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Children in British primary schools spend 20% or 1.4 years of their school attendance in play and yet many schools have no strategic or values-based approach to play across all ages.

The Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme is a mentor-supported school improvement programme. It addresses all of the areas schools must plan for if they want to strategically and sustainably improve the quality of their play opportunities.

The OPAL Primary Programme is the only programme of its kind that has been independently proven to sustainably improve the quality of play in British primary schools.

Research shows that play contributes to children’s physical and emotional health, well-being, approach to learning and enjoyment of school. Given the importance of play in children’s lives and current concerns about children’s health and opportunity to access time and space to initiate their own play outdoors, there are considerable benefits for children, parents, school and the wider community from participating in OPAL's programme. The OPAL Primary Programme supports schools in developing a cultural shift in thinking about and supporting children’s play. Its success comes from a series of interrelated actions undertaken with the specialist support from the OPAL mentor. This embeds play into school’s policies and practices and establishes clear guiding principles and strategies for initiating changes at playtimes. The results can be transformational and - at best – spectacular and show progress even in more challenging school environments.

Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) is a community interest (CIC) company dedicated to providing services to schools and organisations in England and Wales to improve the quality of play opportunities for all children. OPAL staff have expertise in teaching, school improvement, landscape design, project management, play and strategic planning.  

The OPAL Primary Programme offers schools a structured process, with mentored support provided for up to two years and many resources, to enable schools to permanently change both their environment and their culture to enable provision of amazing playtimes every day.  

To date OPAL has run programmes in over 500 schools throughout the whole UK and has recently expanded to Canada, France, Poland, New Zealand and Australia.  

The Benefits of OPAL

More teaching time                                                        
Most schools report ten minutes more teaching time per teacher with happier, more creative, and well exercised children who settle to classes much more quickly.

Improved behaviour                                                    
OPAL schools report up to 80% decreases in use of behaviour policies and 90% drops in senior leadership time spent in resolving playtime issues.

Faster core skills development                              
Children at OPAL schools rapidly develop creativity, imagination, cooperation, resilience, stamina and confidence.  

Inclusion                                                                            
OPAL's approach makes play better for every child, every day...no exceptions!

Happiness and wellbeing                                              
Play is a human need and a human right. Children and staff at OPAL's schools report feeling less stressed and happier, and more excited about school.

The programme works in all kinds of schools regardless of the amount or quality of outside space available. OPAL has clients in central London and in tiny rural villages. It has worked well in special schools and pupil referral units.

The OPAL Primary Programme was developed in response to demand from schools for help in resolving issues at playtime, including boredom, high levels of accidents and playground incidents, lack of respect for supervisors and a constant stream of low-level behaviour problems, as well as a desire to improve the quality of children’s play experiences in school, and a desire by school leaders to pursue excellence in all areas of schools’ performance.  

The programme was conceived and developed by Michael Follett over 10 years ago while working as a School Improvement Advisor within South Gloucestershire Council’s Learning and School Effectiveness Team, building on his experience as a playworker, teacher and play strategy officer.  

What do OFSTED say? 

The OPAL Primary Programme has been shown to support behavioural and inclusion improvements as well as more general wellbeing. Many of the highest Platinum Award level OPAL schools are also OFSTED Outstanding rated schools. OPAL helps schools deliver a clear vision, and planned approach for a better childhood and future for all children in line with the 2019 OFSTED inspection framework.

Why do we need to teach children to play? 

We don’t! The programme works because it is targeted predominantly at the adult staff at the school, and focuses on values, strategy, planning, staffing, design and resourcing, not directly at the children, though there is always an element of interaction throughout the programme.

OPAL is founded on the principles and values of playwork, where the role of the adults is to understand, celebrate, resource, nurture and support the play process.