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:

Mrs Young – OPAL Curricular lead for play
Ms Williams and Mrs Batt – 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.

We are very proud to share that as of 2025 we are now and OPAL Platinum award winning school, the highest accolade available, putting us in the top 1% of schools in the world for our unique and fantastic play offer!