Published: Thursday 24 March 2022
Pupils at North Kensington’s Barlby Primary School have been letting off steam in their brand-new playground which opened for action ahead of the Easter holidays.
The modern, landscaped playground features a large multi-use games area suitable for PE lessons along with an adventure climbing frame, slides and open spaces for children to enjoy.
Its opening marks the completion of work on Kensington and Chelsea Council’s £39m Barlby New Schools project, which has seen the rebuilding of Barlby Primary School along with the construction of Kensington Queensmill, the borough’s first dedicated special school.
Cllr Josh Rendall, Lead Member for Family and Children’s Services, said:
“It’s been a pleasure to see how well pupils have settled into their fantastic new facilities at Barlby Primary School and Kensington Queensmill, and this playground is the icing on the cake.
“Providing dedicated outdoor space for children to play and exercise safely was a priority in our plans for the schools and I hope pupils enjoy making use of them for them for many years to come.”
Anthony Mannix, Headteacher of Barlby Primary School, said:
“Prior to the building project, our school occupied a large site set over several levels. As a relatively small school we did not use it all and it was a challenge to manage for primary age children as it contained a number of steps and blind spots.
“We now enjoy a well-planned variety of play spaces including roof terraces, ground-level play and a multi-use games area. We are particularly pleased to be incorporating play equipment which we know the children will enjoy whilst also having the facilities to teach PE effectively both during the school day and as a part of our extended day offer for the community.”