At Connaught Junior  School, we are committed to ensuring quality play opportunities are available to all our children. We believe that play is essential for physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual development of each child. Most of our best childhood memories are from playing outdoors, climbing trees and exploring the wide world around us.  

For the last 18 months, we have been taking part in an exciting play programme. With the help of the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) programme we are embarking on journey to improve play, behaviour and wellbeing for all at Connaught with the view of sustained improvement in outdoor playground opportunities.

OPAL is an award-winning, mentor-supported school improvement programme that addresses all the areas that schools must plan for if they want to strategically and sustainably improve the quality of their play opportunities. OPAL is the only programme of its kind that has been independently proven to sustainably improve the quality of play in British primary schools and is all about using naturally and man made resources to allow children to be inspired and creative at playtime.

Its success comes from a series of interrelated actions undertaken with specialist support from an OPAL mentor. This embeds play into the school’s policies and practices and establishes clear guiding principles and strategies for initiating lasting changes at playtimes.

What does this mean for us?

• Happier children
• Children coming into class ready to learn
• A fully inclusive playtime offer
• It allows children an opportunity to be creative and make decisions
• Children develop independence and resilience skills
• Increased social skills
• …. and most importantly fun!

Here are some quotes about OPAL from our children.

What do you like about OPAL?

If you're bored with what you're playing, you can move on to something else

It's fun to play with the pool noodles and tyres

Makes play more fun for me and my friends

You have fun and get fresh air

You get to do other things you don't get to do in other schools

It's fun and you can express yourself

Wheel play is fun to pull other people around

I like it when Mr Weeks introduces new things

It makes playtimes more exciting and creative

I like that we can do what we want to do with what we want

It opens up a lot more doors and will make more memories for Connaught Junior School. The digging area is very good and the tyres are very adventurous.

I love the dancing area and the scooters are fun!

 

How has it made a difference to playtimes?

Playtimes were boring, we only had to play tag

It has made it more homely

There are more toys to play with

More people are included in the fun

More fun and exciting things to go out and explore

Makes the school fun to come into

People are more active

It has made us come out of our comfort zone

More fun, more entertaining, more imaginative stuff to do - it prevents any arguing

OPAL has made everything better because there is more stuff to play with - we aren't getting bored.

Because there is a lot to play with, other stuff like the gym equipment isn't crowded

There is more space to play in the playground.