Thanks to Father Bob, Mr Bell and Mrs Brookes for officially opening our new outdoor area for our younger children this week, with a small ceremony and blessing. 

These new £35,000 facilities have doubled the amount of outdoor space the children have and are specifically designed to meet the needs of the children in nursery and reception class, enabling them to learn through play in a safe and stimulating environment.  Facilities include climbing stacks, a water wheel, reading areas and a cycle track.  

 “The past twelve months have really highlighted just how much benefit children gain from exploring outdoors.  Learning outside the classroom supports the development of healthy and active lifestyles by offering children opportunities for physical activity, freedom and movement, and promoting a sense of well-being.  We were keen to ensure that we offered our younger children the very best outdoor environment possible and the new play area is a triumph of design and functionality. We wanted to provide a calm environment which is important in a busy town setting, with a focus on natural colours and nature, making it an extension of indoors to out. The children have watched the progress daily with great excitement!” commented Mr Brandon, Principal at St Patrick’s.   

 Work was carried out by Pentagon Play, an award-winning designer of outdoor learning environments trusted by schools and nurseries across the country.  A small opening ceremony marked the occasion on 11th May as the new facilities were officially opened by Mr Bell, CEO of The Painsley Catholic Academy and Mrs Brookes, Chair of the Board of Governors at St Patrick’s and Father Robert Devaney, who also performed a short blessing. 

Of the new facilities, the children said, 

'The climbing frame is good because it helps to make my muscles strong.' - Zoe Kaczmarek, aged 5 

'I like the bikes, I've been practicing pedaling' - Sofia Burns, aged 5 

'I have so much fun with the water wall because I can pour water down the pipes.'  - Isaac Forrester-Williams age 4 

Let's hope for a nice long dry spell now so that the children can really enjoy this area!