OPAL - Outdoor Play and Learning

"West Horndon Primary School has just achieved Platinum award status from OPAL Outdoor Play and Learning. This means that they are in the top 0.5% of UK schools for the quality of the play they provide for all their children. The school has demonstrated that it takes the UNCRC Article 31, the child's right to play, seriously and is implementing all stages of school improvement in relation to play, including policy, planning, resourcing, staffing and evaluation."

- Michael Follett BA Hons Ed, PGCE OPAL Founder and Director

What is OPAL?

OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) is an exciting whole-school programme that helps us make playtimes even better for every child.

It’s all about giving children more freedom, more fun and more chances to play in different ways — whether that means being active, building something amazing, getting creative, exploring nature, or simply enjoying time with friends.

OPAL helps schools improve their outdoor areas so playtimes become a really positive part of the day, supporting children’s:

• happiness and wellbeing

• confidence and independence

• friendships and teamwork

• physical activity and healthy habits

What might you see at playtime?

With OPAL, playtime becomes full of choice, imagination and adventure. On a typical day you might see children:

🌿 Getting creative

• making up imaginative games and role-play

• creating “small worlds” with sticks, stones and leaves

• putting on shows, running “shops” or inventing new playground games

🪵 Building and problem solving

• constructing dens, hideouts or “bases”

• working together with tyres, crates, planks or pallets to build obstacle courses

• testing ideas, improving designs and learning from each other

🏃 Being active and adventurous

• climbing, balancing and exploring different areas of the playground

• making their own physical challenges, races and games

• playing ball games, skipping, chasing games or scooter play

🌱 Enjoying nature

• digging, gardening, mud play and outdoor exploration

• collecting and investigating natural treasures

• noticing seasonal changes and enjoying being outdoors in all kinds of weather

👥 Growing friendships

• playing with different children across year groups

• learning to share, cooperate, negotiate and take turns

• building confidence through shared play and teamwork

Why is this so important?

We know that children learn so much through play. High-quality play helps children to:

• feel happier and more settled

• develop resilience and independence

• build stronger friendships

• be more active and healthy

And when playtimes are positive, children often return to class feeling calmer, more focused and ready to learn.

Our OPAL Journey

In October 2022, we began our OPAL journey and we are delighted with the positive impact it is having on our pupils at lunchtime. Our rationale for choosing OPAL was simple - we recognised how the pandemic, national lockdowns, and partial school closures had reduced children's opportunities to socialise with their peers. Our ethos of developing the whole child puts social interaction at the heart of what we do. We viewed the OPAL project as a way of redressing the balance and providing children with richer, more meaningful ways of interacting with their peers and 'catching up' for lost time. The development of social skills is crucial in providing children with a positive school experience and we are confident that our children - who now have a more purposeful, enjoyable and rewarding lunchtime experience - are fulfilled throughout every part of the day, which enables them to be more receptive to learning inside and outside the classroom. This, ultimately, fits our long-held belief that happy children learn best.