Oxford Area

Oxford Area School’s new all-weather canopy has created far more than a covered court. It has given the school and wider Oxford community a dependable space for sport, training and activity all year round.

The 57 x 36 metre structure covers 2,052m² of sports turf, giving the school a space that can be used far more consistently throughout the year, regardless of what the Canterbury weather is doing.

For the school, that means more certainty around sport, PE and training. For the wider Oxford community, it has created something just as valuable: a high-quality covered facility that local clubs can use after hours.

Netball, tennis and rugby clubs have all been keen to get onto the new surface, with a booking system being put in place to manage community use outside school hours. The turf is marked for multiple sports, and there is even space for two 50-metre running lanes under cover.

Lighting extends the usable hours into the evening, while a built-in sound system gives the school more options for training, events and other activities.

What makes the project particularly significant is the level of engineering behind it. Oxford sits in demanding conditions, so the canopy has been designed for a 50-year life in a Very High Snow Load Zone, with Specific Engineering Design required for wind.

That gives the school confidence that this is not simply a short-term improvement to the sports courts. It is infrastructure that can be used by generations of students, while also giving local clubs access to a facility they would otherwise be unlikely to have.