OPAL – Outdoor Play and Learning
At Southwold Primary 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.
The Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme is based on the idea that, as well as learning through good teaching, your children also learn when they play. As 20% of their time in school is playtime, we want to make sure that this amount of time (equivalent to 1.4 years of primary school) is as good as possible.
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.
Over the years, childhood has changed, and many children no longer get their play needs met out of school.
Average screen time per day is six hours.
- Average outdoor play time per week is five hours.
- Percentage of UK children who only play outdoors with other children at school is 56%.
- There are many proven benefits for schools that carry out the OPAL Primary Programme. They usually include: more enjoyment of school, less teaching time lost to disputes between children, fewer accidents and greatly improved behaviour.
OPAL Play Assemblies
Opal Play Assembly No. 5 18.05.25
OPAL Playtime
If you would like to see an example of an established ‘OPAL’ school in action, take a look here:
Opal Play Arrives at Southwold!
What an incredible first day at Opal Play! Our children let their imaginations soar as they transformed our space into a world of endless possibilities! 🎨
From master architects building cosy dens to chefs whipping up pretend culinary delights in our play kitchen – the creativity was off the charts! 🏠 👩🍳 The playground buzzed with giggles and teamwork as budding engineers crafted their own cars and artists brought their visions to life through colourful drawings.
The best part? Watching friendships bloom through collaborative play and seeing those determined faces tackle new challenges with such enthusiasm! 🌈 These magical moments of pure joy and discovery are what make early learning so special. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow’s adventures bring! ✨
