This page shows the developments we have made to improve our play times and we are working closely with OPAL to make our play times even better.  (http://outdoorplayandlearning.org.uk/). OPAL has won the best active schools’ programme in Europe award and been cited in two Parliamentary Reports as outstanding practice. OPAL is working closely with Sport England to promote more active childhoods. 

Keep scrolling to learn more about our play time ethos and see some photographs of our developing area.......why not follow our Twitter page to keep up to date with the latest developments and how we use our equipment.

We strongly believe that: "Play is freely chosen, personally directed, intrinsically motivated behaviour that actively engages the child. Play can be fun or serious. Through play children explore social, material and imaginary worlds and their relationship with them, elaborating all the while a flexible range of responses to the challenges they encounter. By playing, children learn and develop as individuals, and as members of the community" (Play Council 2001).

Research has shown that children spend 20% of their time in school playing. To ensure that this time and our fantastic school grounds are used to their full potential our school has adopted the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) philosophy that allows the children freedom to explore play in their own imaginative ways, often using found and gathered resources in the natural outdoor environment.

Our OPAL journey began in September 2021 and this project will take 18 months until it is fully embedded into school life. We are working closely with our OPAL mentor who is training staff and leading meetings with our OPAL group on a half termly basis. 

Our latest developments are our tyre swing, giant sand pit and small world play zones. 

We love our play times and OPAL has helped to make them even better.