School Playing Fields: Planning and Design Guidance - VicSport

sportscotland policy on theprotection of playing fieldssportscotland has published a policy statementon the protection of playing fields, expandingupon the policy guidance in NPPG11. Thisdocument re-enforces the protection afforded byNPPG11 and sets out in more detail the criteriawhich must be met before redevelopment of aplaying field may be considered acceptable.sportscotland plays an important role in advisinglocal authorities on the adequacy of playing fieldprovision for new schools. We are consulted onall planning applications affecting playing fieldsand oppose the granting of permission forredevelopment unless there is clear evidence ofno long term need for particular playing fields orunless adequate arrangements are in place forcomparable replacement.Planning Advice Note 65:Planning and open spaceThis document (PAN 65) sets out more detailedadvice to local authorities on how to best planfor Open Space. In particular, it advises all localauthorities to undertake an Open Space Auditand prepare an Open Space Strategy whichmakes provision for different types of openspace, including playing fields.Playing field strategiessportscotland recommends that every localauthority prepares a pitch strategy, settingout plans for long term improvement anddevelopment of facilities for pitch sports, andto help in assessing development proposalsaffecting playing fields. Strategies should lookat current and likely future demand for all types ofplaying fields against the adequacy of the existingstock of playing fields to meet this demand. Suchstrategies should result in an Action Plan, linkedto sports development objectives and containingtargets and investment priorities.The local authority’s Education Department,and if relevant its PPP team, should beinvolved in the preparation of the strategyas school playing fields are an importantelement of an area’s stock of sports pitchesand their role should be considered withinany strategy. This is particularly important forthe planning of school SGPs as they requirea significant capital investment and provideconsiderable capacity for community use.Relevant trends in outdoorpitches and court sportsTechnological advances have resulted in anincreasing acceptance of synthetic grasssurfaces for both practice and competition.Hockey was the first field sport to embracenew surfaces and it is generally accepted that,in time, artificial grass may be recognised asthe only suitable surface for competitive hockey.While the benefits of artificial grass arerecognised for football practice, there hasbeen a reluctance to accept the surface forcompetition, largely because of the disparitieswhich existed between synthetic surfaces andnatural grass. This position has changed as newsurface types have been developed and thelatest third generation artificial grass surfaces arenow recognised as being suitable for training andcompetition at all levels of the sport.Given the high levels of use which artificial grasssurfaces are able to sustain, and their improvedperformance specification, it is probable thatthere will be increased levels of provision ofartificial grass pitches for hockey and football,both as ‘new build’ and through the conversionof some natural grass and mineral based pitches.There has been a major growth in interest injunior small sided football which has led toincreased demand for soccer sevens pitchesin both schools and community recreation sites.The increase in girls’ participation in football hasalso had implications for the provision of pitchesand of suitable changing accommodation.“…in time, artificial grassmay be recognised asthe only suitable surfacefor competitive hockey.”School Playing Fields 10School Playing Fields 11

Delivery of physicaleducation in schoolsis based on nationalcurricular guidanceproduced by the ScottishExecutive. A balancedprogramme requires theavailability, ideally on site,of a range of indoor andoutdoor sports facilities.Section 2: Calculating provisionInterviews with school staff conducted during the production of this guidancereveal that, where appropriate and adequate playing fields are available,outdoor sport and physical activity typically occupies between 30% and 40%of PE curriculum time in primary and secondary schools.In addition to curricular use, a school’s playing fields will also have toaccommodate extra curricular and Active Schools use, informal use by pupilsat breaks and lunchtime and perhaps also matches and training by schoolsports teams and/or local community sports clubs. The wide range of potentialuses of playing fields should be considered in assessing the number requiredfor each school.The type of sports pitches which school playing fields might be required toaccommodate will depend upon the requirements of these curricular andextra-curricular programmes. In secondary schools, pitches for football, rugbyand hockey will all be required, as will space for a seasonal grass athleticstrack and field events. In some schools, cricket, shinty or tennis facilities mayalso be required. Hard surface areas should also be provided for informalbasketball and netball.In addition to these pitch and court-based sports, school grounds can also beused for other outdoor activities such as cycling and orienteering. The abovelist of sports should not be considered exhaustive and a school’s grass playingfields should ideally be provided as a single flexible area on which a wide rangeof activities can take place.School Playing Fields 13

In primary schools, all of the above activities maytake place, although typically in a much moreinformal manner than in secondary schools andusing a smaller area of playing field.Care has to be taken to ensure that use ofnatural grass pitches is managed properly. Awell-constructed, well maintained grass pitchshould be able to sustain approximately eighthours of school use per week. This is only arough guide, and capacity might be much lessin mid-winter and during periods of inclementweather. The ages of pupils can also impact onwear of natural grass surfaces – younger, lighterpupils cause less wear and damage than adultsand older pupils. In order to use a pitch for eighthours a week, it must be of high quality. Toachieve such high quality, an effective drainagesystem and maintenance regime must be in place.There is a difference between a teaching spaceand a sports pitch: depending on the numbersand ages of pupils and the nature of the activitybeing taught, only half a pitch may be required,so it may often be possible for two classes toshare the same pitch.Secondary schoolssportscotland recommends that secondaryschools each have one or more synthetic grasspitches (SGPs), supported by grass playingfields. To make a more thorough assessmentof the playing field requirements of a secondaryschool, we’ve put together an example basedon a school of 1,200 pupils.The assumptions made in these workedexamples will not necessarily be applicable inevery case. They have been chosen to representa realistic set of assumptions for a secondaryschool and are based on what sportscotlandconsiders to be best practice, but each localauthority should ultimately determine its ownrequirements. Designers must liaise with keyschool staff and consider other factors such aslocal climate, site conditions and local sportingpriorities. Consultation with the wider community,such as local sports clubs and primary schoolsin the cluster, should also take place. Communitydemand for school pitches varies significantlyaround the country and is not therefore includedin the example but this issue must be consideredwhen calculating playing field provision and mayoften justify the provision of more pitches thanare required for school use alone.AssumptionsTo put together a worked example of calculatingschool playing field provision, we needed to makea number of assumptions. These are listed andexplained over the following pages. Whencalculating provision for your school or schools,you might wish to make different assumptions –whichever you choose, the list below should providea useful framework of the factors to consider.Assumption 1: Each pupil shouldtake part in a minimum of twohours of PE each week.The Physical Activity Taskforce, Ministerial PEReview Group and Sport 21 all recommend aminimum of two hours of core PE per week forevery pupil.Assumption 2: 85% of secondaryschool children should take part inextra-curricular activity.For children of secondary school age, the Sport21 target is to have 85% taking part in sport (inaddition to PE lessons) more than once a week.Assumption 3: Meeting the targetabove would require 45 minutes ofaccess to playing fields per activepupil per week.Experience of current extra-curricular activityin secondary schools suggests that, althoughdiffering from pupil to pupil and dependant onthe sports undertaken, meeting this target wouldrequire access to playing fields for an averageof 45 minutes per active pupil per week (somepupils having more use than this and somedoing only indoor activity and therefore notusing the playing fields at all). This covers allextra-curricular school activity, including use byschool sports teams for matches and training.Assumption 4: Lessons last for40 minutes.The worked example uses a lesson length of 40minutes although this will not apply to all schools.Three 40 minute lessons per week are requiredto achieve the minimum recommended twohours of PE.School Playing Fields 14School Playing Fields 15

