OPAL

OPAL – Outdoor play and learning

Why is Play and Playtime at school so important to us?

Here at RMS, we are committed to ‘doing all the good we can’ to ensure quality play opportunities are available ‘for 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. OPAL gives us the opportunity to give those memories to your children. OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) is all about using natural and man-made resources to allow children to be inspired and creative at playtime, to engage in the ‘awe and wonder’ of play and have fun!

Children have a right to play. As adults, we have a responsibility to ensure that childhood experiences include opportunities for play.

Article 31 of The Convention on the Rights of the Child states:

• Parties recognise the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.
• Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity.

Time outdoors playing, learning and exploring has a critical, positive impact on children’s lives. Multiple studies in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, India, China and Singapore show time outdoors leads to: 

• Happiness
• Improved mental health and wellbeing
• Increased physical activity
• Increased attainment
• Increased attendance
• Less time off sick (both pupils and staff)
• Improved behaviour
• Improved emotional self-regulation
• Increased connection to nature
• Increased social connection and a sense of belonging

What is the OPAL programme?

The OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) programme supports schools to develop their outdoor play provision. It is the only programme of its kind that has been independently proven to sustainably improve the quality of play in British primary schools. Provision aims to support children in engaging in high quality play across the 16 different play types.

Why is RMS taking part in the OPAL Programme?

Children attend primary school for seven years. Of those seven years, around 1.4 years (20%) will be spent outside actively playing, making `playtime’ by far the most dominant element within the curriculum.

What has happened so far at RMS?

We started our OPAL Development in Spring 2023. We are still on our way to achieving our vision. So far, the children have benefitted from the following resources:

• Music, to dance and sing along to
• Dressing up and performance area
• Den building
• Forest area
• Sand pit
• Mud kitchen
• Tyres, crates and planks
• Wheeled area
• Mindfulness area for stories and crafts
• Water play
• Small world play
• Large board games and garden games
• Sports activities in the MUGA and basketball nets
• Table football
• Climbing wall and climbing frames
• Daily mile track
• Hill play
• Garden area

Meet our Play Team

Our Play Team are an essential part of OPAL play.  They take part in regular Playwork Essentials training and support our children to engage in positive play and to manage risks safely.

OPAL Documents