OPAL - Outdoor Play and Learning

At Summercroft Primary School, we are committed to ensuring quality play opportunities are available to all our children. We believe that play is essential for the 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.

What does this mean for us

• Happier children
• Children coming into class ready to learn
• A fully inclusive playtime offer
• Allows the children to be creative and make decisions
• Children develop independence and resilience skills
• Increased social skills
• Children are active and healthy
• Most importantly fun!

OPAL Policy

For further information, please see the Summercroft Play policy

OPAL

We envisage our OPAL journey will take 12 to 18 months in order to fully develop our play offer. We will be posting updates and news about the project as it progresses. Updates will be shared via the school newsletter.

How does OPAL work at Summercroft?

All children in the school (from Nursery to Year 6) have the freedom to play where they choose within the school grounds (outside)

A variety of zones, stations, equipment, activities and areas are available to the children and these may vary each day depending on what the children choose to do.  Each part of the field and playground is supervised by Play Leaders so no child is ever out of sight or sound.

‘Rangers’ are based at strategic points to ensure support for play leaders and the safety of the children.

Children are asked to be responsible for the equipment and tidying it away at the end of the session.

Children are allowed to roam and so wellies and old outdoor coats are recommended (they then change into their indoor shoes when coming back to class)

We have a Play Assembly once a fortnight when the OPAL Play team celebrates great play, introduces new activities or equipment, reminds the children about any rules or expectations and presents a ‘Golden Welly’ award for something outstanding that has been noticed during OPAL playtimes or the ‘Golden Brush’ award for fantastic clearing up.

Wish List

As we work towards making our playtimes more exciting, no matter what the weather, we need some equipment to help us to do this. Donations of any of the following would be greatly received:

• Suitcases
• Plastic crates
• Fabric (Sheets / Saris / Curtains)
• Old wagons and buggies / strollers
• Large Buckets and containers
• Dressing up clothes / items (in good condition)
• Small toys (farm animals/ dinosaurs / dolls / cars / duplo / wooden toys)
• Pots/ pans / metal bowls/ metal spoons / spatulas / plates (plastic or metal).

If you have any of these items, please bring them to school.

We would also be grateful for donations of wet weather clothing that no longer fits your children:

• wellies
• waterproof trousers
• raincoats

Please bring them to the main office at any time! 

Thank you in advance!