Assumption 5: There are 38 lessonsavailable for the whole curriculum,including PE, in a school week.Schools that have lesson lengths of 40 minutescan fit 40 lessons in a week. We’ve reduced thisfigure by two periods to allow for times whenthere will be no classes scheduled (toaccommodate staff meetings, for example).Assumption 6: 60 minutes of an80 minute ‘double-period’ lessonis spent on a pitch.Although lessons in our worked example last40 minutes, it is assumed that all PE on playingfields will be taught in 80 minute ‘double-period’lessons. To allow time for changing, only 60minutes of such a lesson involves actual usageof the pitch.Assumption 7: There are 20 pupilsin a PE class.This may vary depending on the year groupand the qualification being studied for. In manyschools, class sizes for those studying forcertificate PE will tend to be lower than thosefor core PE. Whether or not the school considersPE to be a ‘practical’ subject is also important.Practical subjects typically have a maximumclass size of 20, and non-practical subjects amaximum of up to 33. Many practitioners takethe view that PE should be considered as apractical subject and that consequently themaximum class size for all groups should be20. This approach has been used in our workedexample. This parameter will have a significantimpact on the results of the calculations and onassumptions of pitch capacity.Assumption 8: The average groupsize for extra-curricular activity onplaying fields is 25.This is based on discussions with Active SchoolsManagers and Coordinators.Assumption 9: Schools use playingfields for 40% of their PE lessonsat certain times of the school year.Previous design guidance for secondary schoolfacilities assumed around 20% of PE activitytook place outdoors. Research for this latestguidance suggests this was a significant underestimate,with schools using their playing fieldsup to 40% of the time and in some cases more.The figure of 40% probably represents themaximum use of playing fields in the busiestspring and autumn seasons – but as we needto plan for maximum capacity, this is the figureused in the working example.Assumption 10: Synthetic grasspitches are preferred for PE use.Where there is a choice of both grass andsynthetic pitches at a school, it is assumed thatthe ratio of PE use will be 2:1 in favour of thesynthetic grass pitch.Assumption 11: Extra-curricularuse is split evenly betweensynthetic and grass pitches.As extra-curricular use may involve the playingof matches, greater use will be made of thegrass playing fields.Assumption 12: A third of allcurricular group activity needsa full pitch, the other two thirdsneeds only half a pitch.Some PE outdoors will require a full pitch as ateaching space for a class group. Some lessons,such as more intensive skills practice, may needonly half a pitch. And some – for exampleathletics, may need even more than one pitch.To reflect a balanced pattern of use for PE, it isassumed that one third of lessons on both grassand all weather pitches will need a full pitch andthat two thirds will only need half a pitch.Note: This is based on class sizes of 20: if classsizes are larger it is likely that a greater proportionof lessons would require a full pitch.With 60 minutes pitch use for each doubleperiodlesson (Assumption 6), the eight hours ofweekly use of a grass pitch (Assumption 16)gives a total capacity of 12 double-periodlessons per week (comprised of four 60 minutesessions on the whole pitch and eight 60 minutesessions using only half the pitch).Assumption 13: Half of all extracurriculargroup activity needs a fullpitch, the other half needs only halfa pitch.Depending on the activity, how it is being played,how it is being taught, what space it needs andthe age of the participants, the activity may onlyneed half a pitch. This means that two activities,each using half a pitch, can take place at thesame time and so increase the capacity of a pitch.Note: In our worked example, if seven of the10.5 hours available to extra-curricular activity(Assumption 14) had one group on a pitch andthe remaining three and a half hours had twogroups (or 2 x 3.5 – equal to seven hours), thiseffectively increases the capacity of a grass pitchto 14 ‘group hours’ for SGPs.As grass pitches cannot sustain such heavy use(Assumption 16), the time available for extracurricularactivity, factoring in the full pitch/halfpitch use, would be a little over 10 hours.Assumption 14: There are 10.5hours a week available for extracurricularactivity on school playingfields.There is a limited amount of time availablefor extra-curricular activity, depending on theresources of a school to stay open outwithnormal school hours and the most suitabletimes for pupils to remain at the school. Forthe purposes of this example, we’ve assumed90 minutes after school each day and threehours on Saturday mornings, giving a totalof 10.5 hours availability per week.School Playing Fields 16School Playing Fields 17

Assumption 15: The playingcapacity of synthetic grass pitchesis unlimited.This assumes that it has been constructedto the recommended standards and is wellmaintained to keep to these standards.Note: This means that, in our example, the SGPcan accommodate 56 PE lessons per week:of the 38 lessons available (Assumption 5), 20lessons with only one class using it, the other18 shared between two classes (Assumption 13).Assumption 16: The playingcapacity of a grass pitch is eighthours a week.Natural grass pitches can only accommodatea restricted amount of use whilst still maintainingadequate playing quality. A well constructed,well drained and well maintained grass pitchshould be able to accommodate around eighthours per week of the varied type of useexpected in a school. It should be noted thatthis is very much dependant on the pitchbeing of the requisite quality and receiving anappropriate level of routine maintenance. Pitcheswhich do not meet such a standard cannot beexpected to accommodate such high levels ofuse. The recent National Audit of Scotland’sSports Facilities has highlighted that a largemajority of grass pitches at schools would needimprovement works in order to accommodatesuch levels of use.Assumption 17: 30% of S3-S4pupils will study for a StandardGrade in PE.This means that, in addition to 120 minutes ofcore PE, it has been assumed that these pupilswill also study PE for an additional four periods(160 minutes).Assumption 18: 20% of S5-S6pupils will study for a NationalQualification in PE.This adds six periods (240 minutes) to theircore allocation of 120 minutes of PE time.Other areas to considerSchool roll – now and in the futureThe maximum number of pupils that the schoolis likely to have to accommodate in its lifetimeshould be considered in planning for schoolplaying fields. Demographic trends and predictedfuture population levels in the school’s catchmentarea should be considered, as should any likelychanges to the popularity of the school, changesto its admissions policy, possible school closuresor rationalisation and so on.Informal use by pupilsAlthough informal use at breaks will have animpact on the condition and capacity of grasspitches (particularly as it tends to be centred ongoalmouths, the most heavily used areas of apitch) it is very difficult to quantify how muchactivity will take place and the subsequentimpact on the pitch. Such usage is thereforenot included in these calculations.However, informal use and its impact remainimportant. The use of moveable goalpostsmay help reduce such impacts, as will accessby pupils to an SGP and MUGAs at breaksand lunchtime.School Playing Fields 18School Playing Fields 19

Figure 1: Summary of basic assumptions forsecondary schools.Factors Worked example Based oninputsLessons per week 38 Assumption 5Lesson length 40 minutes Assumption 4Class size 20 Assumption 7Minimum recommendation for physical educationS1-S6 120 minutes Assumption 1per weekStandard Grade 160 minutes Assumption 17(in addition to 120)National 240 minutes Assumption 18Qualification (in addition to 120)Playing field usePE playing field use 40% of all PE Assumption 9Pitch time per 60 minutes Assumption 6double-periodExtra-curricular use 85% of pupils, Assumptions45 minutes per week 2 and 3Extra-curricular 25 pupils Assumption 8group sizeGrass pitch capacity 8 hours per week Assumption 16PE SGP capacity 56 lessons per week Assumption 15Extra-curricular 14 group hours Assumption 13SGP capacity per weekPE grass pitch 24 lessons per week Assumption 12capacityExtra-curricular 10 group hours Assumption 13grass pitch capacity per weekSGP: Grass use (PE) 2:1 Assumption 10SGP: Grass use 1:1 Assumption 11(extra-curricular)Whole: Half pitch (PE) 1:2 Assumption 12Whole: Half pitch 1:1 Assumption 13(extra-curricular)Figure 2: Number of PE lessons per year/study group.Year group Lessons Based onS1-S6 3 Assumption 1Standard Grade 4 (+3 core) Assumption 17S3-S4National Qualification 6 (+3 core) Assumption 18S5-S6Figure 3: Number of pupils in each year of aschool with a roll of 1,200 pupils.Year group Proportion Numberof total roll of pupilsS1 20% 240 pupilsS2 20% 240 pupilsS3 20% 240 pupilsS4 20% 240 pupilsS5 15% 180 pupilsS6 5% 60 pupilsNumber involved in additional lessons(as a proportion of the totals above)SG S3 6% 72 pupils (ofthe 240 in S3)SG S4 6% 72 pupils (ofthe 240 in S4)NQ S5-S6 4% 48 pupils (ofthe 240 in S5/6)Figure 4: Calculating school playing field requirements for a secondary school of 1,200 pupils.1. Curricular requirementsNumber of PE lessons required per week to 230 This figure was worked out using the same methoddeliver minimum of 2 hours for all pupils andas the previous document in this series, DesignStandard Grade/National Qualification.Guidance on Secondary Schools.Number of these that need to take place 92 40% of PE lessons take place outside. 40% of 230 is 92.outdoors.Capacity of an SGP. 56 lessons a week Capacity is limited only by time.See Assumption 15 for full explanation.Number of lessons that need to take place 36 2:1 ratio in favour of SGP (Assumption 10) applied to 92on space other than an SGP.periods = 62 periods, so SGP used up to its full capacityof 56 periods leaving 36 lessons to take place elsewhere.Capacity of a grass pitch. 24 lessons Assumption 12: 24 lessons i.e. 12 double periodsNumber of grass pitches needed. 1.5 i.e. 36/24.Summary of extra curricular requirementsSGPs. 1Grass pitches. 1.5 This will be rounded up to a whole pitch in the finalcalculations.2. Extra-curricular requirementsTarget of 85% of pupils to be active in 1,020 The school has 1,200 pupils. 85% of this is 1,020.addition to curricular PE.Total active pupil hours per week on 765 Each active pupil will spend an average of 45 minutesplaying fields. a week on playing fields. 1,020 x 45 minutes = 765.Average group size for activity. 25Number of group hours per week. 31 This is the total number of hours – 765, divided bythe number of pupils in each group – so 765/25 = 31.Capacity of an SGP 14 group hours See Assumption 12 on previous pages to look at(for extra-curricular activity). per week how this was worked out.Number of group hours that need to be 17 1:1 ratio for grass: SGP applied to 31 hours equalsspent on space other than SGP.16 hours. Thus the SGP was used to its full capacityof 14 hours, leaving 17 hours to take place on grass.Capacity of a grass pitch (for extracurricularactivity).10 group hoursper weekNumber of grass pitches needed. 1.7 i.e. 17/10.Summary of extra curricular requirementsSGPs. 1Grass pitches. 1.7School Playing Fields 20School Playing Fields 21

