Pupils found glass in our sand-pit around the pirate ship this week. This area is closed while we work to check and make things safe.

Phil Kennedy, Play Leader, and site staff are baffled. It is not clear where the glass has come from. Staff have reported finding and clearing broken glass up in other places too. Visual checks are made daily before pupils use our outside equipment with a more detailed inspection each week.

Working theories include glass waste in the soil reaching the surface as a result of a lower sand level through wear and tear, combined with excited children digging down to soil level, revealing the glass; or glass being brought on to the site by others – broken pupils' snack boxes, during lettings, or possibly overnight trespassing.

Options could include paving over the area to remove the risk completely. This feels excessive. There have been no similar incidents in the past 11 years. Instead, we are:

• topping up with 15 tonnes of (play-grade) sand
• increasing our vigilance during visual checks
• adding raking the sand surface to the weekly, more detailed inspection
• teaching pupils about what to do if they find something like glass in the sand-pit – much like we might do as parents when we are on a public beach.

Parent volunteers with a shovel are welcome, if you could space any time to help us shift 15 tonnes of sand. Flexible times. Email: admin@fielding.ealing.sch.uk with subject 'I’ve got a shovel' and we will contact you. Sand delivery is expected on Tuesday.