OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) is a programme designed to ensure pupils have high quality playtimes that are planned for and resourced creatively.
Research shows that children's mental and physical health is deteriorating. At Westbury we have looked at the evidence that shows how important high quality playtimes are for pupils' wellbeing- both their physical and mental health.
Playtime is where children socialise, run, climb, jump, use their imaginations, co-operate with others , share, make decisions and take risks. It has been proven that pupils are often more active during playtime then during a PE lesson.
At Westbury we started our OPAL programme in September 2023 and we are slowly transforming our play areas to ensure that pupils have the best playtimes possible.
We are committed to providing a wide range of play activities that are open to everyone, play opportunities that are inclusive and wide ranging.
We have an OPAL working party, made up of staff and parents, who meet regularly to plan and to work on the play areas. We have also assigned Play Champions in KS2 who help set up the play areas and keep them special.
Both the playground and the Trim Trail garden are zoned.
- Quiet Area with LEGO table and drawing/colouring
- Sports court for ball games and more physical play
- Water wall for pouring, using channels
- Blue mats for gym activities
- Ribbon threading on fences
- Arbour for chatting and drawing
- A stage with a "boom box" for dancing and performing
- A Mud Kitchen and a Mud Painting wall
- A Den behind the mud kitchen
- Climbing equipment
- A slide that transports you to Forest School (which is partially open for playtime)
- Wiggle cars down the "road". Classes are timetabled.
- Chalk drawing
- A small sand pit in Forest School
- Digging areas
We have a huge field, overlooking the River Severn, which currently has a football pitch. We have plans to develop this space for even more wonderful play.
Watch this space for more updates!
If you want to learn more about the OPAL programme please visit:
www.https://outdoorplayandlearning.org.uk/