Figure 4 continuedTotal playing field requirements for a school of 1,200 – not including community use.SGPs 1 This is because the same pitch can be used forcurricular and extra-curricular activity.Grass pitches 4 (rounded up This is a total figure (1.5 pitches for curricularfrom 3.2) use,1.7 for extra-curricular) as grass pitchescannot take the wear and tear of usage in thesame way as synthetic grass pitches. This figurerequires pitches to be well designed, constructedand maintained.Using the same assumptions, these figures can be factored up or down to calculate provisionfor schools of different sizes, as shown in the table below.Figure 5b: Secondary school playing fieldrequirements based on the worked example(55 minute periods).School roll SGP Grass pitch400 1 1500 1 2600 1 2700 1 2800 1 2900 1 3Figure 5a: Secondary school playing fieldrequirements based on the worked example(40 minute periods).School roll SGP Grass pitch400 1 1500 1 2600 1 2700 1 2800 1 2900 1 21000 1 31100 1 31200 1 41300 1 41400 1 41500 1 51600 2 41800 2 52000 2 5The results in the table left and in the previousworked example are based on the assumptionsdetailed at the beginning of this section. Aspreviously mentioned, you may choose toassume differently on certain criteria, whichmay result in a different outcome for thesecalculations: these serve only as a guide.Although in our worked example the minimumrecommendation for PE is achieved by a corePE allocation of three 40 minute periods perweek, this may be more difficult to achieve forschools operating with 55 minute lessons. Oneoption would be to rota one period of PE perweek with another subject so that PE would haveeither two or three periods on alternate weeks,giving an average in excess of the minimumtarget of two hours.This situation perhaps represents the most likelyway of meeting the target with period lengths of55 minutes. Figure 5b shows the impact thiswould have on playing field requirements basedon our worked example.1000 1 31100 1 41200 1 41300 1 51400 1 51500 2 41600 2 41800 2 52000 2 5School Playing Fields 22School Playing Fields 23

Primary schoolsThe calculations for primary school playing fieldrequirements can be simplified by consideringonly three basic sizes of school: those that haveone class in each year group – single-stream;those that have two classes per year group –two-stream; and those that have three classesper year group – three-stream.In many primary schools, outdoor PE canbe limited or even non-existent due to anunwillingness to take pupils onto grass playingfields which can be wet or muddy. Whilst this isby no means a universal problem, and sometimesdue to attitudes and practices rather than pitchquality, it is a significant constraint to participationin a large number of primary schools.sportscotland considers that a synthetic grass‘sevens’ pitch is the optimum provision forprimary schools and would address this problemfor those schools whose grass playing fields arein poor condition or are perceived to beinappropriate. Synthetic grass will be particularlyuseful in delivering Active Schools programmesat primary schools as they provide a reliable,useable space at a time when indoor PE spacesare often required by after school care clubs.Whilst a synthetic grass sevens pitch isrecommended, if none is provided then a grasssevens pitch will be required for each stream at aschool, as illustrated by the following calculations.Figure 6: Summary of basic assumptions forprimary schools.FactorsClass sizePE targetPlaying field useWorked example inputsStandard school class120 minutes per week40% of all PEExtra-curricular use 80% of pupils,1 hour per weekof playing fields (based on Sport 21, target 1)Grass pitch capacityInformal pupil use8 hoursNot includedFigure 7: Worked example to calculate school playing field requirements for a single streamprimary school.1. Curricular activityNo. of hours of PE per week required by each class.No. of classes in a single stream school. 72 hoursNo. of hours required for PE by the school. 14 hours i.e. 2 hours x 7classes.Proportion of PE taking place outdoors. 40%No. of hours spent on outdoor PE in a 5.6 hours i.e. 40% of 14.single stream school.Time out of one hour PE lesson spent on a pitch. 45 minutes i.e. 75% of lesson time.Actual use of playing fields in PE lessons for a 4.2 hours i.e. 75% of 5.6 = 4.2.single stream school.2. Extra-curricular activityProportion of school children physically active for at 80% Target 1 of Sport 21.least one hour a day on five or more days of the week.Assumption of extra-curricular activity on playing fields 1hour per pupilper year group to contribute to this target.As all pupils in the same class group are assumed toexercise together, this means one hour per class group.Total number of school hours. 7 hours 1hour x seven class groups.Figure for 80% of the pupils (as per Sport 21 Target 1). 5.6 hours i.e. 80% of 7.SummaryCurricular requirement.Extra-curricular requirement.Total4.2 hours5.6 hours9.8 hoursUsing the same principles for two and three stream schools, the results are as follows:Factoring this up for two and three stream schools meansOne streamTwo streamThree stream9.8 hours19.6 hours29.4 hoursSchool Playing Fields 24School Playing Fields 25

Figure 8: Calculating the number of playing fields needed to meet this demand.Factor Assumption Based onGrass pitch capacity 8 hours a week Although pitches used for primary school provisionare smaller, the demands placed on them by smallerchildren are less, so the same capacity as for thesecondary school example can be used.Grass pitch capacity (Group hours) 10 hours a week This assumes that half the activity will only need halfthe pitch, giving a capacity of a little over 10 hoursper week.Synthetic grass capacity Unlimited As long as it is well maintained.Based on the results of figures seven and eight, the pitch requirements for each school stream aretherefore as follows:School Pitch type Pitch requirementsSingle stream 1 synthetic grass pitch 9.8 hours use per week.(or 1 grass)Two stream 1 synthetic grass pitch 19.6 hours use per week.(or 2 grass)Three stream 1 synthetic & 1 grass pitch 29.4 hours use per week.(or 3 grass)It is preferable to have both synthetic and natural grass areas available within the school groundsto provide a range of surfaces for both formal and informal physical activity. For three stream primaryschools which have a synthetic pitch, the additional grass sevens pitch is required to accommodatetarget levels of Active Schools use after school and at weekends. These should be supplemented bya hard surface games area for informal activity, play and social interaction at break times.Statutory requirementssportscotland considers that using the examplesand calculations detailed in this document is themost accurate way of working out school pitchrequirements.However, school playing field provision is governedby the statutory instruments contained within TheSchool Premises (General Requirements andStandards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967 and 1973(Regulations) and subsequent amendments.These Regulations require that, normally, everyschool should have available and in closeproximity to it playing fields of not less than a givenminimum area according to the number of pupilsfor which the school is designed. The specifiedspace requirements are detailed in Figure 9.The regulations are not, perhaps, the best guideto determining the appropriate playing fieldprovision at a school. They are now rather datedand take no account of the growth of small-sidedgames (of particular relevance to primary schoolprovision) nor to the development of SGPs. Nordo they preclude the provision of playing fieldsoff the school site despite the disadvantages (interms of cost, time and logistics) of transportingpupils. Finally, the Regulations offer no guidanceon the type of pitches and other outdoor sportsfacilities which should be provided.Figure 9: Playing field requirements of SchoolPremises Regulations.Primary SchoolsNumber of Pupils60 or less pupils 0.161-140 0.2141-315 0.3316-450 0.4451 or more 0.6Secondary SchoolsNumber of Pupils320-500 1.6501-750 2.4751-1000 3.2Each additional 200 +0.4pupils over 1000Minimum area of playingfields (hectares)Minimum area of playingfields (hectares)The Regulations do, however, remain current andlocal authorities must satisfy themselves that theirprovision complies in terms of the site area of theschool, the total area of playing fields availableand indeed the remainder of the provisions of theRegulations. It should be noted that therecommended provision in this guidance for bothsecondary and primary schools is, due to theinclusion of SGPs, often less than the minimumrequirements set out in the Regulations.School Playing Fields 26 School Playing Fields 27

This part of the documentis split into three subsectionscovering theplanning of a site, designcriteria and technicalspecifications and finally,maintenance. Togetherthey cover the keyaspects of design andmaintenance of a schoolplaying field.Section 3: Technical guidanceThis section is split into three sections, which detail design and technicalspecifications for all aspects of a playing field. The technical guidance thatfollows covers the following aspects:1. Planning the siteThis sub-section considers the type and size of playing fields to provide,and gives advice on the range of issues to consider when planning thelayout of school playing fields. Model layouts for secondary school pitchesare also provided.2. Design criteria and technical specificationsThis sub-section runs through the different options available for sports pitchsurfaces and provides technical advice on these and ancillary facilities.3. MaintenanceQuality planning and construction are important first steps in creatingsuitable facilities. Maintaining them to the same high standard requiresfurther commitment and investment. This section outlines the optimummaintenance regimes that should be in place to keep facilities in asustainable, high quality condition.School Playing Fields 29

