A new synthetic turf project in Coventry, West Midlands has equipped Henley Green Primary School with a high-quality pitch, providing year-round access to sport for both pupils and the surrounding community.

The new playing surface addresses a long-standing issue in one of Coventry’s more deprived areas, where the lack of a reliable all-weather playing surface has previously hindered opportunities, both in school hours and beyond.

The new synthetic turf pitch provides a safe, durable surface designed for football, multi-skills sessions and athletics, supporting the school’s PE programme while also offering local teams and residents access to a top-quality facility outside school hours. Offering the facilities outside of school hours will also provide the school with additional revenue streams.

Synthetic turf has become the go-to for projects of this kind for good reason. Pitches can sustain intensive, year-round use without compromising on playing quality or safety, without worrying about the effects of overplay, waterlogging or seasonal downtime.

For a school and community sharing a single facility, this is incredibly important. It means PE lessons, lunchtime activities, after-school clubs, evening community use and weekend matches can all take place on the same surface with a greatly reduced risk of deterioration, and without the maintenance costs that come with managing a natural grass pitch.

The performance characteristics of modern synthetic turf also support better, more inclusive sport. Consistent surface conditions help reduce the unpredictability that can disrupt training sessions or community programmes, while the all-weather nature of 3G means children, families and grassroots teams are not at the mercy of British weather. With the winter of 2025-26 seeing England receive 35% more precipitation than the long-term meteorological average (LTA), and this trend set to continue, the issue becomes even more pertinent. For schools in particular, this opens up a far broader range of activities than would otherwise be possible, supporting confidence and engagement with sport from an earlier age.

The installation at Henley Green Primary School was delivered by Notts Sport in partnership with Groundwork and Leisure, the specialist sports surfaces contractor, and aligns with the work of Sky Blues in the Community, the official charity of Coventry City Football Club. The charity has supported young people in the West Henley, Earl Marsh and Moat House areas of Coventry for more than a decade, and the pitch is expected to play a central role in its ongoing efforts to improve health, education and inclusion outcomes through sport.

Stefan Diderich, Director General/CEO of EMEA Synthetic Turf Council (ESTC), said: “Projects like this demonstrate exactly why synthetic turf has become such an important part of the community sport landscape. A synthetic turf pitch transforms what a school and its surrounding area can offer, providing a safe, durable surface that can be used year-round without the maintenance burden or weather dependency of natural grass.

“In areas where access to sport has historically been limited, facilities like this one at Henley Green Primary School can have an impact that goes far beyond PE lessons. They support healthier, more active communities, give young people somewhere meaningful to spend their time and create opportunities for grassroots clubs and local programmes to thrive. It is a clear example of synthetic turf delivering real social value.”

The pitch is now in use, with the official opening marked by a celebratory event attended by students, staff, parents, local dignitaries and community members, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony and demonstration match by the school’s football team.