King’s Academy Northern Parade, Portsmouth

Based in Portsmouth, King’s Academy Northern Parade is a member of the Kings Group; the multi-academy trust comprising of nine schools in the South East.

They’re committed to creating a “transformative learning experience” that allows pupils to thrive inside and outside the classroom.

The Requirement

In line with their ethos, King’s Academy were after a canopy to enhance their Early Years play area and provide cover for children and staff directly from the classroom.

Furthermore, as the shelter was to be installed in an area where young children would be running around, canopy post pads were also required for the project.

The Solution

After discussing the brief with King’s Academy, we decided our WeatherSpan® Lean-to Canopy was perfect for their requirement, as it provided excellent shelter for staff and students directly from the classroom and created a covered area for activities.

An added advantage to Lean-to canopies is they also offer excellent UV protection inside and outside the classroom during the summer months, helping to improve pupil productivity in the classroom and reduce the school’s energy bills.

Taking inspiration from our project at Riverwalk School, multi-coloured post pads were added to the canopy design to provide a safe, creative and aesthetically pleasing space.

The Installation

Measuring 15m x 3.5m, we designed and manufactured the canopy bespoke to King’s Academy’s site, finishing the frame with a 16mm polycarbonate roof and integral gutters and downpipes.

As the school needed the canopy and post pads installed out of hours, our Exterior Solutions Specialist Michael Denyer coordinated the installation over a weekend to minimise disruption.

The Outcome

King’s Academy were delighted with the final result:

I found Michael and Waverley Exteriors very helpful, making multiple trips to the school and always answering the phone when I needed any information regarding the quote, adjustments and finally the fitting of the canopy. The canopy itself has transformed our early years playground and is a great asset to the school, it looks amazing especially with the multi-coloured post pads which are a great addition. I look forward to working with Waverley Exteriors again in the future on more projects at our school.

Furthermore, the job was delivered on time, within budget and snag free, which is testament to the hard work of all involved, especially during the weekend install.

Canopy post pads are incredibly popular in the education sector. The canopy itself allow schools to create additional areas for dining, cover for outdoor learning and even an additional storage space, while the post pads ensure the frame is a safe space for children to play in.

If you’d like to discuss canopies and post pads for your project, please contact us here and one of our expert team will be on hand to assist!