1: Planning the siteSecondary SchoolsRange of pitches neededThe pitches which a school site might need toaccommodate will depend on curricular andextra-curricular programmes and communitydemand but could include the following.Potential winter sports pitch requirementsFootballHockeyRugbyHard surface areas and multi-courts might also be expectedto accommodate:Small sided footballSmall sided hockeyNetballPotential summer sports pitch requirementsAthleticsCricketHockey †RoundersShinty*SoftballHard surface areas and multi-courts might also be expectedto accommodate:BasketballTennis†Although traditionally considered a winter sport, hockey isnow played all year round.*Shinty is now played over the summer with a winter closedseason.The suggested ideal for secondary school sitesis one or more SGPs supported by natural grassplaying fields. This arrangement should enablethe higher capacity of a synthetic surface to becombined with the flexibility of a large area ofnatural grass playing fields. These should beaugmented by multi-use games areas (MUGAs)and hard surface areas which may be used forboth curricular purposes and as kickaboutsduring break times but which should not beconsidered as teaching spaces for the purposesof the calculations.Managing restricted spaceIf a school site is short on space, a higher levelof synthetic and hard surface area provision maybe required, as may an increase in the numberof indoor facilities. This option should not simplybe used as a means of reducing the spacerequirements of a school: if a large enough site isavailable then it should be used. Extra-curricularprogrammes are organised in tight time bandsimmediately after school. Any reduction in thelevel of facilities provided in a school may restrictthe number of activities, levels of use andnumbers taking part.Using off-site facilitiesEven with enhanced all-weather and indoorfacilities, in some very constrained sites it maystill be impossible to make adequate provisionand alternatives may have to be sought, such asuse of dedicated off-site facilities and shared useof facilities. However, using off-school sites canreduce the time allocated to physical education(as more time is spent travelling) and, if the hireof transport is necessary, can have revenue costimplications which might be difficult for someschools to meet. Using off-site facilities shouldonly be considered as a last resort although theycan make a useful contribution by accommodatingweekend matches by school teams.Recommended size of sports pitchesThere are several sources of published advice giving recommended sizes for school/youth sportspitches (from national governing bodies of sport and from previous Sports Council and Governmentdesign advice). Based on this advice and on recent consultations with the relevant bodies, sportscotlandrecommends that planning for school playing fields should be based around the pitch sizes detailedin the table below.Figure 10: Optimum secondary school pitch sizes.Pitch Optimum Pitch Minimum run-off With run-off Total area (m 2 )age group dimensions (m) areas (m) areas and lateral(l:w)strip † (m)SGP (Multi-Purpose) All 100 x 60 3:3 106 x 66 6,996SGP (Hockey) All 91.4 x 55 5:3 101.4 x 61 6,185Football Size 1 S4-6 100 x 60 6:4.5 112 x 78 8,736Football Size 2 S1-3 90 x 45 6:4.5 102 x 63 6,426Rugby Size 1 S4-6 113* x 60 3:4.5 119* x 78 9,282Rugby Size 2 S1-3 97* x 50 3:4.5 103* x 68 7,004Shinty All 140 x 70 6:4.5 152 x 88 13,376*Includes 9m goal areas for size 1 and 6m goal areas for size 2.†A 9m strip to allow lateral movement of pitch to reduce wear. Not required for SGPs.Shinty, cricket and athletics are discussed below.Number of pitches needed at schoolsHere are the key points to consider whenassessing the number of pitches required ata school:• Use the example outlined in Section Two of thisdocument to help calculate how many sportsfields are required per school.• The choice of what pitches to provide shouldbe based on the curricular and otherrequirements of the school but should beselected from the pitch types and guidelinesizes in Figure 10.• If only one football or rugby pitch is required,a Size 1 pitch should be provided. Althoughsome schools may focus on particular sportsand this is reflected in the choice of pitches, arange of pitch sports should be catered for asthe curriculum can change over time (as canthe nature of after school activity).Applying the above principles, an average rangeof curricular and extra-curricular pitch sportswould suggest the following pitch provision.School Playing Fields 30School Playing Fields 31

Figure 11: Optimum pitch provision for rangeof secondary school sizes.Pitch Pitches to Min. arearequirement be provided required (ha)1 Grass Football Size 1 0.92 Grass Football Size 1 1.8Rugby Size 13 Grass Football Size 1 and 2 2.5Rugby Size 14 Grass Football Size 1 and 2 3.2Rugby Size 1 and 21 SGP SGP (Multi-Purpose) 1.71 Grass Rugby Size 11 SGP SGP (Multi-Purpose) 2.52 Grass Football Size 1Rugby Size 11 SGP SGP (Multi-Purpose) 3.23 Grass Football Size 1 and 2Rugby Size 11 SGP SGP (Multi-Purpose) 3.94 Grass Football Size 1 and 2Rugby Size 1 and 22 SGP SGP (Football) 4.54 Grass SGP (Hockey)Football Size 1 and 2Rugby Size 1 and 2The above recommendations are based on atypical balance between pitch sports, with footballthe most popular activity and all hockey takingplace on synthetic grass. Other factors to bear inmind are as follows:• For schools which concentrate more on hockeyor rugby, changes to the mix of pitches (althoughnot to the overall numbers) may be required.This is most likely to be applicable to schoolsconcentrating on rugby, with one or more ofthe football pitches being replaced by rugby.• If shinty is played, one or more of the grassfootball or rugby pitches should be replacedby a shinty pitch. When marking an U12 orU14 9-a-side pitch on a full-size pitch, centreit on the same spot with the goal line runningthrough the penalty spot of the full-size pitch.• Club hockey is almost wholly played onsynthetic grass and only where a second SGPis provided is there a real opportunity to furtherincrease hockey provision.• For those schools with a strong hockeyprogramme the SGP may be predominantlyor even wholly for hockey use although it will inmost cases still make sense to ensure that theSGP is suitable for a range of school activities.Minimum areas required for pitchprovisionThe minimum area required for each level of pitchprovision is simply the total area taken up by thepitches, their safety margins and a 9m strip alongone side to allow lateral movement of the pitchto reduce wear and tear at the most heavily usedareas. Although there is some flexibility in pitchdimensions and the lateral strip (not in the safetymargins), in many cases the shape andtopography of the site will mean a larger area isneeded to provide the required number of pitches.In addition, multi-courts or hard-surfaced playareas will require further space. These facilitiesshould not be considered as teaching spacesbut can make an important contribution toinformal physical activity by pupils, therebyreducing wear and tear on the grass pitches.If cricket is played, the provision of a syntheticwicket or grass cricket square, perhaps insertedbetween winter sports pitches and using part ofthem as the outfield, will require yet further spacealthough this option may restrict the flexibility ofthe playing fields, especially on smaller sites.Siting of playing fieldsThe siting of playing fields is important andshould be decided at an early stage in theplanning of a school. There are a number offactors that should be taken into considerationas follows:• Access• Topography• Gradients• Orientation• Flexibility• Training areas• Seasonal layouts• Safety and convenience• Other activitiesAccessMany school pitches and courts are used by thecommunity and there should be a clearly identifiedroute from the school entrance or car park to bothchanging facilities and to the playing facilitiesthemselves. The entrance and reception area willbe the principal means of controlling the facility andthe activities taking place. The relationshipbetween this area and the main school entrancemust be carefully planned to ensure that securityand child protection issues are properly addressed.There should be easy access from the physicaleducation block/changing facilities to the outdoorpitches and courts. Where possible, this should bevia an area of hard surface playground or properlysurfaced paths. Routes to natural grass pitchesshould not cross other games areas, particularlySGPs and MUGAs, in order to avoid mud beingdeposited on them. For the same reason, accessroutes to SGPs and MUGAs should not involvecrossing over natural grass areas.All access routes should be designed with therequirements of disabled users in mind and shouldcomply with the requirements of the DisabilityDiscrimination Act. Planning of the school siteshould consider the possible need for emergencyvehicle access and the access and storagerequirements of maintenance plant and vehicles.TopographyThe topography of a playing field site is animportant consideration. The larger and flatterthe playing field, the more flexible it will be.Construction costs can be minimised if cut and fillis limited. In the interests of safety, banks withgradients greater than 1:3 should be avoided.Steep banks can also cause drainage problemsfor the land at their base and scouring of surfaces.Gradients of grass playing surfacesTo aid surface drainage, a slight gradient acrossthe direction of play is desirable. Gradients of1:60 to 1:80 (a maximum of 1:40 if existinggradients are a constraint) across the line of playwill be suitable for winter games pitches and thecricket outfield. Pitches should be level alongthe line of play. Cricket squares should be level inthe direction of play although a maximumgradient of 1:100 is acceptable as is a crossgradient of 1:60 to 1:80.School Playing Fields 32School Playing Fields 33

Figure 12: Pitch orientation in relation to aspect.285ºW235º225ºBest commonorientation325º345ºSports pitches200ºReciprocal bearings areshown with a dashed lineNPractical limits for preferreddirection of play for all facilitiesHardcourtsandGrass360ºnetballStenniscourtstennisReciprocalbearings below165ºOrientationThe alignment of pitches and courts in relationto the sun should be considered. Given the longhours of use which school playing fields mightexperience it is not possible to alleviate allproblems of glare but proper orientation can helpto minimise them. Problems are caused not onlyby the early morning and evening sun but also bythe low angle of the winter sun throughout muchof the day. A playing direction of broadly NNW toSSE is desirable for most games and will ensurethat players will face the sun when it is at itshighest and least troublesome.20ºSource: National Playing Fields Association145º45º55ºE105ºPavillion should avoid the SWto NW aspect (225º-315º)In some circumstances, topography or the shapeof a site might prevent the ideal pitch orientationbeing achieved. In such cases, cost issues or theneed to provide a certain number of pitches maytake precedence over achieving the idealorientation in relation to the sun.The National Playing Fields Association (NPFA)has provided useful guidance on pitch orientation.FlexibilityGiven the many and diverse sports and activitieswhich might need to be catered for; the need toprovide for matches, practice and lessonsessions; the disparate age groups which mightneed to make use of the facilities and the highlevels of use which school playing fields have toaccommodate, it is essential that they are asflexible as possible. If care is not taken, artificialpitches and multi-courts can reduce the flexibilityof small sites by making it difficult to alter thepositions of pitches and preventing the layout ofathletics and cricket facilities.The greatest flexibility can be achieved by havinga large, flat, well drained site which allowspitches to be moved laterally or re-orientated toreduce wear. A large flat area will also make iteasier for an athletics track to be marked overwinter sports pitches in summer months.Training areasThe provision of practice or teaching areas aswell as formal pitch facilities can help to reducewear on natural grass pitches. If a school hasan artificial grass surface or MUGA this will beable to accommodate skills practice andcoaching needs but natural grass areas mayalso be desirable. The surfaces in the skillspractice areas for both football and hockeywould need to be level and true for maximumbenefit. Portable goals should be provided.Football goalkeeping and rugby tackling, lineouts and scrummaging practice cause significantwear and tear of natural grass surfaces and itwould be advantageous if dedicated practiceareas are also provided.Such skills practice areas might be located in‘dead’ areas on the perimeter of playing fieldsites or between pitches. Sites with a dedicatedcricket square are likely to have land betweenpitches which can be utilised for skills practicealthough care is needed in layout andprogramming of use to ensure that the cricketoutfield remains in an acceptable condition.Seasonal layoutsSummer and winter games facilities will normallyshare the same playing field area. Summer sportsfacilities such as a 400m athletics track, shintypitch and cricket outfield have greater spacedemands than individual winter sports pitchesand can best be accommodated on a large, flatarea of grass.Although sports have been identified as winterand summer activities, some may be playedthroughout the year, weather permitting.Furthermore, for younger pupils in particular,sports such as small-sided football and rugby,which might be considered to be winter sports,are increasingly played during the summermonths. Shinty is now played from March toJune and from August to November.The extension of the season of some sportshas made the multi-use of areas more difficultto achieve and it is important that activity spacesare laid out to ensure that conflicts betweenconcurrent uses of adjacent pitches andseasonal uses of the same pitch are avoided.If a running track is laid out over winter sportspitches, care should be taken to ensure thatwhere possible it (especially the home straightor sprints straight) avoids heavily worn areas likegoalmouths and the centre circle.The location of any spectators for wintergames must be carefully considered to avoidinterference with adjacent activities or damageto playing surfaces. This can be a particularproblem if pitches are located too close to cricketsquares (which should be fenced off over thewinter months).The location of athletics field event facilities andcricket and golf practice nets should reflect theneed for effective supervision and group teachingand should not hinder the layout or movement ofwinter sports pitches.Safety and convenienceCare needs to be taken to ensure that schoolplaying fields do not present hazards orinconvenience. Where possible, sharp gradientsnext to pitches and courts should be avoided,and constructed surfaces should not beundulating. Locating pitches close to boundaryfences can be dangerous if balls can stray ontoroads, footpaths and railway lines or intoresidential properties. Careful planning of thesite can minimise risks but in some cases itmight be necessary to install suitable fencing.School Playing Fields 34School Playing Fields 35

