Tamariki, teachers, and whanau at Manawatū-Whanganui's Keith Street School were all overjoyed when they learned they had been awarded a grant of $26,780 by the NZCT for the purchase and installation of new playground equipment.
School board member and community trustee Lynette Archer says, “Keith Street School is a decile 1b primary school, located in Central Whanganui. There is currently no playground for older students in the school due to the previous wooden playground being removed at the start of 2020 as it was deemed unsafe for them to use.”
“The middle and senior students of Keith Street School have not had a playground for ten months due to the removal of the old wooden one for safety reasons. In anticipation of its removal, the tamariki embarked on a school wide inquiry process and have designed a playground that suits the high sensory, learning, and behaviour needs of a large number of our students.”
Trustee Lynette Archer
“Rather than just replace existing equipment, the Board of Trustees and staff invited the tamariki to investigate and inform the design of a suitable replacement that would meet their needs now and in the future.”
“The development of a new, tamariki centred/designed playground has evolved from an enquiry-based project that all students in the school were a part of in 2020. The equipment and spaces were designed so that tamariki could combine and help each other in play, this was a high priority in their designs. The Board of Trustees, in consultation with tamariki, have chosen equipment that best fits with their ideas.”
“As a central city space, the school is often used for community events and the new playground will be a great play resource for our neighbourhood. Without funding assistance from the NZCT, we would not be able to supply our tamariki with a playground that is both safe and suitable for the majority of them to use.”
The photos show Afili (boy) and Kisa’s designs that were part of the planning phase.