Equipment from the old playground, including the big swing, was donated to a primary school in Penrose, and soil and mulch from the building work was removed and used in new planter boxes on the driveway where students can grow vegetables and herbs for use in classroom learning.

The water in the basins of the playground provides a refreshing form of play for younger students over summer, while senior students use the playground as a working model for examining the physics of water flowing uphill and to study the myriad of benefits of play in young children. Maths students also study the curvature of the big slide for some of their gradient projects.

“It’s not just a playground,” says Melissa Brady, Diocesan’s Property Development Manager, who oversaw the development of the playground. “It’s also about learning through play.

“I’m delighted by the number of students who have benefitted from the playground, and the fact that it’s sustainable satisfies one of the key elements of the School’s strategic direction.”

The playground is just one part of Melissa’s ongoing efforts to promote and practise sustainability at the School.

Under her guidance, the School is about to replace the diesel golf cart with an electric one. She is also working with the grounds team to plant dye plants in a new slimline tank so Creative Industries students can grow their own plants to dye fabrics.

Native trees have been planted in the woodland area, which also features the use of re-harvested cushionfall mulch and recycled pine chips from old wooden pallets.

The reduction of food waste continues to be a key initiative, and the Food Technology Department is working with Auckland based We Compost to reduce excess food waste and recycle coffee grounds, with a view to taking the department’s sustainability initiatives school-wide. The School has also instigated the use of green waste bins that go off site for composting; removing leaves, branches and dead trees.