A GIANT storyteller’s chair and adventure trail are making for more exciting playtimes at a primary school.

More than £16,000 of new equipment has been installed at Nettlesworth Primary School, in Chester-le-Street.

Pupils, staff, parents and members of the Nettlesworth School Community Group formed a Playground Development Workforce to improve the school’s outdoor areas and managed to secure a £10,000 lottery grant for the work.

Papi Taieb, Chair of NSCG said: “Our school is very privileged to have a large outdoor area but due to the sparse play equipment, there were limited opportunities for outdoor play and little variety.

“We wanted to transform the playground in order to improve provision before and after school as well as during break times and the results are fantastic.

“The children are absolutely thrilled with the new equipment.”

The equipment includes a gazebo, rock and roll bridge, rope bridge and log traverse as well as climbing rope and press-up bars.

Head teacher Lee Roberts said: “The children have been involved from the outset with this project.

“They planned which pieces of play equipment they wanted, carried out surveys across the school, undertook artwork to produce images of what they hoped it would look like and thought up ideas of how we could involve the wider community in its use”.

The area has been renamed the Physical, Fantastical Field of Fun by pupils.

Mr Roberts added: “They invented the name and took part in cutting the ribbon at the opening ceremony, with our sports leaders and buddies ‘training’ children how to use the equipment safely.

Additional funding was provided by the Sir James Knott Trust, Durham County Councillors Cllr Heather Liddle and Cllr Simon Wilson through their Neighbourhood Budgets, NSCG and the school’s Right Respecting Council and its fair trade shop.

The school is now working on rejuvenating its sensory gardens with the help of members of its after-school gardening club and there are also plans to refresh the pavements and playground with floor and wall decorations.