© Underdog Heavy Industries 1969-2011  Ramridge Primary School Ramridge Primary is a large school with an attached nursery and Children’s Centre.  It has many outdoor spaces divided up so that children in different Key Stages have their own playgrounds.  We have developed two different areas at this school in three distinct phases. Our initial brief was to develop the nursery playground which was a mixture of tarmac and turf with very few features, little planting and no shade.  We consulted thoroughly with the nursery staff who had already put a lot of effort into establishing what was needed for their playground. The primary consideration was to build a large covered area which could be used in all weathers.  Other features required were a separate structure for story telling or quiet activities, a covered sandpit, a turfed and planted area to soften the space, and a circular multi-textured route leading throughout the site.   We responded by building a steeple-like tower and a sandpit with coloured windows in the roof.  We linked these two structures together with a complex canopy (you can see these structures from above in the bottom left image).  At the other side of the space we created a turfed mound with a story-telling shelter inspired by a yurt.  Around the mound we built a route with many sensory elements including a mosaic pathway, music and sound makers and a sensory tunnel which now has climbing plants covering.  We then developed another space adjacent to the school library where we built a wild garden full of plants designed to attract birds and insects.  This included a pond with native planting, dipping deck, observation platform and a large mural to cover an unattractive wall.  We also added an outdoor classroom with sufficient seating for a whole class surrounded by wild meadow planting, a willow dome, orchard, greenhouse, potting shed and raised growing beds to allow the children to grow their own vegetables.