OPAL – Outdoor Play and Learning

At Shoreditch Park Primary School, we believe that play is an essential part of every child’s development, wellbeing and happiness. We are delighted to be working with the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) Primary Programme to transform our playtimes and make them even more creative, active, inclusive and exciting.

Through OPAL, we are developing our outdoor spaces and introducing a much wider range of play opportunities. Children will have greater freedom to explore, create, imagine, build, move and play together. From loose-parts play, construction and imaginative play to creative activities, active games and opportunities to engage with nature, our aim is to ensure that every child can find something they love to do at playtime.

Our OPAL journey will develop gradually as we work with pupils, staff and families to improve our play provision. Children will play an important role in shaping what play looks like at Shoreditch Park, helping us to create spaces that reflect their interests, ideas and imaginations.

We will also be inviting our families and wider community to get involved, including through donations of safe, reusable materials and equipment that can be given a new life through play.

We are incredibly excited about our OPAL journey and the difference it will make to children’s experiences at school. Our ambition is simple: to make every playtime a rich, joyful and memorable part of the school day.

OPAL: Your Questions Answered!

We have received some great questions from families about our new OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) programme. We know that introducing something new can raise questions, so we wanted to answer some of the most common ones and explain why we are so excited about the changes taking place at Shoreditch Park Primary School.

What is OPAL?

OPAL stands for Outdoor Play and Learning. It is an award-winning programme that helps schools transform playtimes into rich, exciting and inclusive experiences for every child.

Rather than limiting playtimes to traditional playground games and equipment, OPAL encourages children to explore, create, build, imagine and take appropriate risks.

At Shoreditch Park, this means children can enjoy activities such as den building, dressing up, digging, imaginative play, exploring loose parts and creating their own games.

The possibilities are limited only by children's imaginations!

Why has the school decided to introduce OPAL?

Because we believe in the power of play to transform children's lives.

Children spend a significant proportion of their primary school years at playtime. We want every minute of that time to be meaningful, enjoyable and full of opportunities to learn.

We believe that play is not simply a break from learning. It is an essential part of children's development.

Through OPAL, we want to create a playground where every child feels included, friendships flourish, creativity is celebrated and children develop the confidence to try new things.

We also want children to experience the kind of adventurous, imaginative outdoor play that previous generations often enjoyed, but which is becoming less common in children's lives.

Why is the school asking for so many donations?

You may have noticed our requests for crates, tyres, dressing-up clothes, kitchen equipment and other unusual items!

One of the wonderful things about OPAL is that fantastic play opportunities do not always require expensive equipment.

A simple cardboard box can become a spaceship. A collection of crates and fabric can become a castle. Old pots and pans can inspire an entire afternoon of imaginative cooking.

We are asking for donations because we want to build a varied collection of resources that children can use creatively, rather than relying entirely on traditional playground equipment.

As a state-funded school, we also want to make the very best use of our resources. Repurposing unwanted items is affordable, environmentally friendly and teaches children about sustainability.

Every donation, however small, can help us create something wonderful. There is absolutely no expectation that families should donate, and every child will benefit from the resources we receive.

How will OPAL change my child's life at school?

We hope that OPAL will make playtimes one of the highlights of your child's school day!

But the benefits go far beyond having fun.

Through rich, imaginative play, children have opportunities to:

Build friendships: Playing collaboratively helps children develop relationships and feel a sense of belonging.
Develop confidence and independence: Children make decisions, solve problems and learn to trust their own ideas.
Become more resilient: When a den collapses or a game doesn't go to plan, children learn to adapt, persevere and try again.
Develop creativity: Open-ended resources encourage children to invent, experiment and use their imaginations.
Improve physical wellbeing: Active outdoor play supports coordination, strength and physical development.
Develop communication and teamwork: Children negotiate, share ideas, resolve disagreements and collaborate.

Importantly, OPAL recognises that children enjoy different types of play. Not every child wants to play football or run around. We want our playground to offer something for everyone, including children who prefer quieter, imaginative or sensory experiences.

Our ambition is for every child to return to the classroom feeling happy, included and ready to learn.

What is the evidence behind the OPAL approach?

OPAL is not simply about putting more equipment in the playground. It is a structured, whole-school approach informed by research into children's play, development and wellbeing.

Research consistently highlights the importance of play in supporting children's physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.

For example:

The British Academy's research on play has highlighted its importance for children's learning, self-regulation and development.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 31) recognises play as a fundamental right of every child.
Research into outdoor and adventurous play suggests that opportunities for manageable risk can support children's confidence, resilience and ability to assess challenges.
Evaluations and case studies from OPAL schools report improvements in children's engagement with play, opportunities for inclusion and the quality of playtimes.

It is important to recognise that the wider evidence for the benefits of play is stronger than the evidence for any one particular programme. We will therefore be evaluating OPAL's impact in our own school, listening to pupils, families and staff as the programme develops.

Our goal is not simply to make playtimes busier. It is to make them happier, richer, more inclusive and more meaningful.

Who can I ask if I want to know more about OPAL?

We would love to hear from you! OPAL is a whole-school project, and we have a dedicated team working together to make our vision for play a reality.

Our OPAL team includes:

Miss Deegan – Deputy Headteacher for Inclusion: Oversees the strategic development and implementation of OPAL across the school.
Miss Clark – Curriculum Lead for Outdoor Play and Learning: Supports the development of high-quality outdoor play and learning experiences.
Miss Keady – KS2 Playground Champion: Helps develop and improve play opportunities for our older pupils.
Miss Glassborow – KS1 Playground Champion: Champions exciting, inclusive and imaginative play experiences for our younger pupils.
Sophie Demellweek – Link Governor for Outdoor Play and Learning: Supports and monitors the development of OPAL at a governance level.

We also have an OPAL Working Group, bringing together parents, staff and governors to review our progress, share ideas and help shape the future of play at Shoreditch Park.

If you have any questions, suggestions or ideas, please speak to a member of our OPAL team. We particularly welcome feedback from families about what their children are enjoying and what they would like to see next.

You can also find out more about our programme on the school website:

Thank you for helping us make playtime extraordinary!

We are still at the beginning of our OPAL journey, and there is so much more to come. Every donation, suggestion and conversation helps us move closer to our vision.

Together, we can create a playground where every child belongs, every imagination can flourish and every playtime is an opportunity for something wonderful.

OPAL Sponsored Bounce

What a brilliant way to celebrate Outdoor Classroom Day! Our OPAL Sponsored Bounce brought pupils together for space hopper fun, encouraging everyone to get active, persevere and cheer on their friends.

Children worked in pairs, taking turns to bounce and count, with certificates recognising achievements including Most Bounces, Best Team Player, Most Creative Bouncer and Brilliant Bounce Buddy. There was plenty of enthusiasm, teamwork and determination!

Thank you to our families for supporting the event through sponsorship, donations and items from our Amazon wishlist. Your generosity helps us develop our OPAL provision, making playtimes even more creative, inclusive and exciting for every child.

Play Detectives

Play Detective - Autumn 2, week 2

Play Detectives - Autumn 1, week 1

Learn more about OPAL

How you can help

OPAL Update – A Fantastic Start to Our Journey!

What an exciting first half-term it has been for our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) journey! We have made a fantastic start to transforming our playtimes, with children enjoying new opportunities to explore, create, collaborate and use their imaginations.

Our OPAL Bingo initiative has been a huge success, with families generously donating a wonderful range of resources to help us get started. A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed – your support is already making a real difference to our children's play experiences!

Pupils have particularly loved dressing up, experimenting with tyre play and getting stuck into digging and exploring. Our new sandpit has also been an exciting addition to the playground, providing endless opportunities for imaginative play, building and teamwork.

Alongside introducing new resources, we have been working with pupils to establish important safety rules and encourage shared responsibility for looking after our equipment and play spaces.

This is just the beginning! We have lots more exciting developments planned for Autumn 2 as we continue to build a playground full of creativity, adventure and opportunities for every child to experience the power of play.

Thank you to our wonderful school community for helping us bring our OPAL vision to life!

Opal Play Assemblies

Our OPAL play assemblies help children make the most of the exciting play opportunities at Shoreditch Park. We introduce equipment, model how to use it safely and responsibly, and show children where it is kept and how to return it when playtime ends.

Through demonstrations and discussion, children explore creative ways to play, share resources, work together and include others. We also celebrate great play and listen to pupils’ ideas for making our playground even better. By learning to care for our equipment, our spaces and each other, children help keep playtimes safe, welcoming and full of imagination!