Safe, Secure Playground Shelters for Paddock SEND School

Creating Safe, Calming Outdoor Spaces for SEND Pupils

Paddock School in Wandsworth is a specialist SEND provision where access to safe outdoor space is essential to pupils’ wellbeing, learning, and emotional regulation.

Spaceshade canopy with post protectors at Paddock SEND School, Wandsworth, London

As part of the newly built campus delivered by Willmott Dixon Construction, Kensington Systems was appointed to design and install a series of outdoor canopies that would support the school’s vision for calm, flexible external environments that could be used year-round.

Kensington Systems supplied and installed ten Spaceshade canopies across the site, each positioned to create sheltered zones for outdoor learning, one-to-one support, and quiet breakout activities.

The Spaceshade system was an ideal fit for a high-risk SEND setting thanks to its built-in safety features: a fully non-fragile roof system, smooth softline posts with all fixings concealed to discourage climbing and minimise injury risk, and integrated gutters and downpipes that prevent tampering or vandalism.

Together, these features ensured the canopies provided maximum safety without compromising usability.

Once the canopies were in place and in active daily use, the school approached Kensington Systems directly to enhance protection even further. Post protectors were added to all ten structures, offering an extra layer of impact safety for pupils who may be prone to sudden movement or sensory overload.

The additional works were completed seamlessly, ensuring all covered areas remained fully compliant with the school’s specific SEND safety requirements.

The result is a set of durable, secure, and welcoming outdoor spaces that support the school’s therapeutic approach and provide pupils with calm areas to decompress, learn and interact outdoors—whatever the weather.

The installation has delivered an environment that is both functional and fundamentally centred on pupil wellbeing.