A verdant rooftop, clearly visible from urban street level, is just one of the innovative features that marks out the Woodlands Park Nursery School and Children's Centre as a place where the outdoors matters.
Its outdoor project has been underway since 2005 and centre head Peter Catling now feels the space is beginning to fulfil its true potential.
Woodlands Park Nursery School and Children's Centre, located in Tottenham, London, began life in 1977 as an early model of an integrated centre. Twenty years later it was given Early Excellence status and in 2000 the local Sure Start programme funded an extension to the front of the site.
In 2005 Woodlands was officially designated a children's centre. It now has more than 120 children on roll, with 80 full-time equivalent places and seven places for children referred from Haringey borough's Early Intervention Panel. The rest of its places are a mixture of extended hours sessions and free nursery education places for the over-threes.
The centre qualifies as one of the most ethnically diverse in Europe. The children speak more than a dozen different languages; the three largest ethnic minority groups are African-Carribbean, Turkish (including Turkish-Cypriot and Kurdish) and Albanian/Kosovan.
For Peter Catling, who joined Woodlands in 2004, this is his first experience as a centre head within a nursery environment. With former posts as an early years advisor for Tower Hamlets and advisory teacher in Greenwich, he is clearly enjoying the challenge of developing the physical spaces.
'The centre falls strongly within nursery school tradition,' he says. 'When I joined there was a strong sense of embedded practice, and I wanted to look at the environment overall. It was becoming worn out and things didn't flow.'
He says his overriding aim was to bridge the gap between high-quality daycare and the wider role of a community centre.
'The environment has been a lever towards that,' he says. 'Wherever possible, staff have roles that take them to different areas of the centre and the environment is designed to make that work.'
In 2005 a coherent plan was hatched to develop the outdoors and make it more vibrant. 'It needed to maximise the learning opportunities and place a strong emphasis on the creative aspects of the curriculum,' says Mr Catling.
'We also wanted to ensure that the outdoors could be used all year round, and we have installed outdoor lighting that makes this possible.'
Mr Catling wanted to resist buying set pieces of equipment that would limit the way the environment was used. Instead, he has commissioned bespoke features which are both unique and flexible.
A huge bonus for the project has been linking up with landscape gardener and designer, Tim Archer. Mr Archer has been the lynchpin, helping to realise the ideas that have resulted from consulting with children, staff and parents.
'Our ideas have been adjusted as we have gone along,' says Mr Catling. 'The way the funding has come through has also contributed to the way the development has panned out. We are in phase three of what we anticipate will be a four-phase programme.'
Funding has come from a variety of sources. 'We gained money through the Extended Schools grant, which allowed us to pay for the outdoor lighting and the textured paths. We also have some devolved capital and have benefited from the School Travel Plan, which is geared towards green issues.'
Mr Catling emphasises the importance of outdoor spaces in Haringey. 'Some children who come here have never experienced the great outdoors,' he says. 'With this in mind, we wanted to create an outdoors that is versatile. We wanted to avoid creating something that has a finite use - the space needs to be adaptable. We also like the idea that a garden is for future generations. We are very lucky that staff in the past had the foresight to plant trees that have now matured.'
Allowing the development to pan out over a period of time has proved to be the right approach.
'It is important to really observe children and gain insight into how they are using the space already. While staying true to our principles we have listened to what children, staff and parents want.'
He adds, 'We have strived to create openness. Indoors, that has meant liberating corridors and thinking about how the spaces are used and how staff and children need to move between them. The same principles apply outdoors, where we have tried to stretch our imaginations and be bold!'
Outdoor areas
At one time the woodland area had a tarmac path, some trees and a muddy, eroded path. On the sunny spring day of this particular visit, the area is inviting and shady, with plenty of private spaces where children can be on their own or get together in small groups.
The original mound remains and has been made into a platform that provides a good vantage point for the children to be observed, without them necessarily realising it. The area is peaceful, tactile and stimulating.
As Tim Archer points out, lighting is important here. 'We've set lights into the pathways and fairy lights in the trees. The towers also have lights set into them.
'The abstract design has worked well and the children can enjoy their freedom in a safe and secluded area.'
At the front of the site, the community outdoor area has received much thought in its layout and is designed for adults as much as for children.
'The front garden was formerly paved with concrete slabs and had overgrown planters. There was also a grass area with a slide,' says Peter Catling. 'As this area has to serve a variety of groups, like stay-and-play sessions and after-school provision, we wanted to promote its use, provide signposting to other services and encourage people to hang around.'
One of the solutions was to create a large, decked undercover area, which boasts a green roof. A variety of plants are flourishing in rooftop troughs serviced by an ingenious irrigation system. A fruit and vegetable garden is conveniently situated next door to the centre's kitchen. Herbaceous grasses and perennials share the flowerbeds. A water feature, which involves a slide and taps, also has a practical use for watering the burgeoning foliage.
The original benches around the tree have been removed and replaced with more sociable seating. Peter Catling reports that the sculptures attached to the walls have proved remarkably sturdy. These use different textures and help to screen the garden from the road, without shutting it out.
'Children of all ages, their parents and staff find this a very user-friendly and inviting area of the centre, which links directly with the sensory room, the nursery and the kitchen.
'There was a challenge in creating a robust environment for older children, and with the green roof and fruit and vegetable garden there is much here that will continue to evolve.'
Mr Catling is looking forward to tackling the final phase of the outdoor programme. 'In the main area behind the nursery we want to develop a waterplay area and make the existing equipment more accessible. For example, we want to install a ramp to the sandpit making it accessible for children in wheelchairs.'
He adds, 'The hard work is done. Looking ahead, it will be about enriching and enhancing what we have already created.'
DISTINCTIVE AREAS
Woodland area; music making
1. The Woodland area is divided up into separate secluded zones. These include a storytelling area, which has a circle of stones and a wooden throne; a mixing area, where children can explore different materials; and a musical area, with suspended instruments and listening 'terraphones'.
The crooked house was built by Tim Archer and adapts itself to different uses. The central platform, which features a slide and a walk-through bridge, provides 'high sightlines' for staff. The area provides an area of 'risky freedom', according to Peter Catling.
The front 'community area'
2. Original decking and slabs were removed to create a covered area with a green roof, decorated pathways and communication-friendly spaces. The white wall of the nursery features a colourful mosaic.
The outer fence is hung with tactile, moving objects made out of acrylic and designed by local artists.
The water feature is a series of slides and metal trays, enabling children to go with the flow and water the fruit and vegetables.
Birth to threes area
3. The birth to threes playhouse is mainly constructed out of offcuts from former fencing and discarded outdoor objects.
The new storage shed is similarly made from recycled materials and has an easy-to-operate door so children can access equipment themselves. As part of the revamp, the platform was lowered to make it more user-friendly for the age group using it.
