Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL)
What is OPAL?
In September we launched our exciting new project to make lunchtimes even better, in partnership with Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL).
In 2018, OPAL won the Best Active Schools Programme in Europe Award and has been cited in two parliamentary reports as an example of outstanding practice. OPAL is also working closely with Sport England to promote more active childhoods.
Through improving our lunchtime provision, we aim to give every child more opportunities for socialisation, cooperation, coordination, resilience, creativity, imagination and, above all, enjoyment.
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.”
(Children’s Play Council, 2001)
Our hope is that this project will transform the way we think about and experience play together. To support it, we are buying new resources, rearranging areas of our playgrounds and considering how we can adapt our outdoor spaces to provide the best possible play experiences for the children.
We will also be asking members of our school community—including parents, staff, local businesses and charity shops—to donate materials, resources and ‘loose parts’ to our OPAL project. Loose parts are materials that can be easily moved, combined and incorporated
into children’s free play. The items we are looking for will enable the children to enjoy a much wider range of play experiences during lunchtime.
An important part of the OPAL approach is being outside in all weathers (unless they are extreme, e.g. extreme cold, extreme heat, torrential rain). Therefore it is absolutely essential that children come to school with a coat every day as they are highly likely to be outside playing in most weathers.
More information about OPAL can be found on their website : https://outdoorplayandlearning.org.uk/
