What is OPAL?
OPAL stands for ‘Outdoor play and learning’ and is a programme which helps schools plan for and invest in play the same way we would for other subjects and areas such as English, maths or safeguarding. It is an award-winning programme which helps improve children’s play experiences in many different ways.
The OPAL ethos is that playtimes should be active, creative and involve activities that are freely chosen and directed by the children. It encourages the use of ‘loose parts’ in playtimes: open-ended materials that children can move and use in different ways, such as boxes, crates, sheets, pipes, log rounds, buckets, and blocks. Not only this, but children will also have access to role play, chalks, small world toys, mud kitchens and much more to spark some creativity and fun during their playtimes.
The OPAL Programme rationale is that:
“More active and creative playtimes can mean happier and healthier children, and having happier, healthier, more active children usually results in a more positive attitude to learning in school, with more effective classroom lessons, less staff time spent resolving unnecessary behavioural problems, fewer playtime accidents, happier staff and a healthier attitude to life”.
OPAL at Tanworth
OPAL Working Party!
Pupil Voice
Please see below for lots of pictures of what we get up to in our OPAL sessions!
Setting up OPAL - Our Journey 2024-2025
At Tanworth, we have been thinking about how we could improve our playtimes for the children.
- In October 2024, we started to work with OPAL in the hopes of improving playtimes by looking at play with a greater importance schoolwide.
- In November 2024, we had our first ‘Together Tuesday’ play session where the children were able to join up across the year groups on the same field and play together. We will had a few more of these days to help practise our new OPAL routines.
- In December 2024, we added music to our play times, added lots of new loose parts, play equipment, tyres, crates, small world toys and much more to the field and playground and got the OPAL shed up and running.
- In January 2025, we started an OPAL play committee of eager children ready to help make OPAL run smoothly, added a stage for performances and dance routines, added a mud slide to our playing field, continued to add to our current areas such as digging, sand and large loose parts and added an extra welly store for added space.
- In February 2025, we have added a fantastic mud kitchen to our playing area (thanks to Mrs and Mr Hemming!), introduced wheels to play, planted the willow arch and added another speaker to make sure our music is nice and loud across the field!
- In March 2025, we took on OPAL every lunch time! We also introduced the choice of outdoor eating for children with packed lunches on picnic benches and blankets which the children seem to love!
- In April 2025, we are trialling scooters on the playground and looking to add lots more wheels to our play. We have also sourced a slide which we are getting ready to add to the field. The children are now swinging on our new gym bars and playing dress up in the stage area!
- In May 2025, the scooters are out on the playground and we have also introduced water to play which has made the messy kitchen extra messy and fun! Football and ball games have also now been added to the field in a designated area for Years 5 and 6 with the hope that we can accommodate more year groups soon too. The children (and staff!) are all enjoying the warm weather play and sunny days too.
- In June 2025, we added the slide to the field which the children are enjoying using! Lots of children are coming up with new imaginative ways to use the equipment such as obstacle courses and even a 'common room' was built by the Year 5 and 6 children!
Continuing our journey in 2025-2026
Over the Autumn term, we have had lots of new additions to our OPAL programme! These include big red spinning tops, a new creative area to paint, draw, colour, collage and more, tunnels, OPAL dot rewards, OPAL bingo, Playdough and so much mud play! We are soon to be introducing new social domes and the OPAL elf is going to make a December appearance too!
So far this Spring term, we have been making the most of the wet weather with some muddy play in the puddles! The children have been keeping busy with the chalks and have also been using watercolours to create lovely paintings. More to come!
Our OPAL Updates!
December and January
November
September and October - with photo credits to Neeva and Floryn!
Boat delivery!
June
April
March
Planting the Willow
February
Our new welly storage!
Scooters update - 13/05/2025
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Our OPAL journey continues to go from strength to strength and I am writing to inform you of an exciting new activity we are introducing at our school as part of our Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) offering. Beginning next week, we will be introducing scooters into our lunchtime activities.
To ensure the safety and well-being of all our children during this activity, we have implemented a one-way system around the designated scooter area. This will help to minimise congestion and accidents, allowing for a smooth flow of scooters and enhancing the overall experience for everyone involved.
Furthermore, to maintain a safe environment, children will not be allowed to perform tricks, jumps, or any other stunts while using the scooters. Our priority is to promote safe play whilst fostering a sense of adventure and fun.
While we are excited to introduce this activity, we need to make you aware that children will not be required to wear helmets. We do not have the resources available to ensure that all helmets are fitted correctly, and poorly fitted helmets could potentially cause harm. Also as stated above a one-way system will be in place and no stunts/jumps etc will be allowed. If however you would like your child to wear a helmet they may bring their own named helmet into school.
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this initiative, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
We appreciate your support as we aim to enhance our children's outdoor play experiences.
Kind regards,
Miss Chambers, Miss Hodges and Mrs Bamford
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