Somerly Senior Playground Project: Progress Update
Our new Senior Playground at Somerly is coming along at last!
AT A GLANCE:
We’re nearly there!
We’ve now raised almost all of the money needed for the project and are down to the final several thousand dollars. The proposed site has been assessed, the major planning and approval requirements have been worked through, and we’re now getting to the exciting part - our senior students choosing what goes into their new playground!
Key points:
- $45,000 total allocated to the P&C Playground Development Fund
- A Significant financial contribution from Somerly Primary School
- Proposed location: between Riverlinks Oval and the back school gates
- Designed Specifically for our Senior Students (Years 4–6)
- Proposed community access outside school hours
- Senior students will be helping to choose the equipment they'd love most!
Read on to find out how we got here, why the project is so involved, and what happens next.
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Why a new Senior Playground?
Our existing Senior Playground was installed 17 years ago and simply does not provide the kind of play space our older students need.
We want to create something bigger, more challenging and designed specifically for them - where they can be active, challenge themselves, socialise and, most importantly, have fun.
Our vision is a senior ninja-style play space, with opportunities for climbing, balancing, swinging, hanging, traversing and spinning, alongside spaces to play and socialise.
“This project will provide our older students with a purpose-built space where they can be active, challenge themselves, build friendships and develop confidence, independence and resilience.”
— Somerly Primary School Principal
Finding the right location
One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced has been finding a suitable location, as there is very limited space within the existing school grounds that can be used for a permanent new playground. Most areas of the site rare already reserved by the Deptarment of Education forr future building and development.
After working through the options and requirements with the Department of Education and City of Wanneroo, the proposed location is now outside the school fence, alongside Riverlinks Oval.
While this wasn’t where we originally imagined the playground going, it actually has some significant advantages. Our Years 4–6 students already use the oval during play periods, so the new playground would provide them with a dedicated space within an area they already use.
The proposed location also provides the opportunity for the playground to become a community play space outside school hours.
Getting to this point has involved working through land, access, supervision, planning and approval requirements — so there has been considerably more happening behind the scenes than most people would realise.
The aerial image below shows the proposed location.