In some locations, playing fields might requirerobust boundary fencing to ensure the safety andsecurity of users or the protection of facilities.For safe play, pitch layouts should includeadequate run-off margins around the playingareas, especially between adjacent pitches.Where pitches are to be located adjacent toroads, buildings or adjacent property, largerclearances may be required.For safety reasons, and to minimise any possibledamage to pitches, the position and orientationof shot, discuss, javelin and hammer throwingareas must be carefully chosen.If any facility is to be floodlit, care needs to betaken to ensure that light spill does not causea hazard or inconvenience to neighbouringproperties. Issues such as noise, access andparking should also be considered in relation toany sensitive neighbouring properties, particularlyif intensive community use is envisaged. Earlydiscussion with the local planning authority mayassist in identifying the most appropriate locationfor all-weather and floodlit facilities within the site.Other activitiesSchool playing fields also have the potential tooffer other activities to those pupils who do notengage well with the traditional pitch sports. Anarea for cycle skills development should beprovided, perhaps utilising those areas unsuitablefor use as sports pitches. School grounds canalso provide an excellent area for introductoryorienteering and provision of a permanent markercourse should be considered as teachers havelimited time to set courses before lessons.Primary schoolsPlaying field requirements in primary schoolshave changed a great deal in the past 20 to 30years. A decline in the number of male primaryschool teachers meant a correspondingreduction in the level of primary school football,and curricular and other pressures have meant adecrease in other sports programmes. Morerecently, increased emphasis on healthy lifestyleshas led to the introduction of a number ofnational and local measures intended toencourage primary school children to be moreactive. The growth in small-sided versions ofpitch sports has significant implications for pitchrequirements. Unfortunately, in many primaryschools, the level and quality of provision for PEand sport has been poor and it has been difficultfor schools to properly adopt and implementvarious national and local initiatives as a result.To meet both curricular and extra-curricular needs,a primary school site should have access to:• hard surface areas for play, informal socialpurposes, assembly and physical educationand sport;• informal social areas;• landscape and habitat areas; and• playing fields.Playing fields for primary schools are muchsmaller than those of secondary schools and arenormally based on multi-purpose facilities. Muchof both curricular and extra-curricular activity willbe informal. Formal games will, for the most part,be small-sided or ‘mini’ versions of the sportsplayed at secondary schools.sportscotland’s recommended unit of provisionis a small multi-purpose SGP. A pitch of around60m x 40m (plus safety margins of 2m on allsides) will be suitable for PE, small-sided sportsand informal activity. If only grass playing fieldsare provided, a similarly sized pitch will berequired for each stream at a school, with safetymargins increased to 3m and the provision of a6m wide lateral strip to allow the pitch to bemoved to reduce wear and tear. Any such grasspitches must be well-constructed and wellmaintainedto accommodate the required levelsof use – at present, most primary school grasspitches do not meet this quality threshold.As with secondary schools, the School PremisesRegulations apply. Local authorities should ensurethat their playing field provision is compliant.Model pitch layoutsThe following drawings (overleaf) illustrateoptimum layouts for a range of playing fieldsizes. They assume a level, regularly shapedsite is available – although in reality this is notalways the case. Designers may therefore haveto adapt layouts accordingly but should stillapply the same principles in respect of pitchorientation, positioning of synthetic surfacesand provision for summer games. One or moresynthetic pitches should be added to theselayouts as required, ideally positioned closeto the PE and changing block.For detailed advice on pitch markings referto sportscotland’s Pitch and Court MarkingsTechnical Digest. This was updated in 2006and can be downloaded free of charge fromwww.sportscotland.org.ukSchool Playing Fields 36School Playing Fields 37

Indicative model layout 1: football size 1 and grass running trackIndicative model layout 2: football size 1, rugby size 1, cricket square andgrass running trackKey:Safety marginsLateral stripsSchool Playing Fields 38School Playing Fields 39

Indicative model layout 3: football sizes 1 and 2, rugby size 1 and grassrunning trackIndicative model layout 4: football and rugby sizes 1 and 2, cricket squareand grass running trackKey:Safety marginsLateral stripsKey:Safety marginsLateral stripsSchool Playing Fields 40School Playing Fields 41

2: Design criteria and technical specificationssportscotland has recently completed theNational Audit of Scotland’s Sports Facilitiesaimed at identifying the condition of the nation’sstock of facilities and the cost implications ofbringing them up to an acceptable standardand maintaining them thereafter. This studyestablished various grades for the different typesof facilities studied and these have been used toset design criteria and technical specifications forschool facilities.Synthetic grass pitchesSGPs are those surfaces which provide anartificial alternative to natural grass for the playingof winter sports. They can be particularly usefulin the school context as they are able to copewith much more intensive use, require lessmaintenance and are less affected by severeweather conditions than natural grass. They maybe especially useful in situations where there issignificant demand for use of a school’s facilitiesby the community. A synthetic surface is capableof being used constantly throughout the schoolday, after school and by the community atevenings and weekends, though it should berecognised that high levels of use will increaseroutine, periodic and refurbishment maintenancerequirements. Artificial grass cricket wickets arealso effective in a school setting allowing a trueand safe surface to be easily provided andmaintained at comparatively little cost.No single carpet type is suitable for all sportsand, while they are very valuable facilities, overdependence upon SGPs can reduce and restrictthe range of sports that can be taught. Forexample, not all surfaces are suitable for rugbyskills practice and although some surfaces aresuitable for shinty, the pitch dimensions requiredfor a match are unlikely to be provided by an SGP.Different sports require different playingcharacteristics and their respective governingbodies stipulate precise requirements. Choosinga priority sport may mean that certain playingcharacteristics are not ideal for – or evencompatible with – other sports. Governing bodiesof sport identify in their technical specificationsperformance requirements for surfaces in areassuch as ball surface properties (such as roll andrebound characteristics) and player surfaceproperties (such as traction and verticaldeformation).Most existing SGPs are multi-purpose facilitiescatering for as many sports as possible and tendto be a compromise between the main sportinguses of football and hockey. More recenttechnical developments have tried to createsurfaces which more closely match the playingcharacteristics of natural grass and meet theperformance requirements of different sports.Today there are a large number of artificialsurfaces available, most of which look similar butmay be made of different materials, manufacturedby different techniques and designed for use indifferent ways. The most basic distinction has untilrecent years been between filled and non-filledartificial grass systems.In filled systems, the pile of the artificial grass isfilled to within about 3mm of the fibre tips with afine granular material, such as silica sand. Playtakes place on the composite bed of fibre andsand. Sand dressed systems are a developmentof the filled system – the carpet pile being denserand shorter and with a reduced quantity of infill.This produces a slower surface and allows theboot or stick to get under the ball.Non-filled surfaces consist of carpet alone andplay takes place entirely on the fibre. The pile ofthe carpet has to be much denser per unit areato support the player and the stresses of play.This type of carpet is used almost entirely forhockey and the ball speed is regulated bywatering the surface.Third generation carpets more closely mimicthe playing characteristics of good quality naturalgrass surfaces. The pile length is longer andmore open and can be infilled with either acombination of sand and rubber granulate orsolely rubber granulate, or have no infill at all.The different types of system and their suitability fora range of sports can be characterised as follows:Sand filled/dressedMulti-purpose facilities able to cater for a varietyof sports including football, hockey, basketball,netball, volleyball and even tennis.Water basedHigh specification hockey surface.Third generation (long pile)High specification football surface but also rugbyskills practice.Third generation (short pile)Primarily football but also rugby skills practice,hockey and shinty.In most cases, schools with a single SGP willrequire a multi-purpose facility. If a second SGPis provided, a more specialist surface (typicallyfor football) can be specified. In urban areas withmore than one SGP (whether at schools orcommunity playing fields), it may be possible toprovide different surface types at each to bestsuit a range of sports. Ultimately, however, it isfor local education authorities to determine therequirements for each school, taking into accountcurricular requirements, the most popular sportsat the school, local community demand and theCouncil’s sports pitches strategy.FencingSGPs must be enclosed for security and ballstop purposes. Fencing will also help to keepsurfaces clean by preventing dog fouling and theaccumulation of wind blown debris. Many earlySGPs were bounded by light rolled mesh orchain link fences but these have been unable towithstand the rigours of use, are subject todeterioration behind goal areas and vulnerable tovandalism. It is recommended that artificial grasspitches be provided with higher quality fences.School Playing Fields 42School Playing Fields 43

