OPAL - Outdoor Play and Learning

Bradshaw Primary School has been on an exciting OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) journey for a number of years, continually developing and improving the quality of play for all of our children.

We are incredibly proud to be the first school in Calderdale to achieve the OPAL Gold Award, recognising the strength of our play provision and our commitment to high-quality outdoor play. However, this is not the end of our journey — we continue to reflect, develop and enhance our play offer so that it keeps getting even better for our children.

The OPAL programme has transformed our playtimes by introducing rich opportunities for:

physical activity
socialisation and cooperation
coordination and resilience
creativity and imagination
enjoyment and wellbeing

OPAL is based on the understanding that children learn not only through teaching, but also through play. As children spend up to 20% of their time in school playing (equivalent to over a year of their primary education), we are committed to making this time as valuable and meaningful as possible.

Our Approach

Over time, we have carefully developed our outdoor provision, creating a wide range of play opportunities across different zones. These areas are designed to be:

safe
engaging
well-resourced
inclusive for all children

Our play offer continues to evolve as we respond to children’s interests and needs.

Supporting our Play

As part of our ongoing development, we continue to welcome donations of resources that can enhance play, such as:

tyres, crates and tubes
dressing-up clothes
scooters, bikes and loose parts
or links with companies who may be able to support us

These materials are adapted to ensure they are safe and suitable for school use, helping to create exciting and imaginative play opportunities.

What This Means for Your Child

Our approach to play means children:

have greater freedom in how and where they play
experience appropriate challenge and risk
may get a little messier while learning and exploring

To support this, it is essential that children have:

a pair of wellies in school
a warm, waterproof coat suitable for outdoor play
change of clothes

These items help ensure children can take part fully in all play opportunities, whatever the weather.

Looking Ahead

We are extremely proud of how far our OPAL journey has come and remain committed to continuing to develop our outdoor environment and play provision, ensuring every child at Bradshaw has access to high-quality, enjoyable and meaningful play every day.

play charter website.pdf

play policy poster website.pdf

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