This Pope John Paul II National School in Malahide had something many schools would envy - a large outdoor hard surface area complete with basketball hoops and line markings. On paper, it ticked the boxes. In practice, it was a different story.
The concrete was bare, the line markings had faded and the space itself had become something children moved through rather than played in. Break times happened there by default, not by choice. There was no colour and no structure to the play. The surface was also unforgiving - falls on hard concrete mean grazed knees, and that becomes a concern for staff and parents alike.
The school wanted to change that. The brief was to take a large concrete area and transform it into something that would genuinely encourage outdoor activity, movement, and creative play - every single day, regardless of the weather.
The transformation began with a decision that underpins the entire installation - shockpad. Because this was a hard surface install, we laid shockpad as the base beneath all the artificial grass across the project. This creates a surface that is soft underfoot, absorbs impact, and significantly reduces the risk of injury when falls happen. No more grazed knees. No more hard landings. Just a safe, cushioned base that lets children move freely and confidently.
With the right foundation in place, the main outdoor area was redesigned from the ground up.
Down the centre of the space, we installed a four-lane running track in bold red, blue, black, and yellow. It's a striking visual anchor for the whole area - and it's genuinely functional. The track works for sprinting, for walking laps, for informal races at break time, and it slots directly into PE class activities. It gives children a reason to move, and teachers a ready-made resource without any additional setup.
The before and after here isn't just visual - though the difference is striking. It's functional. The space now has structure, purpose, and colour at every turn. Children have genuine choices about how they use their break time, and the surface supports active play safely and comfortably in all weather conditions.
The running track gives teachers a practical, permanent resource. The play squares and hopscotch games require no equipment and no supervision overhead. The shockpad beneath the entire installation means staff have one less thing to worry about when children are moving at pace.
This is what outdoor space should do - work hard, stay safe, and give children a reason to be outside.
If your school has an outdoor area that isn't working as hard as it could, we'd be happy to talk through what's possible. Get in touch with the schoolsgrass.ie team to start the conversation.
