School Playing Fields: Planning and Design Guidance - VicSport

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