PlayPods

At Woodlands Primary Yate, we strive relentlessly to be outstanding in all and this includes having an outstanding outdoor environment for our pupils. 

We are excited to announce that we have introduced PlayPod ScrapStores onto both our KS1 and KS2 Playgrounds. The Pods are freely accessible every lunchtime and are stored full of scrap which includes anything from cardboard tubes, tyres, lengths of material, netting and rope which are self selected by the children to enhance their play. 

The introduction of PlayPods to our school playgrounds have noticeably transformed our lunchtimes. We understand that ‘loose parts’ improve the quality of children's play, simply because they are not prescriptive and encourage a range of different play types. They offer children open ended choice and possibility, enriching the play space and any structures already on the playground. 

We are truly inclusive here at Woodlands Primary Yate and wanted to ensure there is something for everyone on the playground so for those who wanted an alternative to sport, the PlayPods have provided just that. Reception children will have the opportunity to explore the KS1 PlayPod in the final summer term during their playground transition. 

At Woodlands Primary Yate, we believe that:

• Every child has the right to play and access an interesting and varied environment. 

• Every child should have time to freely explore and self-select in their play within a natural environment which enables them to engage positively with the complexities of the world around them. 

• Every child should be able to express their intrinsic desire to play with space to take acceptable risks and push against boundaries of their existing capabilities. This will help to develop their abilities to judge those risks independently which will lay down the foundations for future learning and problem solving. 

• Every child should have the daily opportunity to develop their emotional, physical, spiritual and intellectual development through play. We learn through experiences which can be tricky to explicitly teach such as self esteem, self confidence and developing the ability to cope and overcome disputes or fears.