Canopies for Schools

Being in the great outdoors is especially important for young children and in recent years Ofsted have recognised the importance of outdoor play provision in their reporting. Schools should consider year-round opportunities for their pupils to enjoy learning and finding adventure outside. 

A tensile fabric structure or canopy is an essential addition to any nursery, school, academy, college or university - providing valuable extra outdoor space for all seasons -  enabling the students to get outside and stay dry if it raining, or stay sheltered from the harmful UV rays on sunny days.

A canopy offers coverage for a multitude of uses, such as:

• Outdoor play
• Teaching activities
• Eating lunch
• Chill out zones
• Walking between buildings
• Doorway shelter at pick up times
• Highlighting an entrance
• Outdoor cloakroom
• Outdoor locker area  
• Bike and scooter storage

Not only does a canopy enhance the appearance of the school premises with its strong design and attention-seeking form, and essentially extend the covered space without the need for a new building, but it also provides many useful applications.

The five most popular school applications are:

1) Sun shade
Probably the most frequent reason that schools request a canopy is to provide some essential sun shading in their outside areas. Canopies protect children from harmful UV rays and keep them shaded whilst they play so that they don’t burn or suffer from heatstroke. This is particularly important for the youngest children at school where the main emphasis is learning through play and so much more time is spent in the outdoor environment each day.

2) Rain protection
Rain is unfortunatley a permanent feature in the UK! So whilst the canopy can provide fantastic shade in the sunshine, it is also the perfect solution for the unpredictable British climate! A tensile fabric canopy offers much needed protection against rain (and indeed snow) enabling children to play and learn outside in all weathers. The fabric we select is fully waterproof and our structures are fully engineered to deal with winds and any rain or snow loads, meaning a year-long solution throughout all the seasons.

3) Entrance or edge of building cover
A fabric structure is often chosen to highlight a building or classroom entrance. A canopy can offer a stylish and modern entrance to your building to give real 'wow factor' and make the entrance really obvious. It is also useful for keeping parents and siblings dry or shaded whilst waiting for drop off or pick up.

4) Dining
Many schools choose a tensile fabric canopy to create covered outdoor dining in their premises. This means there is less pressure on the indoor canteen areas and more space for the pupils to eat their packed lunches outside in any weather. A canopy is a particularly good choice to transform a disused or under-utilised space or courtyard.

5) Walkway or linking buildings
To keep pupils and staff dry between buildings, a walkway structure can be the perfect solution. A walkway canopy can be a flexible and cost-effective way to provide protection with a strong aesthetic look and is ideal for joining two buildings which are a long way apart or creating a link between two buildings.

Find out more on our dedicated schools page, or contact us to discuss your requirements.

By Abi Smith, 11/27/2024