FloodlightingIn order to obtain the full benefits from theincreased capacity of SGPs and Multi-usegames areas, floodlighting for evening and winterplay is essential. Six or eight columns are usuallyspecified for a full-size pitch and these should notencroach into the safety run-off areas. The levelof luminance will depend on the standard of play.200-250 Lux should be suitable for most schoolsalthough 300-350 Lux would be better forhockey matches. Ideally the lighting systemshould be capable of providing different levelsof illumination depending on the requirementsof the pitch users.Routine maintenanceThe life expectancy of artificial grass sportsfacilities can be prolonged by proper routinemaintenance and periodic rejuvenation andrefurbishment works. If properly maintained, athird generation carpet should last for aroundseven years before needing to be replaced. Allother carpet types should last for around tenyears before replacement is required.The last part of this section outlines maintenanceprogrammes for the different types of facilityidentified in this guidance. It is important thatmaintenance is properly carried out if the facilitiesare to be kept in good condition for their wholelife. Many site managers have the misconceptionthat SGPs are maintenance free – but they arenot. Failure to maintain any surface properly cangreatly shorten its life and result in the need formore frequent capital reinvestment.Changing and ancillary facilitiesChanging facilities for school playing fields willusually be a part of the physical education blockand should be designed specifically for outdooractivities. Those serving an SGP can also serveindoor spaces but, due to the likelihood ofspreading mud and dirt to the indoor spaces,those serving grass pitches should not. With theincreased emphasis on community use of schoolfacilities, changing accommodation should besuitable for use by pupils and adults and shouldhave clothes storage and security provisionswhich reflect these needs.Two storage areas will be required to serviceoutdoor pitches and courts. One area will berequired for the storage of nets, posts, athleticsequipment etc and possibly grounds maintenanceequipment, although this may be brought to thesite by the grounds maintenance operatives.The second area required is for the storage ofequipment used in outdoor games and to whichpupils might need to have access. The gamesequipment store should have a workbench forbasic maintenance and be sufficient in size toallow the wide range of equipment needed tosupport the curriculum to be stored out of season.More detailed advice on changingaccommodation is provided in sportscotland’s‘Secondary School Sports Facilities: Designingfor School and Community Use’, available todownload from www.sportscotland.org.ukNatural grass pitchessportscotland’s National Audit of Scotland’sSports Facilities identified five grades of naturalgrass pitch. The Grade 3 model was identified assuitable for school use and as the base standardto which most local authority, further educationand club pitches should be constructed. It isessential that an appropriate maintenance regimeis put in place ensuring that such a pitch maintainsits playing quality and capacity. At present, alarge majority of school pitches do not meet thisquality threshold.Grade 3 pitches are deemed to have beenconstructed with a well structured sandy loamtopsoil over an uncompacted subsoil and havean efficient piped drainage system at no greaterthan eight metre centres with a clean gravelbackfill into which a system of sand/gravel slitsconnects from the surface. The topsoil can beamended by ameliorating the top 50mm or sowith an approved medium grade sand. Howeverit should be noted that not all top soils aresuitable for such amelioration as the combinationof materials can sometimes lead to the creationof an impermeable surface. Site managersundertaking new constructions or reconstructionsshould prepare a full design specification. Thisshould take into account all of the variables whichmight exist on a site, including soil type and theappropriateness and need for amelioration.Grade 3 pitches generally perform satisfactorilyas long as the slits remain surface connected.For this reason, sand topdressing is importantin keeping the integrity of the slits and the surfaceintact and needs to be carried out as part ofplanned periodic maintenance. While theperformance standards of a Grade 3 pitch arelikely to be acceptable for longer if maintenanceis sufficiently intensive, problems associated withloss of grass cover and loss of levels, particularlyin goal mouths, can still occur. Such problemsare caused by overplay and inadequate remedialmaintenance and it is imperative that renovationworks are carried out periodically and asrequired. For those schools without access toan SGP, grass hockey pitches must be wellconstructedand well-maintained, with grassideally cut to 15mm.It should be noted that a higher specification ofconstruction or drainage may be needed for siteswhich have poor drainage characteristics orwhere particularly high standard or intensive useis anticipated.Multi-use games areasMulti-use games areas (MUGAs) are small sizedareas used primarily for playing and practicingsport. They will normally be enclosed with a ballstop fence and ball rebound wall. Playingsurfaces might be tar macadam, porousconcrete, polymeric or artificial grass. MUGAscan provide a cost effective resource for schoolsand have a wide range of sporting uses.However, it is this range of use which requiresfacilities to be multi-purpose and this in turnleads to a need for compromise, particularly interms of dimensions and the playingcharacteristics of the surface.School Playing Fields 44 School Playing Fields 45

Five different types of facility can be identified:Type 1Open textured porous macadam areas used forball rebound sports where tennis is the priorityand sports such as mini-tennis, netball andbasketball are secondary users.Type 2Open textured porous macadam areas used forball rebound sports where netball is the priorityand sports such as tennis, mini-tennis andbasketball are secondary users.Type 3Polymeric surfaced areas used for ball reboundsports where netball is the priority and sportssuch as tennis, mini-tennis and basketball aresecondary users.Type 4Polymeric surfaced areas used for five-a-sidefootball, basketball and general sports andrecreational training and play. Due to their greatershock absorbency and lower surface frictionthese areas are not recommended for tennisor netball.Type 5Synthetic turf areas are used for sports suchas modified hockey and five-a-side football.Figure 13 gives further guidance on the suitabilityof the range of surface types for different sports.Figure 13: Multi-use games areas (MUGAs) – suitability of surface types for different sports*.Sports Surface/ 5-a-side Tennis Mini Netball Basketball Modified Rugby Athletics FootballMUGA Type Football Tennis Hockey Training Training TrainingMacadam(Type 1) 4 1 1 2 1 4 4 4 4Macadam(Type 2) 4 2 2 1 2 4 4 4 4Polymeric(Type 3) 3 2 2 1 2 3 4 3 3Polymeric(Type 4) 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 1 2Sand filled 1 4 4 4 4 1 2 3 1synthetic turf(excluding(Type 5a)spikes)Sand dressed 2 3 3 4 3 1 3 3 2synthetic turf(excluding(Type 5b)spikes)Needle-punch 2 3 3 4 3 2 3 3 2synthetic turf(excluding(Type 5c)spikes)Key 1 = Preferred surface2 = Suitable surface3 = Possible surface though less suitable4 = Unsuitable surfaceThe table identifies the general suitability of the main types of playing surface for a range of sports,although this will also depend on the standard of play that is intended. Please note that thesedescriptions are provided as a general guide only and are not necessarily indicative of the viewsor requirements of individual national governing bodies of sport.Further guidance on each surface type is given overleaf and in the source document referenced below.*Source: A Guide to the Design, Specification and Construction of multi-use games areas (MUGAs) including Multi-SportSynthetic Turf Pitches (STPs). Sport England & SAPCA.School Playing Fields 46School Playing Fields 47

