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 an 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. 

Through this approach to play children are not only more active at lunch or break times, but they are also having the opportunity to further develop life skills such as cooperation, team work and problem solving. They are becoming motivated and enthusiastic builders, engineers, explorers and designers.

Meet the team

OPAL Mentor: Bobby Beaumont

Curriculum Lead: Amy Sharpe

Play Co-ordinator: Tracy Heath

Play Team: Toni Green, Dan Colburn, Kerry Monk, On Hart, Claire Mason, Jo Harvey, Alice Locker, Maddie Griffin

OPAL Play Champions

Our OPAL Play Champions hold a vital role in improving our lunchtime play. They volunteer to ensure zones are kept safe and tidy and help to promote positive play. Their responsibilities include encouraging children to build friendships, demonstrating to others how to self assess their own risk management and help to set up equipment ready for lunchtime. They are on the look out for amazing creativity within other children's play and ensure that these children are celebrated within our play assemblies.

Meetings are held between the Play Champions and our OPAL Play Curricular Lead to feedback on any improvements that could be made to our lunchtime play provision or anything they have found children are struggling with at lunchtime.