Wet break stays outside.
When the rain comes in, break no longer collapses into the hall and the corridors. The children get outside, and the staff get their lunch hour back.
[ Schools and education ]
Somewhere for the children to go when it rains.
The hardest part of outdoor learning in Wales is rarely the curriculum or the children. It is the weather. We design, make and install timber outdoor classrooms, shelters, play equipment and seating that keep your grounds usable through the year, all made in our own factory in Ystrad Mynach and installed by our own team.
Making since 2006Fourteen schools on our past work listDesign, manufacture and install in‑houseInstalled by the people who made itFive year workmanship guarantee
[ What it changes ]
A wet Tuesday in February stops being a problem.
Lessons carry on outdoors.
A covered space means a lesson planned for outside actually happens outside, instead of being moved back in at the first drizzle. Over a school year that is the difference between outdoor learning being a plan and outdoor learning being a habit.
Somewhere they want to be.
A storytelling chair or a play ship becomes the thing the children run to at break and the thing parents notice on open evening. It stops being equipment and starts being part of the school.
[ Outdoor learning in Wales ]
Made in Wales, by people from Wales
The Curriculum for Wales treats being outdoors as equal to the indoor classroom, and outdoor learning as a central way of teaching rather than an occasional treat. The idea of cynefin runs through it too, the sense of place that comes from knowing where you are from and who made what is around you.
Everything we build is made by our own team in Ystrad Mynach, from our own factory, and installed by the same people who made it. When a school asks where their outdoor classroom came from, the answer is a workshop in Ystrad Mynach, not a catalogue. We also make a Welsh-language range of learning panels and shapes for Welsh-medium and bilingual schools.
[ What we build for schools ]
Built for the way a school day actually runs.
Outdoor classrooms
A whole class can keep working through a downpour, with the lesson carrying on under cover.
Shelters and canopies
Somewhere for a year group to sit, eat or shelter when the weather turns.
Stages and performance areas
Raised timber staging for assemblies, performances and sports day.
Play equipment
A play boat and a climbing frame with a slide, set on safety surfacing.
Benches and picnic tables
Round picnic tables that seat eight, for eating outside or working in groups.
Learning panels and shapes
Including our Welsh-language range, for Welsh-medium and bilingual schools, in hard-wearing two-colour Play-Tec plastic.
Story corners and outdoor seating
A storytelling chair, a curved bench and timber stumps, arranged so a group can sit together.
School names and badges
A round plaque with the school name and motto carved into timber, made to the school's own design.
Garden entrances and planters
A carved entrance into the school garden, with planters at the posts.
Decorative gates
Gates with designs cut through them, made to the school's own artwork.
Fencing and partitions
Coloured picket fencing and panels lettered with the class name, marking out one class's own part of the playground.
Storytelling thrones
A tall timber chair for story time, with the school's own words carved into the backrest.
[ Metal fabrication ]
One contractor for the timber and the metal
We have our own metal fabrication and welding shop, so the metalwork that goes with a timber job is made by the same team in the same building. There is no subcontractor and no waiting on someone else's schedule. If you have something in mind that mixes the two, tell us and we will come and look at it.
Book a Site Visit[ The coloured parts ]
What the colourful parts are made of.
The bright panels, shapes, carved logos and signs you see on our shelters and play equipment are made in Play-Tec, a two-colour plastic sheet designed for outdoor use.
It does not rot, splinter or need painting, the colour runs through the sheet rather than sitting on the surface, and it stands up to daily use in all weathers. Schools often ask for it by name.
[ Featured product ]
The Barn
A fully waterproof timber shelter, designed to make outdoor space useful in every season.
Sized for a full class, so a whole year group can sit down together and nobody is left standing in the rain.
- 5m by 4m or 6m by 4m as standard, other sizes available on request
- Seats 30 to 35
- Galvanised steel posts concreted into the ground so the legs never rot
- Finished in Welsh oil
- From £7,800
[ Working in your school ]
Safe hands on a live site.
Letting a team of joiners into a working school is a decision you have to be comfortable with. Here is what you need to know before you say yes.
Public liability insurance
£5 million, with Chiswell Insurance.
DBS checked installers
Yes. Our installers are DBS checked.
Installing around the school year
Holidays are usually our busiest time, and we can work during term time where it is safe to do so. Smaller items in stock can be a matter of days; larger items take around a week to make and a week to install.
Risk assessments and method statements
Available on request.
The site is cordoned off
Fenced off for the whole installation, so nobody can get into the work area
Guarantee on our work
Five year workmanship guarantee
[ Recent school projects ]
School Barns, built for schools.
01
Bro Banw Infants, Carmarthenshire
A Barn, plus a dragonfly bench and a set of our benches adapted to act as drain covers, which solved a problem on site for the school.
02
Bro Banw Junior, Carmarthenshire
A Barn, and their second from us. The first was installed several years earlier.
03
Ysgol Rhydaman, Carmarthenshire
A Barn, the last of the four installed that summer.
04
Ysgol Bro Preseli, Pembrokeshire
A Barn shelter and a matching bike store made and installed for Ysgol Bro Preseli in Pembrokeshire.
[ Schools we have worked with ]
Schools across Wales.
Schools and nurseries
- Hendre Primary School
- Darran Park Primary
- Cwm Ifor
- Cwm Gwyddon
- Cwm Derwen
- Our Lady and St Michael's Catholic Primary
- Maes Y Morfa
- Ysgol Y Felin
- Ysgol Penalltau
- Hendredenny Primary
- Ty Sign Primary
- Pontllanfraith Primary
- Ysgol Bro Preseli
- Little Einsteins Academy
- Hendre Primary School
- Darran Park Primary
- Cwm Ifor
- Cwm Gwyddon
- Cwm Derwen
- Our Lady and St Michael's Catholic Primary
- Maes Y Morfa
- Ysgol Y Felin
- Ysgol Penalltau
- Hendredenny Primary
- Ty Sign Primary
- Pontllanfraith Primary
- Ysgol Bro Preseli
- Little Einsteins Academy
Projects completed for these organisations.
What schools say
“The craftsmanship of these structures is of an extremely high standard.”
Hendre Primary School
Miss C. Joynson, Headteacher
Craft Wales Ltd has constructed a number of outdoor timber structures in our playground at Hendre Primary School. These include an Outdoor Classroom, Adventure Island and a Performance Stage.
The craftsmanship of these structures is of an extremely high standard. All structures are used to great effect and enable us to enhance provision and learning opportunities for our Children.
The robust Adventure Island consists of a 'pirate's look out' platform, a slide, sandpit, planting area and 'gold mine' tunnel section. Our children benefit from both the educational aspect and through free play. Craft Wales is an extremely professional company and adept at providing well made, creative outdoor structures as such I would highly recommend them.
Craft Wales Ltd also donated a beautiful Story Teller Throne to Hendre Primary School. The throne, sturdy and well made, has provided many hours of imaginative play for our Children.
Whilst the work was being undertaken, our School Staff found Craft Wales to be friendly, professional in their approach and adaptable. As such we would not hesitate to recommend Craft Wales to anyone looking for this kind of product. We would also welcome visitors who may wish to view these structures.
We shall be asking Craft Wales to carry out further projects at our School in the future.
[ How we work ]
From first visit to final fitting.
- 01
Free Site Visit
We come to you, measure up and talk through what you need.
- 02
Design and Quote
We draw it up by hand, to scale, and give you a fixed price.
- 03
Made in Our Workshop
Built by our own team in Ystrad Mynach.
- 04
Installed by Our Team
Delivered and fitted on site by the people who made it.
- 05
Aftercare
We offer a full aftercare package to help your products last.