Macadam surfacesMacadam surfaces may take the form of denseor porous macadam. Whilst the former mayprovide a more durable surface and is typicallylaid on school playgrounds, its inability to drain isa major constraint on sports use. For this reasonporous macadam is considered more suitableand can be played on in most weather conditionsyear round.Porous macadam courts may be colour coatedto improve aesthetics and the playing environment.This is achieved by either using pigmentedmaterials to form the macadam or by painting theun-pigmented surface after installation. Althoughthe cost of pigmented macadam may be initiallyhigher, the increased durability of the colour maymake it more suitable for areas of high use.Polymeric surfacesPolymeric surfaces have a degree of inherentshock absorption, which may be varied byincreasing the thickness of the surfacing layeror altering the composition of the polymericmaterials. To provide the high degree of slipresistance required by sports such as tennis andnetball a specially modified final coating can beapplied, although the use of this surface for ballcontact sports will cause a rapid reduction in itsslip resistance. For this reason, combining sportssuch as five-a-side football and netball is notrecommended.Thicker forms of the surface may be specifiedwhere the intended sports include five-a-sidefootball or athletics training. This type ofpolymeric surface is also capable of takinga running shoe spike.Artificial grass surfacesAs explained in the section on SGPs, there aremany different types of synthetic turf constructionwith a range of properties and advantages anddisadvantages. Variables include the polymerused for the fibre yarn, the cross-sectional areaof the individual ribbons of fibre, the method ofcarpet manufacture, the pile height and piledensity. Two principal designs are offered forMUGAs – those with a vertical pile of tufted,woven or knitted construction that is supportedwith a sand filling or dressing and those with aninterlocking pile of needle-punch constructionthat are also filled or dressed with sand.The majority of synthetic turf pitches are surfacedwith tufted sand filled carpets. Experience hasshown this form of carpet to have good durabilityand performance for MUGAs. Sand-dressedcarpets are a more recent innovation. They havea shorter, denser pile than the standard filledsystems with a reduced quantity of sand fill andare primarily suited for MUGAs where hockey isthe primary sport. Needle-punched carpets offerbenefits of increased sand stability within the pileand higher drainage characteristics.Synthetic grass surfaces often have a shockpadwhich is a resilient layer introduced between thebase and the playing surface. This is used toprovide a degree of comfort to players and tocreate the required playing characteristics forspecific sports. The most common componentsare rubber crumb/shred mixed with a resin binderalthough there are other types which have beendeveloped to suit particular performancecharacteristics. The type and thickness of shockpad chosen will be dictated by the priority sport.RefurbishmentThe requirements for ongoing major expenditurewill depend upon the type of surface provided.Macadam facilities should have a life span inexcess of 25 years but artificial grass andpolymeric surfaces will need to be rejuvenatedand refurbished at regular intervals.Polymeric courts also have periodic maintenancerequirements. A newly laid surface should givefirm foothold and good medium-paced ballspeed. As the surface is used over the years,however, it will become smoother and morepolished and this may result in increased ballspeed and some impairment of the footholdwhen the surface is damp. When this happensit will be time for the surface to be re-coated/retextured. Re-texturing will normally need to becarried out every four years and can only usuallybe carried out on three occasions before thesurface water infiltration rates are reduced belowan acceptable standard. Once this stage hasbeen reached, around year 16, the old surfacemust be drilled and a new surface laid.Cricket squaresThe prime requirement for cricket is a suitablecricket table which, for economy of land use,is usually combined with winter sports pitches.Grass hockey pitches have historically tendedto provide the best outfield for cricket given thebetter quality of grass and truer surface usuallyto be found in these facilities. The switch toSGPs for hockey, however, means grass hockeypitches are becoming less common. Footballpitches can also provide suitable outfields forcricket but rugby pitches, because of theconsiderable disturbance to the pitch surfacewhich can result from normal play, cannot usuallyprovide a sufficiently fast, true and safe surface.Formal cricket wickets are constructed usingtechniques which differ greatly from most othernatural grass facilities. The performance aim ofa cricket wicket is for a regular surface whichwill have the capability to allow a ball to reboundfrom its surface without absorbing too muchof the downward force applied by the bowler.Consequently, the surface must allow for aregular bounce and should be true to line andlevel to avoid dangerous conditions. Providingthe desired playing characteristics and a naturalgrass surface which is capable of drainingand sustaining grass growth is very difficultto achieve.A new, modern wicket would ideally beconstructed as follows:• excavating the area of the wicket (generally825 square metres or thereabouts);• creating a construction profile which wouldinclude a drainage system below a gravel raft;• placing a depth of free draining sand loam overthe gravel raft; and finally,• adding a depth of carefully selected clay loamwhich would be consolidated and seeded.School Playing Fields 48School Playing Fields 49

3: Maintenance requirementsOnce the construction has become established,the wicket is prepared for play by watering,close cutting and rolling to produce a very firmlevel surface.Natural grass cricket wickets require regular,routine maintenance to maintain playing qualityand restore grass cover and surface levelsfollowing play. Over time and due to the routinemaintenance programme implemented, moreintensive periodic remedial works may berequired. This may involve operations such as:• specialist aeration;• removal of the upper soil profile/turf andreplacement with fresh clay loam andreseeding; and• total reconstruction.Because of the high levels of wear which cricketwickets can experience, artificial wickets areoften laid alongside or within the natural grasscricket table to facilitate play in adverse weatherconditions and for practice purposes. In manyschools an artificial wicket may be the only formof match play facility.Planning for playing fields does not end with theirinstallation. To enjoy them as a resource and toensure that their use can be sustained for schoolsand the wider community, regular and thoroughmaintenance is required. This section outlinesbest practice in maintenance for the mostcommonly used playing surfaces in schools.Natural grass pitchesTo keep a Grade Three natural grass pitch upto a good standard, these are the recommendedsteps to take – and the frequencies at whichthey should be undertaken.Figure 14: Suggested maintenance for anatural grass pitch.ActionGrass cutting 30Scarify 1Drag brush 1Herbicide 1Fertilizer 4Pesticide 1Outfield spike 13Top dress 1Verti drain 4Overseed 1Measure and mark 2OvermarkPre match inspectionPost match inspectionDe-litterFrequency(no of times a year unlessotherwise specified)3 per week for 36 weeks2 per week for 22 weeks3 per week for 14 weeks2 per week for 22 weeks3 per week for 14 weeks3 per weekArtificial grass wickets will eventually wear outand need to be replaced. It is assumed that thelife of a well-used artificial grass wicket is abouteight years although many are made to lastconsiderably longer. Every four years the ends ofthe wickets should be repaired. Cricket practicenets are often provided on the outfieldboundaries of cricket areas but they could belocated in any suitable area of a school site.School Playing Fields 50School Playing Fields 51

Synthetic grass pitchesSpecific maintenance requirements will vary according to pitch type and manufacturers instructions.An indicative outline schedule is provided below:Figure 15: Suggested maintenance for an SGP.ActionCheck fixtures and fittingsMake sure gates are shutClear leaves and rubbish from the areaDeal with any new weeds, moss or algaeBrush the surface of the pitch to redistribute sandCheck infill levelsOutside the fence, check and clear mowing strips and check cleanliness of access pathsCheck the irrigation system if installedCheck lightingCheck thoroughly for moss and algae growth, food stains etc, and remedy as appropriateCheck seams, inlaid lines etc, and report any failures to the installerPower grooming• Sweep the pitch surface with rotating brush• Remove debris and leaves• Remove fine contaminates and dusts from the surfaceFrequencyDailyDailyWeeklyWeeklyWeeklyMonthlyMonthlyMonthlyMonthlyPeriodically(at least every six months)Periodically(at least every six months)QuarterlyMulti-use games areas andtennis courtsThe routine maintenance requirements forMUGAs and tennis courts will vary accordingto the type of surface finish. Indicative outlinemaintenance schedules are provided below.Bitmac and porous concrete facilitiesBitmac facilities are hard wearing and requirerelatively little maintenance. The main requirementsare to keep the area free from debris, preventmoss and algae forming and ensure that theinterstices of the surface do not become cloggedthus impairing drainage.While porous concrete courts are hard wearingand need very little maintenance, it is critical thatthe required maintenance actions are carried outif the court is to remain free draining. It is importantthat vegetation and debris are removed from thecourt otherwise the free drainage of the structurewill be impaired. A typical maintenance schedulefor both these surfaces is suggested opposite.Figure 16: Suggested maintenance for Bitmacand porous concrete facilities.ActionCheck facility, fixtures and fittingsRemove litter and debris asrequiredClear leaves and rubbish fromthe courtDeal with any moss or algaeCheck lightingWash the courtApply moss-killerRe-paint lines as requiredFrequencyDailyDailyWeeklyMonthlyMonthlyAnnuallyAnnuallyAnnuallyMoss and weed treatment• Apply regulation dosages of an approved moss and weed killer to a 3m band on thepitch perimeter. Apply in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions and current Healthand Safety Legislation. The application will generally be carried out using tractor mountedapplicators• Dependent on the severity of infestation more than one application may be required• Also dependent on the severity of infestation, the treated area may be restricted to theperimeter margin or a full application across the total playing surface may be requiredContra brushing• Penetrate the top 2–3 mm of sand infill• Break up the formed crust of contaminant and compacted silica sand• Drag brush the surface to provide even coverageEvery 6 monthsAnnualSchool Playing Fields 52School Playing Fields 53

