OPAL

Exciting News! We Are Becoming an OPAL School

We are delighted to announce that from the Spring Term, we will begin our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) journey.

At St Peter's, we believe play is an essential part of every child's development. Through OPAL, we will be transforming our outdoor environment and playtimes to provide children with richer, more creative and more engaging opportunities to play, explore and learn.

What is OPAL?

OPAL stands for Outdoor Play and Learning.

Based on over 20 years of research into children's play, the OPAL Primary Programme helps schools improve the quality of play opportunities available to all children.

The programme recognises that children learn important life skills through play, including:

Creativity and imagination
Problem-solving
Communication skills
Resilience and confidence
Teamwork and cooperation
Independence and responsibility

OPAL aims to ensure that every child has a happy, active and engaging playtime every day.

Why Are We Introducing OPAL.

Children spend a significant amount of their school life at playtimes. We want to make these opportunities as enjoyable and beneficial as possible.

By developing our outdoor spaces and introducing a wider variety of play experiences, we will help children:

Be more active
Build friendships across year groups
Develop confidence and independence
Take safe risks and solve problems
Improve their physical and emotional wellbeing
Return to lessons feeling refreshed and ready to learn

What Might Playtimes Look Like?

As our programme develops, children may have opportunities to enjoy:

Den building
Creative construction
Small world play
Role play and imaginative play
Loose parts play
Performance and music opportunities
Sand, water and mud play
Wheeled play
Ball games and active play
Quiet spaces for reflection and socialising

Every child enjoys playing differently, and OPAL celebrates this by providing something for everyone.

How Can Families Help?

A successful OPAL programme relies on support from our school community.

Over the coming months, we may ask families to donate items such as:

Pots, pans and kitchen utensils
Suitcases and bags
Wellies
Waterproof clothing
Small world toys
Dressing-up clothes
Plastic crates
Tubes, pipes and cable reels
Tyres and other loose parts

We will keep you updated with specific requests through newsletters and school communications.

Our OPAL Journey

Introducing OPAL is a long-term project, and we are excited to involve our children, staff, families and wider community along the way.

During the year we will:

Develop our outdoor spaces
Gather ideas from children
Introduce new play opportunities
Work closely with our OPAL mentor
Share updates and photographs of our progress

We look forward to seeing our children flourish through richer play experiences.

Follow Our Progress

We will regularly update this page with photographs, news and developments as our OPAL journey continues.

Together, we can create outstanding play opportunities that support happy, healthy and confident children.

"Play is not a break from learning. Play is learning."