A team of volunteers from Siemens Mobility’s Goole Rail Village has completed a makeover of the playground at Kingsway Primary School in Goole. The project aimed to create an outdoor learning environment that inspires learning, promotes wellbeing, and encourages an interest in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and maths) from a young age. The makeover was made possible by a donation of over £2,000 from Siemens Mobility, which was used to purchase raw materials for the project. A team of 10 volunteers from the company spent a week during the school holidays building and installing the new features.
The new playground includes a range of interactive and educational features, such as a construction zone, gardening patch with a wormery and insect hotel, outdoor library, and theatre. Other installations include a mud kitchen, sandpit train, waterfall, weather vane, rain gauge, and thermometer. The project was designed to promote safety, creativity, and sustainability, while also encouraging children to develop an interest in STEM subjects.
The makeover is part of Siemens Mobility’s ongoing commitment to engaging with the local community and promoting STEM education. The company has invested up to £240 million in its Goole Rail Village, a state-of-the-art facility that is assembling tube trains for Transport for London’s Piccadilly line. Siemens Mobility has also partnered with national charity Primary Engineer to deliver an annual education programme, which has reached almost 30 schools, over 2,000 primary school children, and 80 teachers over the past five years.
The project has had a positive impact on the children at Kingsway Primary School, with the Year 1 teaching team reporting a noticeable boost in development across several key areas. The children have shown increased independence, resilience, and joy in their learning, and the freedom to engage with nature and each other has nurtured their curiosity, motivation, and ability to concentrate. The project leader, Maddy Barker, said that creating the outdoor learning space has been a rewarding experience and is a great example of Siemens Mobility’s commitment to making a positive impact locally.