OPAL Project 2021 - 23

 

U​pdate July 2023

C​hildren are loving our play offer. As our building project comes to a close and we have more access to the field, we have been able to add a huge (and very popular) sand pit and we have redecorated our club house to provide a library on the field. In the next academic year, we will continue to develop our OPAL play offer.

 

 

U​pdate September 2023

Our OPAL project is well on the way and our children have many new areas to explore and play. Our outdoor learning space has many new zones including: a mud kitchen area, Lego and building zones, a zen den, a mini world and loose parts zones for our children to build and create. Our children are becoming skilled, motivated and enthusiastic builders, engineers, explorers and designers, who love their playtimes!

 

 

Children spend up to 20% of their time at school playing. Play is essential to the health and well-being of children and promotes the development of creativity, imagination, self-confidence, self-efficacy, as well as physical, social, cognitive, and emotional strength and skills. With this in mind, we have embarked on our OPAL (Outside Play and Learning) journey to give our children play experiences and freedom to explore and play in their own imaginative ways. Find out more at: http://www.outdoorplayandlearning.org.uk

Our Play Offer

  • Construction - crates, tyres and drums
  • Outdoor climbing frame
  • Outdoor music area
  • Lego tables
  • Zen den/ peace garden
  • Mud Kitchen
  • Sports equipment
  • Scooters and bikes
  • Small world role play
  • Chalks, bubbles and music

 

What's next?

We are currently working with Delemere Forest rangers to create our very own forest skills area.

 

Click here to view our Play and Risk Management Policy.

Update January 2022

We shared our exciting new plans with our parents.

Click here to see the letter that went home to parents from Opal.

 

A school working party including staff, governors and Friends have been meeting with the Outdoor Plan and Learning for Schools team (Opal) to talk about supporting us as we redesign our school grounds to ensure pupils have access to new learning experiences and exciting new equipment. We have always been incredibly lucky to have a huge school field, several playgrounds and an exciting forest area within our grounds. However, we now want to work with our pupils and parents to develop and extend these facilities, ensuring fun play and learning whatever the weather. .