OPAL - Outdoor Learning and Play 

We are very pleased to share the exciting news that we are launching the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme in school from September 2024. Initially the programme will be for Key Stage 1 and 2 children.

OPAL is all about improving opportunities for physical activity, socialisation, cooperation, coordination, resilience, independence, creativity, imagination and enjoyment through improved play. Making playtime fun!

The OPAL Primary Programme is the result of over 20 years of testing and development in over 800 schools and has been used in Spain, Canada, France and New Zealand. The programme has also been adapted and used in schools in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Austria under the Play Friendly Schools project. In 2018, OPAL won first prize in an EU-funded award for the best active school’s programme in Europe and two UK national playwork awards. In 2019, OPAL was awarded a quarter of a million pounds by Sport England to bring the programme to many more schools.

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

One of the many reasons we are starting OPAL is because we know that childhood has changed with:

●       Average screen times per day of six hours.

●       Average outdoor play time per week is five hours.

●       Percentage of UK children who only play outdoors with other children at school is 56%.

There are many proven benefits for schools that are already part of the OPAL Primary Programme. They include more enjoyment of school, less teaching time lost to disputes and falling out between children, fewer accidents and greatly improved behaviour outside.

We all know how important play is. Play is not messing about. It is how children learn all of the things that cannot be taught, while also having so much fun.

As we start of our OPAL Programme the children will need to have a few items in school to be able to play every day. Just like Forest School, OPAL is an all-weather, all environment programme.

From September, the children will need to have the following items available every day:

●       A pair of wellies

●       A waterproof coat

●       Waterproof bottoms

We know you are all used to sending in these items for Forest School, but from September these items will need to stay in school all-year round. Can we please ask that you name everything you send in – we’re going to have over 236 pairs or 472 individual wellies!

To make sure the children have plenty of opportunity to play, we will making a change to the structure and timings of lunchtime. From September, lunchtimes for Key Stage 1 and 2 will be 12 to 1pm each day.  During this time, each class will be called into the hall to eat, before returning outside once they have finished. 

As we develop the OPAL ‘zones’ across our school site, we will be asking for donations of old items and loose parts for the children to use in their play. Attached to this letter is a list of our first OPAL zones and the items we will need to set them up. We would be very grateful of any donations between now and the end of the school year.

Over next academic year and beyond, we will add more zones to our OPAL lunchtimes. The children will have fortnightly OPAL assemblies with the OPAL play leaders and their own OPAL ambassadors where the new Zones will be shared and the children will learn how to play in them safely. We are looking forward to bringing in scooters and bikes, pallets and tyres and a sand zone in the near future!

Once we start OPAL the children will be using more of the grounds, for more of the year. They may get a bit messy, as they are exposed to more challenges and have greater freedoms to play where, with whom and how they like. These experiences are essential for children’s physical and mental wellbeing and are in line with all current good practice advice on health and safety, wellbeing and development. It’s why wellies and waterproofs will be so important.

If you would like to learn more about the programme, please have a look at the OPAL website:

www.outdoorplayandlearning.org.uk, 

where you will find lots of useful information and several videos so you can see it in action.

We are really excited about this project and look forward to seeing the positive changes it will make.