In 2023 -2024, the school embarked on an exciting project working alongside OPAL with a mission to create playtimes that met our school vision statement of creating 'A compassionate and inclusive school where pupils, staff and families build happy memories and love attending every day.' The school sees OPAL as central to this aim by making lunchtimes as exciting, imaginative and creative as they can possibly be.
A few times a term, the school holds OPAL assemblies. During these assemblies, the children get to celebrate what has been going really well, review areas for improvement and agree on what can be further developed in the project. Children are taught through the assemblies how to risk assess their play and to take on challenges.
OPAL playtimes look different everyday. The children have opportunities to engage with all the different play types. This includes being able to physically climb trees to a specified level, ride trikes and scooters in designated areas as well as build structures using tyres, planks of wood and any resources in the natural environment. On dry days, their is music and a bubble machine on the playground, chalks for drawing as well as other arts and crafts. For children who wish to play in a quieter environment, there is Lego and small world toys and at the opposite end of the scale there is a piano for the children to create music! Slack line gyms and swing allow pupils to burn off some energy and there is a 'command' bunker for imaginative play. The school is constantly evaluating its offer and hopes to install a 'play pond' and new climbing equipment during this academic year.
The school follows the OPAL programme for assessing risks and uses a Risk Benefit Assessment system. This involves weighing up the risks of different play types and equipment against the benefits gained from them. The school then introduces rules and processes to reduce risk. After any near miss or incident, the school reviews the provision in place and looks at whether changes need to be made to the provision to ensure it is as safe as possible, whilst allowing children to take considered risks.
The Play Team work hard to ensure children are safe. A member of the school's Senior Leadership Team joins the Play Team outside each day. The Play Team can be seen in high visibility jackets on the playground and field. The Play Team remain alert to play that can be getting more risky and will move closer to any such play. If it is felt that the play has become dangerous or beyond the risk assessment, they will intervene or help children to modify the play so it becomes 'safe enough'.
In 2025, the school has introduce a new OPAL Council. Their role is to oversee OPAL playtimes, advise on what can be improved and also help judge the winner of the 'Golden Welly' each week. They organise litter picking to ensure our environment stays tidy as well as helping in play assemblies to agree the rules with the rest of the school. The OPAL Council representatives also survey their classes to find out what other forms of play and equipment pupils would like.
Newly introduced for 2025, the OPAL Council has introduced a 'Golden Welly'. This is a prize awarded to the class that tidies their area the best, ensures all their wellies are tidily placed on the welly racks as well as lines up quietly outside their classroom, prepared to do their best learning. The class that wins the 'Golden Welly' gets an extra five minutes playtime on the following Monday lunchtime.
OPAL is an award-winning mentor supported school improvement programme that addresses all the areas that schools must plan for if they want to strategically and sustainably improve the quality of their play opportunities.
OPAL is the only programme of its kind that has been independently proven to sustainably improve the quality of play in British primary schools.
Its success comes from a series of interrelated actions undertaken with the specialist support from an OPAL mentor. This embeds play into school’s policies and practices and establishes clear guiding principles and strategies for initiating changes at playtimes. The results can be transformational in even the more challenging school environments.
Find out more:www.outdoorplayandlearning.org.uk