Outdoor Play and Learning - OPAL

At our school, we believe that high quality play is essential for every child’s wellbeing, happiness, and development. That’s why we are proud to be part of the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) Programme, a nationally recognised, school wide approach that transforms playtimes and enriches children’s daily experiences.

OPAL helps us create a play environment that is inclusive, imaginative, active, and full of opportunities to learn and grow. Through well planned outdoor provision, children develop resilience, teamwork, creativity, independence and problem solving skills- - while having fun.

What Is OPAL?

OPAL is a long term, award winning programme designed to improve play opportunities for all children. It supports schools in creating a culture where play is valued, well resourced, and central to children’s physical, social and emotional development.

With OPAL, play is not just a break in the day - it is a vital part of learning.

What OPAL Looks Like at Our School

Since introducing OPAL, we have transformed our outdoor spaces into rich, exciting learning environments. Playtimes now offer a wide variety of experiences, including:

Loose parts play (crates, tyres, pipes, fabrics, etc.)
Construction and building areas
Mud kitchens and messy play
Den building and imaginative role play zones
Nature and exploration areas
Performance and creative spaces
Water and sand play
Quiet, reflective spaces for calm time
Wheelie toys to support with physical development

Children have freedom to explore, invent, collaborate and express themselves - whatever their interests or abilities.

Why OPAL Matters: Benefits for Our Children

Our OPAL playtimes help children to:

Be more physically active
Build confidence and independence
Develop social skills and teamwork
Strengthen problem solving and creativity
Improve emotional wellbeing
Form positive relationships across year groups
Enjoy happier, richer, more fulfilling play experiences

We have already seen improvements in social interaction, behaviour, cooperation, and children’s overall happiness at playtime.

Safety and Supervision

All staff involved in playtimes receive OPAL training to support safe, meaningful and engaging play. We use a risk–benefit approach, meaning children are encouraged to challenge themselves in a supported way, gaining independence and resilience while staying safe. Clear routines, expectations and supervision ensure that everyone can play confidently and responsibly.

How Families Can Help

We often welcome donations of materials to support our OPAL play. Items we may request include:

Clean pipes, crates, tubes, planks, tyres
Dressing up clothes and fabrics
Pots, pans and kitchen items for messy play
Small world figures, construction toys
Natural materials (pebbles, sticks, cones, shells)

If you have suitable items, please contact Mrs Gudger or the school office. Families may also be invited to volunteer during development days or outdoor clean up sessions. Your support makes a huge difference!

Our OPAL Journey

We are continually working to develop and improve our outdoor provision. Each term we review our progress, refine our play spaces, and introduce new opportunities. As we move through the OPAL programme, we look forward to celebrating key milestones and sharing the exciting developments with you.

Together, with children, staff and families - we are building a culture of joyful, active and imaginative play that supports every child to thrive.

Clifford Bridge Academy