Students at Lift Aylward have designed a new playground for the new Year 7s at the secondary school.
Taylor Woodrow, a large construction contractor delivering the Strategic Infrastructure Works (SIW) at Meridian Water, partnered with Lift Aylward at the start of the last academic year. Across the winter months, the ‘Plan and Pitch’ project began, with 12 after-school sessions for students in year 9, aged 13 to 14.
27 students competed in five teams to redesign their playground space. Every week, a new design discipline was introduced with construction experts visiting to lead specialist workshops. Towards the end of the project, students pitched their final proposals to a VIP panel of judges and a winning design was chosen.
Over the summer holidays, Taylor Woodrow and their supply chain partners then transformed the design into reality. What was once a sloping playground that flooded, is now an attractive and accessible zone for leisure, learning, games, outdoor eating and gardening. There is a rain garden and a shelter incorporated in the design, to ensure it can be enjoyed in the wet weather.
Within the 12 weeks, school participants were also lucky enough to attend a reward trip to a live construction site in West London, going behind the hoarding to see a major infrastructure project up close. Several students are now discussing work experience with Lift Aylward and Taylor Woodrow. One of the students in the winning team, Kavyan Matadar said:
“Plan and Pitch has been an amazing experience for me. I got to bring my ideas to life while working in a team. We put a lot of thought in to the design to ensure the new cohort of Year 7 students had a fun yet sustainable playground”
At the official opening to prospective parents at Lift Aylward, Josh Spavins from Taylor Woodrow said:
“The idea behind this project was to leave a genuine tangible legacy in the community. We hoped to inspire young people by helping them experience a variety of construction careers; 93% of participants are now exploring careers in the industry. My colleagues and supply chain partners have enjoyed the project as much as the students. As a collective, we’re all proud of what has been achieved in collaboration. Construction is a wonderful industry to be a part of, and we look forward to seeing more bright young minds join.”
Principal of Lift Aylward, Joseph Lawlor said:
“Lift Aylward is proud to celebrate the opening of a brand-new playground for Year 7 students, made possible by the generosity of Taylor Woodrow and partners through the Plan and Pitch initiative. Thanks to the successful bid secured by one of our assistant principals, Jo O’Gorman, and the creativity of our talented Year 9 students, the playground now boasts a rock garden, seating areas, basketball and table tennis facilities.
“This exciting new space will give younger students a safe, welcoming place to play, build friendships and thrive — a lasting legacy of Taylor Woodrow’s commitment to young people and our community.”
Assistant Principal Jo O Gorman said:
“Our students had an incredible experience, with the team at Taylor Woodrow giving us so much – including work experience and project experience, to build a lasting legacy for our pupils.”
The recreational space has been open to the current year 7s since the start of term, with the official launch earlier this week, for prospective students and their families, representatives from Enfield Council and Taylor Woodrow.
