Iqra Primary School, Slough

Iqra got in touch with us saying that they were interested in adding an outdoor learning environment to their school using an underutilised edge of their playing field, simultaneously increasing the space available to the school for all-weather outdoor play and learning.

In order to do this, the school opted for two of our Green Mesh Pergolas.  These shelters offer great protection from light rainfall and sunlight, making them ideal for use as an outdoor study zone or activity area.  As we wanted the area to be all-weather, we added artificial grass surfacing underneath that would allow for a natural look without the need for re-seeding after periods of heavy footfall.

As the shelters were positioned on the edge of the playing field, we added timber palisade to the rear side to protect users from any stray footballs.  Then we set about filling in the space as per the requirements of the school.  The first pergola was to be used as an imaginative storytelling area, for which we installed a set of mushroom seats, some timber stump seats and an Animal seat.  This created an interesting an inspiring area for children to sit, read, roleplay an create.

The second, larger shelter was designed to be an outdoor classroom, filled with our colourful Sproston picnic tables.  As the tabletops are constructed from durable HDPE plastic, they can easily be wiped clean making them suitable for a wide range of educational activities as well as outdoor lunches.

With the two shelters complete, Iqra were left with an excellent way to take their education into the outdoors, stimulating the minds of their children in a way that is often not possible when walled-in.