
Circle time
LTL Toolkit
Newsletter
Displays
The process of change
Set up a management team
Gather people together who can
help you realise the project
The process of change
Set up a management team
Who could be on the
management team?
Pupils
Parents
Staff
Local experts
Local Community
Governors
The process of change
Set up a management team
What roles could
they have?
Implementation
co-ordinator
Chair/co-ordinator
PR
Information gatherer
Finance: fundraiser & treasurer
The process of change
Survey the site
Look at environmental and
physical elements of the space
you have, how it is used and how
people feel about it.
The process of change
Survey the site
What should you
find out?
Physical features
including condition
How is the site used?
- for lessons?
- for play?
- by others?
Sun and shade
How do you feel
about the site?
Wind and damp
The process of change
Survey the site
The process of change
Establish the schools needs
What would you like to be
able to do in the grounds?
The process of change
Establish the school’s needs
What would you like to be able to do?
Teach outdoors
Sit in the shade
Increase in positive
attitudes
More active play for all
Improved pupil
behaviour after break
and lunch
More community use
The process of change
Establish the school’s needs
Sit in the shade
The process of change
Establish the school’s needs
Encourage more active play for all
The process of change
Establish the school’s needs
Somewhere
to sit and talk
to friends
Somewhere
to teach a
class outside
The process of change
Establish the school’s needs
Increase in
positive
attitudes
and self
esteem
The process of change
Create a vision plan
Draw a simple plan showing where
different activities might take place.
Write a vision statement.
The process of change
Create a vision plan
Gather your information together
Write a statement about what you hope to
achieve – a vision statement
Make a zoning plan
Prioritise - decide which areas will be
developed, when
Write an action plan
The process of change
Create a vision plan
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Develop solutions that will make your
ideas come alive.
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Sit in the shade
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Sit in the shade
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Encourage more
active play
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Encourage more
active play
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Encourage more
active play
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Somewhere to sit and talk to friends
Somewhere to teach a class outside
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Somewhere to sit and talk to friends
Somewhere to teach a class outside
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Somewhere to sit and talk to friends
Somewhere to teach a class outside
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Somewhere to sit and talk to friends
Somewhere to teach a class outside
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Somewhere to sit and talk to friends
Somewhere to teach a class outside
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Increase in positive
attitudes and self
esteem
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Increase in positive
attitudes and self
esteem
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Increase in positive
attitudes and self
esteem
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Increase in positive
attitudes and self
esteem
The process of change
Identify possible solutions
Increase in positive
attitudes and self
esteem
The process of change
Implement changes
Prioritise and put your ideas into
practice.
The process of change
Implement changes
The process of change
Implement changes
The process of change
Implement changes
The process of change
Monitor and evaluate
What should we monitor and evaluate?
The progress of the
project
Who has been
involved
Changes in attitude
Changes in behaviour
Changes in use
The process of change
Monitor and evaluate
Who can get involved?
Pupils
Governors
Staff
Local community members
Local business
Parents
The process of change
Monitor and evaluate
How do you do this?
Make baseline
assessments
Clarify your aims and
objectives
Write an action plan
Set your timescale
Agree markers of
success
Feedback into the
project
The process of change
Managing and maintaining
your site
The process of change
Managing and maintaining
your site
The process of change
Managing and maintaining
your site
The process of change
Celebrate the changes
The process of change