Wellesley College

Location

Wellington, New Zealand

Market

Education

Play Priorities

Wellesley is an independent primary school for boys in years 1 to 8, which focuses on developing mind, body and spirit. It priorities not only academic achievement, but also leadership skills, confidence, resilience, wellbeing and curiosity. Set in a unique environment between bush and sea, the outdoors are an extended classroom. Playground Centre was honoured to work with the school to design and install a junior and senior playground, constructed on two levels and separated by a retaining wall. The vision was to provide an enticing adventure course tailored to each age group – with a mix of upper body and balance challenges to nurture strength, fitness and confidence.

Fun Solution

Each playground features a fun, customised fitness circuit, with a variety of activities designed to improve spatial awareness, balance and agility – as well as concentration and self-belief. The senior course is designed to provide ‘Ninja Warrior’-type challenges with a connected trail of log bridges, monkey bars, stepping stones, a zig zag walk, a climbing wall and spider net.  The junior course incorporates similar activities on a smaller scale, as well as a timber crawl tunnel and slide. The playgrounds accommodate many adventurers at once – and feature bright blues and greens as well as rustic timber: perfect for the beautiful natural backdrop. The junior activity course includes signage expertly etched with the school’s name and emblem. Most importantly, the new playgrounds prove that obstacle courses are a magnet for students drawn to diverse challenges and friendly competition.