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. 

In October we took our accreditation and we are delighted to announce that we received the Gold Award, putting our school in the top 5% for it’s pupils play provision.  We are all so pleased with the outcome and the impact it has had on our pupils.

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 is now fully embedded into school life. We worked closely with an OPAL mentor who trained staff and led meetings with our OPAL group on a half termly basis to drive the project. 

We believe that play is a fundamental to children's physical and mental well-being. By embarking on the project; it enabled us ensure that our children are happy and engrossed in their play, which is more active, creative, collaborative, imaginative and social. 

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

The children asked for a boat and we delivered! HMS Hibaldstow is now berthed on our school field.