OPAL

OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) is an initiative implemented at Pinner Wood.

OPAL play focuses on creating dynamic, engaging, and imaginative outdoor play spaces for our students. We believe that this initiative will significantly contribute to their physical, social, and emotional development.

At Pinner Wood School, we've always taken pride in the excellent behaviour of our students. However, like any educational institution, we recognised that there were occasional challenges, particularly during lunchtime. It became evident that many of our issues arose during or after the lunch break, prompting us to re-evaluate and prioritise the enhancement of our lunchtime provision.

Opal Provision

In our playgrounds at lunch times, children can:

• Climb trees

• Build and explore with tyres

• Use role play resources to make up stories and games

• Build with Lego and blocks

• Play team sports and games

• Run, balance, jump

• Explore loose parts

• Use mats

• Read

• Colour, make and design

• Roam around and explore all the different playgrounds

• Take on responsibility roles including Playground Friends and Play Leaders

Children are also taught about risk assessment and management, empowering them to explore and be creative while playing. Play leaders who support in the playgrounds observe, facilitate and intervene only when necessary to ensure safety.

Opal Feedback

In my opinion I feel that opal play has improved our playground because when we're playing a sport we can sit on the mats while we wait so we are comfortable. It makes people happy in the playground because we can play lots of different types of sports. We always add new things to play with outside.

Opal allows us to express our creativity and expand your imagination. You can have fun on the mats or plan on the logs and tyres. Play can help you do other things and give people the opportunity to make new friends.

There is more equipment to play with at lunch times and different areas we can play in.

People are very busy in the playground with Opal play.

We have more to do...with new things arriving every week!