Play at Bethersden
Ensuring that our playtimes and lunchtimes are exciting, enjoyable and meaningful is a priority at Bethersden. In September 2023 we begun our OPAL journey, beginning to transform our outdoor space to devlop opportunities for children.
OPAL stands for Outdoor Play and Learning, and they are an organisation which supports school develop their play provision. In 2018, OPAL won the best active schools’ programme in Europe award and has been cited in two parliamentary reports as delivering outstanding practice. OPAL is working closely with Sport England to promote more active childhoods, which is one of the many reasons we are improving our playtime, as well as to improve opportunities for socialisation, cooperation, coordination, resilience, creativity, imagination and enjoyment for your child.
We strongly believe that: “Play is freely chosen, personally directed, intrinsically motivated behaviour that actively engages the child. Play can be fun or serious. Through play children explore social, material and imaginary worlds and their relationship with them, elaborating all the while a flexible range of responses to the challenges they encounter. By playing, children learn and develop as individuals, and as members of the community.” (Children’s Play Council 2001).
Our key members of staff who are involved in leading our OPAL provision are:- Miss Young and Mrs Moss – OPAL Curricular lead for play
- Ms Williams – TA OPAL play leader
- Mrs Smith- Parent Play Champion
- Annabel Rogerson – OPAL Governor
This working group meets regularly to discuss our action plan, development plan and the daily logisitics of resourcing, H&S and ideas for further outside fun.
Since beginning our OPAL journey we have embedded a wide range of play opportunities such as...
-Monkey and Chin Up Bars
-Billy Boy the Boat
- Full Sized Mud Kitchen
-Digging Pits
-Sensory Garden
-Car and Small World Play
-Full Sized Sand Pit
-Table Tennis
-Tyre Play
-BIG BOX Week (In celebration of Outdoor Classroom Day)
-Whole School Family Stay and Play Afternoon
-And much much more...
