Youngest students at Preston secondary school forced to spend break in car park

A Preston secondary school wants to build a new playground – so that its pupils do not have to spend their breaks in a car park.

Currently, the youngest students at Sir Tom Finney Community High School in Ribbleton let off steam where its minibuses are parked up – a place which also acts as a drop-off point.

The Ribbleton Hall Drive school – which caters for 11-19-year-olds with special educational needs and disabilities – has asked Preston City Council for permission to create the new play space on an area of grassland at the rear of the site.

The application states that the proposal is necessary to create “a safe space to play”, noting that the existing play area for Key Stage 3 pupils – those up to the age of 14 – is “extensively used by vehicular traffic”.

Documents submitted to the town hall highlight particular “health and safety implications” if the minibuses need to be moved during break times.

The area proposed for the new playground is not deemed usable in its current grassed form because of drainage problems – but also as a result of the specific needs of the school’s more than 200 pupils, many of whom require mobility aids.

The application’s design and access statement stresses that outdoor spaces help youngsters with learning difficulties to learn via “sensory and physical experiences to support brain development”.

“A proportion of the [school’s] students are presenting with profound and multiple learning needs that are working well below standard expectations and who require an experiential/sensory-based curriculum,” the document adds.

“The new area will provide an opportunity for all students to play outside in all weathers, maximising learning and improving recreational time in school.”

The design of the proposed playground – which will be made up of hardstanding material – will keep hazards for sensory-impaired pupils to a minimum.

Meanwhile, a new wildflower garden is planned alongside the new play space to boost the “natural habitats” on the site. That facility is also expected to improve the drainage issues in the location.

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