Curriculum
Curriculum
Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL)
We are excited to introduce OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) – an award-winning program designed to improve children’s playtime at school. Play is essential for learning, well-being, and development, and we want to ensure every child has an amazing play experience every day.
Why OPAL?
Children today have fewer opportunities to play freely outside. On average:
- 6 hours are spent on a screen daily
- Only 5 hours are spent outdoors playing per week
- 56% of UK children only play outside with others at school
Since children spend about 20% of their school time playing, we want to make it as beneficial as possible!
Actions we’ve completed so far:
- Shared and analysed staff, parent/carer, and child surveys
- Created an OPAL working group (including a parent governor)
- Completed whole staff training on improving playtime
What This Means for You
As we enhance outdoor play, you may notice:
- More use of school grounds throughout the year
- Children coming home a little messier!
- Requests for play-friendly clothing and resources
Play isn’t just fun – it’s essential for children’s social, emotional, and physical development. The OPAL program helps schools create safer, more engaging playtimes, leading to happier children, fewer disputes, and more positive behaviour.
We will be working with OPAL for 18 months and will invite you to events where you can see the impact firsthand.
You can also learn more at www.outdoorplayandlearning.org.uk.
We will keep you updated on our OPAL journey—thank you for your support in making playtime better for all children!
