OPAL
The Importance of Play
UN Rights of the Child:
Article 31 (leisure, play and culture) Every child has the right to relax, play and take part in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities.
Research has shown that children spend 20% of their time in school playing.
Article 31 (leisure, play and culture) Every child has the right to relax, play and take part in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities.
Research has shown that children spend 20% of their time in school playing.
This equates to 1.4 years of their school attendance.
To ensure that this time and our fantastic school grounds are used to their full potential,
our school has adopted an OPAL 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 as well as man-made items.
We believe that play is essential for physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual
We believe that play is essential for physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual
development of each child. An OPAL approach promotes a more inclusive play environment in
which all children can feel comfortable to express themselves.
Most of our best childhood memories are from playing outdoors, climbing trees and
exploring the wide world around us. OPAL gives us the opportunity to give those memories to your children.
Why OPAL?
We are starting our journey to enrich playtimes (March 2024), with the support of our OPAL Mentor
and the OPAL Programme, we are transforming our vision of play across the school.
The children will love the new outdoor opportunities that OPAL offers with so much more for them to do: from building dens and forts, making rope swings, to enjoying imaginative play
in the small world area or cooking up a storm in the mud kitchen.
Alongside this, we have created zones for the children to enjoy sporting activities and more traditional playground games. So many play types for them to enjoy!
Through this approach to play, children are not only more active at playtimes,
but they are also having the opportunity to further develop life skills such as
cooperation, teamwork and problem solving.
They will become motivated and enthusiastic builders, engineers, explorers and designers.
Can you help?
OPAL Donations.mp4
