Last Friday, our Year 8 Design Technology pupils were delighted to welcome Mark Grimshaw, Associate Director of Timberplay, for an inspiring and hands-on workshop exploring the world of playground design.
Drawing on his extensive experience in creating innovative and engaging play spaces, Mark introduced pupils to the exciting challenge of designing brand-new play parks tailored to a variety of settings. Working in teams, pupils were tasked with developing imaginative concepts for both urban and rural environments. Designs ranged from general recreational play areas to themed “learning through play” parks, including ideas centred around the sciences and interactive educational experiences.
Throughout the session, Mark encouraged pupils to think not only about creativity and fun, but also about inclusivity, sustainability, and how thoughtful design can positively impact children’s development and wellbeing. He also spoke about the diverse range of careers involved in bringing playground projects to life — from designers and engineers to project managers and environmental specialists.
Reflecting on the day, Mark said:
“We have a really broad range of skills, talents, and professions within Timberplay — as well as all the other organisations that we work alongside.
It was fantastic to talk to some of the pupils today about where their talents could take them in the world of work, and hopefully there was a little bit of inspiration passed on.
Creating world class places for our children is our everyday work — seeing their creativity and playfulness today has given me a fresh dose of motivation to continue doing what we do!”
The workshop provided a valuable opportunity for pupils to apply their classroom learning to a real-world design brief, while gaining insight into potential future career pathways. The creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills demonstrated throughout the session were truly impressive.
We are extremely grateful to Mark for giving his time and sharing his expertise with our pupils. Experiences such as these play a vital role in helping our pupils see how their learning connects to the wider world.
Mr Price commented:
"Mark was brilliant with the pupils. He explained his job and role really clearly, and helped them see just how many different jobs are needed within a creative industry like his — including roles that aren’t “creative” in the obvious sense. A few pupils commented afterwards that the kinds of jobs they already aspire to could genuinely be possible within a company like Timberplay, which was a really valuable takeaway from the visit."