Polymeric surfaced facilitiesPolymeric surfaces are comparatively easy tomaintain, keeping the surface clean being theonly routine maintenance that the court surfaceshould require.Figure 17: Suggested maintenance forpolymeric surfaced facilities.ActionCheck facility, fixtures and fittingsRemove litter and debris asrequiredRemove dust, leaves, rubbish andother detritus from the surfaceWash the surface, removing stainswith a mild detergent and soft brushCheck lightingFrequencyDailyDailyWeeklyMonthlyMonthlyCheck the court surface carefully. AnnuallyCall in the installer if there is anycause for concern or if it is suspectedthat the surface needs re-coatingSynthetic grass surfaced facilitiesMaintenance of artificial grass courts is particularlyimportant. Neglecting the recommended schedulecould have serious long-term consequences evenif, in the shorter term, the court does not appear tosuffer. Maintenance need not be time-consumingor onerous, but its benefits are profound. To omitthe recommended processes may result in a courtceasing to drain at half-life or sooner. A typicalroutine maintenance schedule is shown opposite.Figure 18: Suggested maintenance forsynthetic grass surfaced facilities.ActionCheck facility, fixtures and fittingsRemove litter and debris as requiredClear leaves and rubbish fromthe courtDeal with any new weeds, mossor algaeBrush the surface to redistributein-fillMove sand which accumulates incorners etc and redistributeCheck sand levelsCheck lightingCheck for moss and algae growthetc and remedy as appropriateGroom with a rotary brush/vacuumFrequencyDailyDailyWeeklyWeeklyWeeklyMonthlyMonthlyMonthlyEvery six months(at least)Every six months(at least)Treat court with moss-killer/ Annuallyalgaecide. Call in the installer if anyaspect is causing significant concernNote: These are minimum recommendations. Cleaning,grooming and court inspection can always be done morefrequently.Polymeric track and field facilitiesBy their nature, polymeric surfaces are extremelydurable, being designed to satisfy arduousperformance test criteria whilst withstandingconstant spike use in varying climates. However,there is no such thing as a ‘maintenance-free’sports surface, and all polymeric track surfaceswill require a modest degree of maintenance.This basic maintenance is of vital importanceif the surface is to remain consistent inperformance, safe for the athlete to run andjump on and long lasting. Indeed, the installer’sguarantee will usually be conditional on therecommended maintenance requirementsbeing carried out with reasonable diligence.Maintenance procedures are designed toensure that:• the synthetic track and field event surfacesare kept scrupulously clean;• the surfaces are safe for all standards of user;• in the case of a porous system, the freedrainage of surface water is maintainedthroughout the life of the track; and• the facility looks attractive and well-kept atall times.These objectives are achieved by:• sweeping leaves and other detritus from thesurface;• washing the surface to remove contaminantssuch as grime, algae, moss, sand, etc;• applying prophylactic treatments of moss-killerand/or algaecide; and• periodically removing weed growth from theperimeter kerb lines.Leaves, tree flowers, pine needles and otherdetritus should not be allowed to remain onthe surface for any length of time. If this doeshappen, they rapidly rot down, forming acontaminating ‘skin’ on the surface and providinga growing medium for algae and moss. Amechanical leaf-sweeper or vacuum cleaner isideal for removing vegetation and other rubbish.Restricted areas may have to be undertaken byhand. At least once a year, it is advisable to washthe surface using high-pressure jetting apparatus.At all track venues, maintenance machinerywill require regular access to the central grassedarea. It is good practice to provide protection forthe track surface at regular pedestrian crossingpoints, e.g. from the dressing room on to acentral pitch. This protection could take theform of rollout matting to ensure that mud fromfootball boots does not contaminate the tracksurface. It is wise to provide plywood or similarsheeting to allow access to the central area forgrass cutting machines, etc.School Playing Fields 54School Playing Fields 55

Figure 19: Suggested maintenance forpolymeric track and field facilities.ActionCheck facility, fixtures and fittingsRemove litter and debris as requiredRemove dust, leaves, rubbish andother detritus from the surfaceWash surface with a mild detergentand soft brush if it has becomestainedPower wash the polymeric surfacesTreat with fungicide and algaecideas necessaryCheck the surfaces carefully. Callin the installer if there is any causefor concern or if it is suspected thatthe surface needs re-coatingFrequencyDailyDailyWeeklyMonthlyAnnuallyAnnuallyAnnuallyCricket squaresThe routine maintenance of a natural grasscricket square is designed to create a true, fast,even bounce surface suitable for the playing ofcricket. Necessary actions are outlined in thetable opposite.Figure 20: Suggested maintenance forcricket wickets.ActionSetting up wickets for playRepairing wickets after play –scarify, top dress and over seedGrass cutting by hand on the squaremaintaining the height at 6mm overthe square through the season andeffectively ‘shaving’ the surface ofthe wicket due to be playedRolling the square and additionalrolling of wicket being preparedfor playAeration, scarifying, solid tining, topdressing and over seeding etcChemical treatmentsCutting outfieldAeration through tiningFrequencyWeeklyAfter use as requiredAllow cutting 3 timesper week April till endof September in total80 cuts pa.3 times per weekfrom April till end ofSeptemberStart and end ofseason maintenance6 applications offertilisers, applicationof selective herbicideand fungicide asrequired60 cuts per year4 time a yearArtificial grass wickets and practice facilities areless labour intensive than natural grass wicketsand require comparatively little maintenance.Care needs to be taken to ensure that detritusand decomposable materials are not allowedto build up on the synthetic surface and thatfungicide and algaecide is applied regularly.During the off season it might be necessary tolift the carpet and level the sand base to ensurethat a true surface continues to be provided.FloodlightingFloodlighting needs to be routinely maintainedin order to meet performance requirementseffectively over its working life. Maintenanceactions should include routine work on theelectrical services, cleaning of fittings andadjustment of aiming angles. When performancefalls below the specified level or when individuallamps fail, all lamps should ideally be replaced asa complete set and not as individual units.School Playing Fields 56School Playing Fields 57

References andFurther ReadingA Guide to the Design, Specification andConstruction of Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs)including Multi-Sport Synthetic Turf Pitches (STPs)Sport England & Sports and PlayContractors’ AssociationBeing Well – Doing Well: A framework for healthpromoting schools in ScotlandScottish Health Promoting Schools Unit (2004)Building Our Future: Scotland’s School EstateThe Scottish Executive (2003)Client Guide: Achieving Well Designed Schoolsthrough PFICommission for Architecture and the BuiltEnvironment (CABE)Core FactsBuilding Our Future: Scotland’s School EstateThe Scottish Executive (2003)Department for Education and EmploymentBuilding Bulletin 82: Area Guidelines For SchoolsHMSO (1996)Floodlighting of Outdoor Sports FacilitiesNational Playing Fields Association (2000)Guide to Community Use of SchoolSports Facilitiessportscotland (2000)Handbook of Sports and Recreation BuildingDesign Volume 1: Outdoor SportsThe Sports Council (1993)Information Digest FP23: Guide to thePreparation of Sports Pitch Strategiessportscotland (2002)Let’s Make Scotland More Active: A Strategyfor Physical ActivityThe Scottish Executive (2003)Lighting Guide LG4: SportsChartered Institute of Building Services EngineersNational Planning Policy Guideline 11: Sport,Physical Recreation and Open SpaceHMSO (1996)Planning Advice Note 65: Planning andOpen SpaceHMSO (2003)Primary School Sports Facilitiessportscotland (2004)Download from www.sportscotland.org.ukReport of the Review Group onPhysical EducationScottish Executive (2004)School DesignBuilding Our Future:Scotland’s School EstateThe Scottish Executive (2003)School Estate Management PlansBuilding Our Future: Scotland’s School EstateThe Scottish Executive (2003)School Grounds in Scotland Research ReportPlay Scotland/sportscotland/Grounds forLearning Scotland/Scottish Poverty InformationUnit (2005)Sport 21 2003-2007sportscotland (2003)Technical Digest 110: Sports Pavilionsand Team Changing Accommodationsportscotland (1995)The 21st Century School Building Our Future:Scotland’s School EstateThe Scottish Executive (2003)The School Premises (General Requirementsand Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967,1973 and 1979HMSO SI 1967/1199, SI 1973/322,SI 1979/1186The Six Acre Standard: Minimum standardsfor outdoor play spaceNational Playing Fields Association (2001)Department for Education and EmploymentBuilding Bulletin 85: School Grounds: A Guideto Good PracticeHMSO (1997)Design Guidance Note: Natural Turf for SportSport England (2000)Facility Barriers to Active Schools ProgrammeExpansionsportscotland (2005)Output SpecificationsBuilding Our Future: Scotland’s School EstateThe Scottish Executive (2004)Pitch and Court Markingssportscotland (2006)Download from www.sportscotland.org.ukPlanning Policy for the Protection of Playing Fieldssportscotland (2002)Secondary School Sports Facilities:Designing for School and Community Usesportscotland (2003)Download from www.sportscotland.org.ukSpace for Sport and the Arts:Design Guidelines for Outdoor Sportsand Activities using Synthetic SurfacesSport England & Sports and Play Contractors’Association (2002)School Playing Fields 58School Playing Fields 59

AcknowledgementsTim Cruttenden Associates, who led this project for sportscotland.Professional Sportsturf Design (PSD) LtdCulmor DesignRedpath DesignPMR LeisureSports Turf Research InstituteNational Playing Fields AssociationGrounds for LearningConvention of Scottish Local AuthoritiesScottish Health Promoting Schools UnitScottish Local Authority Network of Physical EducationScottish Football AssociationScottish Schools Football AssociationThe Camanachd AssociationScottish AthleticsScottish Hockey UnionLearning and Teaching ScotlandThe Scottish Council for Research in EducationThe Educational Institute of ScotlandRaymond O’Donnell, South Ayrshire CouncilDavid Maiden, Fife CouncilViv Inglis and Craig Corr, Renfrewshire CouncilIan Pye, East Renfrewshire CouncilPhotography creditsTim CruttendenGordon GillespieSteve Lindridge, Ideal ImagesAndrew Southall/arcblue.comHeather FoleyJulie ElliotShadow Photographysportscotland fully acknowledges the copyright of all photograph contributors,known and unknown, in this publication.School Playing Fields 60

For further information or advice, please contact:Facilities DevelopmentsportscotlandCaledonia HouseSouth GyleEdinburghEH12 9DQTel: 0131 317 7200Fax: 0131 317 7202www.sportscotland.org.ukThis document is available in a range offormats and languages. Please contactsportscotland’s communications teamfor more information.Tel: 0131 317 7200Fax: 0131 317 7202© sportscotland 2006Published by sportscotlandISBN: 978 1 85060 497 6SPFPDG 1106 0.25M