Reflecting on a wonderful year of play in schools

Reflecting on a wonderful year of play in schools

As we come towards the end of the year, we’re reflecting on what 2025 has been like for play in schools, both here in the North East and across the UK. Here are some of our highlights. 

From trash to treasure

SUEZ recycling and recovery UK and OPAL schools in the North East have committed to work together to create a sustainable and enriching future for our children whilst encouraging waste prevention. 

By providing a treasure trove of reusable materials at its Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs), the organisation is providing loose parts to OPAL schools. Among the materials given a new lease on life include clean tyres, wooden pallets, bikes and scooters, netting, the occasional guitar, small items like buttons, shells and beads, and even a ship’s wheel.

By March this year, SUEZ had supported six schools across Tyneside, Sunderland, Gateshead, and another one due to be supported in Teesside. It is expanding its reach by supporting even more schools. Due to the success of this partnership, other waste recycling centres and local authorities are now supporting schools across the UK, including HW Martins and Durham County Council. 

The OPAL North East team would like to extend their thanks to SUEZ and their wonderful staff team for their ongoing support and commitment.

Find out how your business can support play in schools.

A new strategy for play?

On International Day of Play on 11 June, the Play Commission released its final report — Everything to Play For: A Plan to Ensure Every Child in England Can Play. The report calls for the production of a new national play strategy that, among other things, would bring in measures to protect and enhance school playtimes. 

OPAL provided evidence for the report, and case studies of the OPAL Primary Programme and an OPAL school were featured. We’re delighted that play is moving up the national agenda once again and hope that decision-makers will follow the example of OPAL North East schools and prioritise playtime.

Read Everything to Play For on the Centre for Young Lives website. 

OPAL North East celebrates 10 years

On 24 November, the OPAL North East team celebrated 10 years of working with the region’s schools to improve children’s lives through play. As part of the celebrations, headteachers and children from OPAL schools joined the OPAL North East team at their office in Wallsend for some lunchtime fun and to hear about what’s next for play in schools in the region. 

The team has worked with more than 300 schools over the last decade, helping them to reimagine their playtimes through the OPAL Primary Programme. In that time, they have improved an estimated 3,000 acres of school grounds, trained more than 10,000 members of staff, and instigated upwards of 600,000 playful days — resulting in around 75,000 happier, healthier, more active children. 

Find out more about the programme in the OPAL section of this website.

OPAL’s expansion across Cumbria and Scotland

In 2021, OPAL CIC started a partnership with Play Scotland to bring the programme to schools across the country and Ingrid trained Scotland’s first OPAL mentor, Dr Simon Knight. Play Scotland now has four OPAL mentors and continues to be supported by Ingrid and the North East team. In 2023, the team continued to widen its reach and employed Anna Dutson to work with schools across Cumbria. More than 25 schools in the county are now engaged in the OPAL Primary Programme and the team looks forward to welcoming more in the new year. 

Thank you 

Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey in 2025. Working alongside so many passionate advocates for play is a great pleasure and we can’t wait to continue this work into 2026. 

What have your 2025 play in school highlights been? Please share them with us on social media using #PlayfulSchools.