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How to choose the best outdoor fitness equipment for your school

Accountability for pupil physical, mental and emotional wellbeing is higher than ever.

Increasing government strategies, a refreshed Ofsted inspection framework and new legislation on the horizon have placed a clear expectation on schools: prioritise (and evidence) long-term, sustainable change for the development of the whole child, not only academic outcomes.

The focus on children’s wellbeing is, as we all know, well-founded. Looking at physical activity alone, over half of all children in England don’t meet the minimum daily movement recommendation of 60-minutes (that’s over 2.2 million children!)

There’s a rapidly growing need for schools to evaluate and improve their outdoor fitness provision, from EYFS to KS4. But where to start?

In this blog, we walk you through what to consider when choosing outdoor fitness equipment for schools – covering phases, budget, funding and how to find the right fit for your pupils.

Why outdoor fitness equipment?

There’s rarely just one single reason driving a school leader’s decision to explore outdoor fitness equipment. If you’ve found your way to this blog, it’s likely that at least one of these feels familiar:

What schools want to improve

• Pupil activity levels across the board – particularly for the least active and most disengaged
• Opportunities to practise fundamental movement skills throughout the school day, not just in PE
• Purposeful playtimes where pupils spend energy, have fun and return to class ready to focus
• The profile of PE, sport and physical activity across the whole school
• The variety of what’s on offer – so football doesn’t monopolise the space and every pupil finds something for them

What schools want to get ahead of

• Rising levels of obesity and the physical development gaps that have widened since the pandemic
• Playtime boredom and the dysregulation that often follows
• Falling short on evidencing that pupil health and wellbeing is a school priority
• An outdoor space that isn’t pulling its weight

Outdoor fitness provision won’t solve all of these on its own, but it’s a meaningful way to evidence how your playground is a part of a whole-school approach to pupil wellbeing.

What’s under the umbrella of outdoor fitness equipment?

In short, more than you might expect. Outdoor gym equipment is usually the first thing that comes to mind, but outdoor gyms are just one part of a broader category.

At Fawns, our sports and fitness range covers three main areas:

1. Outdoor fitness equipment (including health trek trails, calisthenics units, multi-gyms and outdoor gym stations)
2. MUGA pitches (including the MUGA itself and the goal ends and targets)
3. Playground sports equipment (things like ball wall target practice, basketball hoops and mini goals)

The right solution for your school might be one of these, a combination, or something built up in phases as budget allows. Knowing the full range before you speak to a playground supplier means you’re far less likely to miss something that would serve your pupils better.

Popular fitness equipment for schools

It’s useful to see what settings with similar needs, budgets and pupil demographic are choosing (and why) when it comes to outdoor fitness equipment.

Looking for inspiration? We have a dedicated recent projects page packed full of playground design ideas.

Let’s look at popular choices for the age range you have in mind

Early years

In early years the environment needs to do a lot of work to help children achieve their physical development learning goals. The most popular choices are those that invite movement without instruction: EYFS trim trails, stepping posts, crawl tunnels and low-level climbing frames are all popular.

EYFS fitness equipment is a little different to the others as it supports child-led exploration and builds physical confidence through play rather than obvious physical activity.

Primary schools

Primary schools tend to look for equipment that’s flexible to meet a range of ages and abilities with some non-negotiables underpinning their choice.

• Inclusive design and accessibility
• Low free-fall heights
• Flexible challenge available
• Targets all fundamental movement skills

Popular outdoor fitness products often include trim trails, climbing frames, playground sports equipment like wall ball targets, basketball hoops and, of course, outdoor gym stations.

If your school is also a part of the evolving school breakfast club provision, it’s worth thinking about how your outdoor provision connects to it as the DfE’s guidance explicitly includes physical activity and outdoor play as appropriate breakfast club provision.

Secondary schools

The concept of outdoor play in secondary schools is different to primary, where outdoor play takes on a different form.

Secondary age students often respond better to equipment that support self-directed fitness, peer-led activity and can anchor before and after school clubs with no ongoing cost.

Popular KS3 and KS4 fitness equipment include calisthenics units, equipment that encourages body weight workouts like pull-up stations, outdoor multi-gyms and health trek trails.

What does outdoor fitness equipment cost?

The range is wide, which is good news for schools, because it means there’s a starting point for most budgets.

Smaller additions like target practice panels and traverse walls can be a lower-cost way to improve variety in your outdoor space.

Mid-range investments like health trek trails designed to physically challenge pupils – they’re also a favourite for schools looking to use their outdoor space to help pupils emotionally regulate.

Then there’s the larger playground projects such as a MUGA pitch, creating a dedicated space for curriculum PE, before and after school clubs and competitive play at break times.

It’s important to not forget the choice of surfacing often paired with fitness equipment and playground projects – any reputable supplier will include these transparently in their quote from the outset.

Funding outdoor fitness equipment for your school

Primary schools can use their PE and Sport Premium for some outdoor fitness equipment, provided it makes a sustainable improvement to PE and sport provision (take note of the restrictions attached to the grant and your Local Authority’s de minimis value for capital expenditure).

For school leaders planning their next playground project, PTAs, community grants and local business sponsorship can all contribute to bridging the gap (some easy PTA fundraising ideas have even brought in up to £2000 in a single day event).

Questions to ask your playground equipment supplier

Choosing the right supplier matters as much as choosing the right equipment. It’s worth asking:

• Do you visit the site before quoting, or do you quote unseen? (We’d always advise against unseen quotes to avoid surprise costs)
• Is surfacing included in the quote from the outset?
• What safety standards does the equipment meet? (Look for BS EN 1176 and BS EN 1177)
• What does installation include? (Look for a supplier where you have a dedicated contract manager for smooth sailing)
• What’s the maintenance requirement for the equipment you’re considering?
• Do you have experience working specifically with schools?
• Can you provide references or show us completed projects?

How Fawns works with schools

We’ve been designing and installing outdoor fitness equipment for schools across the UK for over 35 years – and our process is built around your school, not just picking a product from a brochure.

It starts with a free site visit. We’ll come to you and efficiently get to know your space and your priorities. From there, we’ll put together a project design and a transparent quote that includes surfacing and installation – no surprises.

Once your project is complete, we don’t disappear. Our team is on hand for any aftercare and maintenance support you might need, so your equipment keeps working hard for your pupils long after installation day.

Get in touch to talk more about your outdoor fitness provision plans.

More articles you’ll like:

How to choose a climbing frame for your school

12 PTA fundraising ideas for playground equipment: A guide for UK schools

DfE Education Estates Strategy 2026: What schools need to know