OPAL Play – Intent, Implementation and Impact

 

Intent

At Shepherdswell Primary School, we recognise that play is a vital part of every child’s development and wellbeing. Through our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) approach, we are committed to providing high-quality, inclusive play opportunities that allow every child to explore, create, take appropriate risks, and develop independence.

Our play provision reflects our Christian vision of fulfilling our God-given potential. We are a school family with God at the centre, sharing love, gratitude, justice and determination in all that we do. Our play culture is built on kindness, inclusion and fairness, ensuring every child is valued and has a voice.

We intend for our OPAL play offer to:

  • Promote our school values of Love, Gratitude, Justice and Determination
  • Support children in becoming Wellbeing Warriors, Lifelong Learners and Courageous Adventurers
  • Provide rich, varied and stimulating play experiences for all children
  • Improve physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing
  • Encourage creativity, resilience, teamwork and problem-solving
  • Ensure play is accessible and welcoming to every child, regardless of background or ability
  • Support positive attitudes to learning through happier, healthier playtimes

We recognise that play is child-led, intrinsically motivated and essential for healthy development. We respect every child’s right to play as a high priority within school life.

 

Implementation

We implement OPAL through strategic leadership, careful planning, and ongoing development of our outdoor environments and play culture.

This includes:

  • A whole-school commitment to OPAL principles in decision-making that affects play
  • Strong leadership and operational support to maintain and develop quality play provision
  • A wide range of play environments including the Outdoor Learning Centre, sensory areas, gardens, loose-parts zones and imaginative play spaces
  • Access to varied loose parts and open-ended resources that promote creativity, teamwork and communication
  • Opportunities for children to lead, design and shape their play experiences
  • Inclusive play spaces that support children of all abilities and needs
  • Staff training to support play, rather than direct it, while ensuring safety and inclusion
  • A risk–benefit approach to play, following Play Safety Forum and HSE guidance
  • Dynamic risk management, where children are supported to recognise and manage risk themselves
  • Opportunities for mixed-age play and social development
  • Links between play, wellbeing, behaviour, and learning across the curriculum

Our environments are designed to be welcoming, challenging and stimulating, offering children choice, independence and responsibility.

OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning)