Outdoor gym equipment for schools
Outdoor gym equipment gives older pupils something to do at break that is not football, and gives PE staff a circuit for fitness lessons. It suits secondary schools especially, where traditional play equipment no longer appeals.
This page covers what to choose, how much space it takes and what it costs to install.
£5,000
per outdoor gym station, installed, before VAT
Outdoor gym equipment suits you if
- You are a secondary or all-through school with little for older pupils to do at break.
- PE wants an outdoor fitness circuit without booking the sports hall.
- You want to offer the space to the community after school.
- Upper Key Stage 2 pupils have outgrown the climbing frame.
What outdoor gym equipment costs
| Item | Guide, before VAT |
|---|---|
| Single station Cross trainer, pull-up bars, sit-up bench, push-up bars | £5,000 |
| Four-station circuit Installed with footings | £20,000 |
| Eight-station circuit Installed with footings | £40,000 |
| Wetpour, black, 20 mm Per m², under stations, on an existing base | £57.60 |
Where these figures come from
Installed prices per item come from the indicative supply, installation and surfacing costs a Scottish council publishes for community groups (The Highland Council, November 2021). Prices have risen since, so treat them as the lower end for 2026 and allow a margin. Wetpour rates are from a published UK price list, June 2026, supply and lay on an existing base. All before VAT. A guide, not a quote.
Choosing stations for a school
Body-weight before moving parts
Pull-up bars, dip bars, sit-up benches and parallel bars take heavy use with little to wear out. Cardio machines with moving parts need more maintenance.
Sized for pupils
Adult outdoor gym kit is designed for users over about 1.4 m tall. Ask the maker which stations suit secondary pupils and which suit upper primary.
Instruction boards
Clear signs showing each exercise, so pupils use the kit safely without a teacher at every station.
Surfacing to the maker’s spec
Most stations have low fall heights; follow the maker’s instructions. Wetpour or rubber tiles keep the area usable all year.
Laying out a circuit
Group stations in a loop or along a path so a class can rotate round them. Allow the maker’s free space round each station, usually 1.5 to 2 m, and keep the area visible from the main building for supervision. Four to eight stations typically fit in 60 to 110 m².
Want the circuit in for the summer term? Ask for prices now.
Get free quotesHow an outdoor gym goes in
Brief and site visit
Who the space is for, how many children use it at once, the area, the ground, and what you can spend. A good installer walks the site, checks access for machinery and asks about underground services.
Design and price
A scaled layout with each piece, its impact area and the surfacing, plus a fixed price. Ask for the fall heights and the surfacing depth in writing so you can compare quotes like for like.
Installation
Typically two to four days for a small circuit: set out, footings, fix stations, surfacing, signs.
Post-installation inspection
An independent inspection to BS EN 1176 before children use it, the maker’s maintenance manual, and a routine check sheet for your site team.
Questions schools ask
How much does outdoor gym equipment cost for a school?
Allow about £5,000 per station installed, so £20,000 for four and £40,000 for eight, before VAT and surfacing.
Is outdoor gym equipment safe for children?
Choose equipment the maker rates for the age group, made to the relevant standards, and inspect it yearly. Some adult outdoor gym equipment is not intended for younger children.
What surface goes under outdoor gym equipment?
Follow the maker’s instructions. Low stations can sit on tarmac or grass; wetpour or rubber tiles are common because they stay usable in wet weather.
Can the community use it after school?
Many schools do, which can help with grant applications. Think about access, insurance and who inspects it before opening it up.
Can we use the PE and sport premium?
Not for new equipment. The conditions of grant for 2026 to 2027 say the premium cannot be used for capital expenditure, which includes buying equipment that becomes a school asset. Routine maintenance, such as repainting lines, is allowed.
Get prices for outdoor gym equipment
Three short steps: where the school is, what you have in mind, and how to reach you. It takes about two minutes.
This is a free matching service, not a play equipment installer. We tell you which installer we have found before they see your brief.
Thanks, your enquiry is in.
- Within one working day we email or phone with the name of a play equipment installer working in your region.
- The brief goes to them once you confirm.
- They visit, talk through the space and give you a design and a fixed price. No marketing from us, ever.