Wadebridge Secondary School

Wadebridge secondary school in Cornwall decided it was time to make use of their outdoor space and install a timber canopy. Being a large school comes many students and living in Cornwall comes many weather types. The unpredictable weather meant that the school’s outdoor area was being used far less than it could be.

Here are some of the challenges that the school was dealing with:

• Limited outdoor teaching: there was no reliable space to timetable lessons. The uncertainty prevented staff from taking lessons outside.
• Indoor dining: With no alternative than the dining hall it became very busy inside at lunch times.
• Weather dependency: having no shelter meant that the open areas were hardly being used as rain and high winds is typical of Cornwall weather for a large percentage of the year.
• Installation time: The idea of any large outdoor project seemed overwhelming and difficulty as any work would have to be completed without distruption.

How Did We Help Wadebridge School?

We worked closely with the school to design a multi-purpose covered space that acts as a dining area as well as an outdoor classroom. With 25 years of experience designing, manufacturing and installing outdoor structures for schools, the team was able to deliver a structure at the scale the school needed and to a schedule that worked around the academic year. Here is what we did to achieve this:

• Large-span timber canopy: a 28m x 8m timber canopy, 224m² of covered space
• Timber construction: a natural, robust material
• Year-round shelter: protection from both rain and summer sun, so the space earns its place
• Summer holiday installation: the full project was programmed into the summer break, with the build completed in three weeks and the space ready for a new academic year with zero disruption to teaching and exams

The Benefits Of The New Timber Canopy

A canopy is one of the few ways a school can gain genuinely usable space without the cost and disruption of building. Wadebridge gained 224m² of it in three weeks over the holidays, with no lost lessons and no restricted access during the school day. Designing, manufacturing and installing in house is what makes a summer turnaround like that possible. You can see a similar approach at Tor Bridge High in Plymouth and Penryn Primary Academy. Timber suits a site like Wadebridge particularly well: it sits naturally against the school’s Cornish surroundings rather than fighting them.

Book Your Free Canopy Consultation With US

Having worked with more than 17,000 schools across the Uk, Schoolscapes UK designs manufactures and installs a range of playground equipment. With a smooth process that stays the same whatever the scale of the project. We start with a free site visit to understand how you use your space and what is getting in the way, come back with designs and a clear quote, manufacture in house, and install to a schedule that works around your school year.

Please contact our team today at 01209 823181 or email us at play@schoolscapesuk.com, and we’ll be happy to work together to bring your vision to life