A NEW Playpod full of scrap materials from the Wiltshire Scrapstore has transformed play times at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Malmesbury.

The playpod has been putting smiles onto pupils faces all term but was officially opened on Tuesday (Oct 13) with a ribbon cutting and a stay and play session for parents and children.

The Scrapstore PlayPod is a purpose built play facility which contains a wide variety of scrap materials, including everything from cardboard tubes and tyres to lengths of material, netting and rope.

The school were able to install the playpod, a large storage unit which stores the materials, thanks to a £10,000 grant from the Big Lottery.

Head teacher, Lizzie Christopher, said: “It’s about getting the children to be creative in their play and take risks, which maybe we used to take when we were young, to assess risk and build dens like we would have played when we were younger.

“We knew the younger children would engage with it but the older children they love it too. They build things and are using lots of energy doing different things to what they did before.

“In the last two or three weeks we have notice a huge difference, children are getting along so well, its calm from the fact all the children are getting along and children across classes are playing together which is really nice.”

The flexible nature and variety of scrap, which is topped up by Wiltshire Scrapstore every term, creates an environment which stimulates, facilitates and enhances children's play experiences.

All lunchtime staff have also been trained by Wiltshire Scrapstore with an NVQ in Play Leadership to oversee the children.

Staff say the pupils are proving hugely open minded and imaginative, transforming the scrap into all kinds of different things to become part of their play.

And teachers have also noticed the difference with less lunchtime problems being dealt with during afternoon lessons due to improved behaviour.

Pupils at King’s Nursery in Silver Street, Malmesbury, are also benefitting from the new playpod using the scrap materials for their own play when it’s available.