PRIMARY school pupils have helped improve their playground by coming up with new rules.

The school council at Calverley CE Primary was asked to come up with ideas to improve the school, and top of the list were the playground and lunchtime activities.

The whole school was asked to make suggestions about how to make better use of the playground, and teachers used PE lessons to allow the children to air their views and explain what they wanted to change.

They were also asked to come up with simpler “Playground Rules” and draw designs for a new, more colourful and child-friendly rules board.

Teaching Assistant Lianne Burden said: “The council’s ideas and those of the rest of the school were taken seriously and we drew up a plan to bring about their wishes.”

The playground is now in zones – top, middle and bottom – and activities are better co-ordinated, with more staff around to help get games going and ensure the children follow the new rules in the correct zone.

The top zone was previously just a space for boys to play football. It is now used by boys and girls for football, dodge ball and touchdown netball, with football for just the girls on a Wednesday.

The Middle Zone is used for play using skipping ropes, balls and hoops, and the bottom zone has games painted on the floor and is used for less structured play.

A wooden shelter provides space for children to read, draw or paint. The school council is also hoping benches can be provided which would be friendship benches where pupils without a friend could sit and be joined by others who would befriend them.

Headteacher Bob Curran said: “We are really pleased with the way things have gone in breaks and lunchtime since the Zones were set up. The school council developed some really good ideas and promoted them to the whole school in an assembly. Play during breaks and lunchtimes are now better co-ordinated by staff and pupils and the friendship benches will be the icing on the cake.”