OPAL - Outdoor Play and Learning

We are very excited to be undertaking a joint playground development project with the infant school and the support from an organisation called OPAL.  

OPAL stands for ‘outdoor play and learning’ and is a strategic improvement programme designed to help us improve opportunities for play and make sure our outdoor environment provides the best range of experiences for the children at our school. This is a joint project with our neighbouring infant school.

Below is more information about OPAL and why we feel this is a fantastic project to undertake.

Did you know that playtime is about 20% of every child’s day at school? It is also, for many children, one of the few times that they have to play outside regularly with their friends and without devices.

The Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme is the result of over 20 years of testing and development in over 800 schools across the UK and internationally.

OPAL is based on the idea that, as well as learning through good teaching, your children also learn when they play. As 20% of their time in school is playtime, we want to make sure that this amount of time (equivalent to 1.4 years of primary school) is as good as possible.

There are many proven benefits for schools that carry out the OPAL Primary Programme. They usually include children enjoying school more, more teaching time because there are fewer accidents and arguments, increased physical activity and even children becoming better at maths.

Play is not messing about. It is the process evolution has come up with to enable children to learn all of the things that cannot be taught. That is why it is fun.

There are certain things children must have in order to be able to play. These include:

• clothes that they can play in all year round.

• things to play with.

• a certain amount of freedom.

If you would like to learn more about the OPAL Primary Programme, please have a look at the OPAL website (www.outdoorplayandlearning.org.uk), where you will find lots of useful information. 

In October 2024 we held a stay and play session for parents and carers to come and see how the project is going after a year of development. Here are some quotes from parents and carers following this session:-

'The joy on the child's face seeing a parent come to spend quality time with them at their school is worth the world. Thank you for this incredible opportunity.'

'Simply brilliant! Kids were finding new and innovative ways to play with such simple things!'

'Builds curiosity, kills boredom and sparks creativity!'

Our OPAL Journey so far

September 2023 - 

• Joint CHI & CHJ staff training (including Coombe Connections and lunchtime staff) about the OPAL project

October 2023

• Appointed an OPAL working party which includes both Headteachers, 2 Curricular Leads for play, 3 Play Coordinators, a Play Governor and we will be looking for involvement from parents and further meeting with our OPAL mentor about this.

November 2023

• Play policy in place

• Assemblies started to introduce children to the new play areas

• Children began playing on areas of both school sites eg dancing on the amphitheatre and playing with small world under the Junior Sail. 

• Parent, staff and children surveys completed about their thoughts on the importance of play.

December 2023

• Grounds meeting with OPAL mentor and field opened up for infant and junior children to play with tyres. 

• Appeal to school community to help resource play:-

January 2024

• Junior children to start playing go over to in the infant  playground eg The Reading House and the Log Cabin Garden. 

February 2024

• Development 2 Meeting with the OPAL Working Party  and risk management training for all staff.

• 3 trees identified in the school grounds that were safe to climb and these were marked so that children could identify them easily.

March 2024

• Zip line installed by the ELSA hut. All children were taken with their class teacher to have a go before it was opened at lunchtime. 

April 2024

• Field opened up throughout the whole of lunchtime for children to play on. 

May 2024

• Pond area opened up for half of lunch, supervised closely by a member of staff. 

June 2024

• International day of play where there were lots of additional activies on the field. Children fed back to their RRS ambassadors about the ones they enjoyed most. 

• Curriculum lead and play coordinator from the junior school visited a platimum OPAL school to gather further ideas. 

September 2024

• Lunctimes aligned with the infants so that we are all out form 12-1pm daily.

• Storage sheds bought for near the field and MUGA to store playtime equipment in for ease of access.

• Welly storage stations at various points around the school, whilst awaiting delivery of main welly store.

October 2024

• Parents invited for 'Stay and Play' at lunchtime to see how far the project has come.  

• Wheels introduced on the MUGA for the second half of lunch.

November 2024

• Main welly storage arrived and installed. Also welly cleaning stations set up by the hall and atrium. 

December 2024

• Junior leadership team and Rights Repsecting School Ambassdors work on a play charter as well as gathering feedback from the children in their classes on the project so far and what they would like next.

February 2025

• JLT recap key areas for OPAL and launch the play charter. 

• Play charter shared with all classes.

March 2025

• Swings added to the orchard area, following feeback from the children.

April 2025

• Maps of the grounds updated with all the zones and to include the play charter. 

• Year 5 playrangers appointed ready to take over from the Year 6 in the summer term and into next academic year. 

May 2025

• 21 Headteachers visited the school to look at pupil voice and observed OPAL in action at lunchtime. 

June 2025

• Development 3 meeting with the working party and play team of both schools.