When Anna Passmore, the Project and Partnership Lead for Wave MAT, began in post around 18 months ago, one of the first challenges she was asked to investigate was the outdoor space at Restormel AP Academy. At that time, the site sadly was unable to offer meaningful opportunity for movement or play outside for children and young people. A long, narrow balcony served as the only regularly accessible outdoor area, and a small patch of grass at the back could not be used for sport due to its proximity to a pond and a railway line. For students and staff, this meant a daily environment defined by four walls, an indoor timetable, and very few opportunities for fresh air or space to play.

Research shows that fewer than half of Alternative Provision providers have access to an outdoor playground and more than half lack a dedicated indoor physical education space. For young people who often face complex daily challenges, having a safe and purposeful environment for physical activity is essential for wellbeing, engagement and readiness to learn.

Since 2023, Wave Multi Academy Trust has been working closely with the Youth Sport Trust to enhance the quality and accessibility of physical education and sport across its Alternative Provision settings. Research, such as the report The Role and Value of Physical Education and Sport in Alternative Provision Schools, highlights the challenges settings like Restormel face, including a lack of specialist spaces, inadequate equipment, and limited outdoor areas.

Wave MAT identified the need to address the spatial limitations at Restormel and committed to developing a dedicated area for physical activity, school sport, play, and connection.

Securing Space and Unlocking Funding

The first step involved working with the estates department to secure permission to use the outdoor area behind the academy. Once approval was obtained, the next challenge became funding. Restormel was not initially included in the Opening School Facilities (OSF) programme being delivered at three other academies. However, through partnership working with the local Active Partnership- Active Cornwall at a OSF meeting, the Project and Partnership Lead raised the issue of the site’s lack of facilities. This led to Restormel being added to the OSF programme. Through continued collaboration with Active Cornwall, capital funding from the local authority was secured to support the development of a physical activity and play space.

This breakthrough made it possible to create a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA).

The Project and Partnership Lead worked closely with the academy to draw up plans for the MUGA and identify opportunities to improve the surrounding space with planting, gardening and biodiversity elements. Additional funding was secured, including a successful DfE Nature Grant to enhance the garden areas, and Wave provided match funding to enable the project to progress.

To support the environmental enhancements around the MUGA, a local garden centre, Pengelly, recommended suitable plants to use and hosted visits from pupils who were able to have a say in the MUGA’s overall look by selecting the plants themselves. This engagement also led to a student being offered work experience, providing an additional and unexpected benefit.

A Game-Changer for Restormel

The new MUGA will officially open on 4 December 2025. This marks a significant milestone for a school that began this journey with virtually no usable outdoor space for their young people, to one that now has access to an outside space for PE, sport and play at all times.

Moving from cramped, limited areas to a safe and spacious zone, physical activity can now be planned intentionally rather than constrained by space. Most importantly, students will now have access to opportunities for movement, challenge and success similar to those available to many of their peers in mainstream settings.

Wave Multi Academy Trust has consistently emphasised its commitment to enrichment and opportunity, with the new MUGA bringing this commitment to life. The opening of the MUGA is only the beginning for Restormel and the next phase will focus on embedding the space into the daily life of the school.

Restormel’s experience provides a model for how challenging Alternative Provision sites with limited outdoor access can be transformed into adaptive, active environments that support young people in meaningful and inclusive ways.

Restormel’s new MUGA represents a growing response to long-standing limitations in physical space and highlights the importance of investing in physical education, wellbeing, enrichment and connection across all educational settings. The enthusiasm of pupils and staff shows the profound impact the space will have.

Top Tips

If you are looking to create a similar space for your alternative provision here are some top tips: