Play makes up 20% of children's primary school life. How do schools plan for this 20%? What are the roles of the play team?
How do we develop our best teams? How can playtime support us to foster our school's values in all our children - resilience, courage, tenacity, kindness?
How do children get their playthings out and put them away? What are the solutions to foxes and sandpits?
See for yourself what an amazing playtime looks like at Meridian Community Primary School, an OPAL Outdoor Play and Learning Platinum Award winning school.
11am–12pm OPAL new interest meeting (schools thinking about OPAL)
12pm–1:30pm Playtime observation by new and current schools
Note times are subject to alterations of up to 30 mins. Attendees will receive an email confirming times in the week preceding the event.
Join Kurti Birkenbeil, OPAL mentor and expert in improving children's playtimes, and hear from headteacher, Claire Westcott and Chris Legarde, play lead, at Meridian Community Primary School. They will be sharing their experiences of how the OPAL Primary Programme has transformed playtimes and the impact that this has had on the school and the children.
In the morning (c. 11am–12pm) there is an introduction to the programme with time for questions, open to anyone considering how to make their playtimes amazing. It can also apply to wrap-around provision and holiday activities too.
Around 12pm we are joined by schools currently undertaking the OPAL Primary Programme and we will all observe how the school's play team ensures all the children have access to all play types in this small, urban playground.
We will be indoors and outdoors; please come dressed whatever the weather. OPAL schools play outdoors in all weathers.
Please bring your own refreshments/lunch. Local parking is available, on street and mostly free. Public transport is available. Numbers are limited so please sign up soon.
Numbers are limited so please sign up soon. Also if you can no longer come do let us know so we can release your place to another school.
