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Amazing play, every day, for every child

An international, award-winning school improvement programme designed to support schools to transform their playtimes.

Cultural Transformation Through Play

Improving play isn't just about happier children; it's about transforming school culture, enhancing well-being, and creating a better learning environment.

A Fundamental Right for Every Child

Every school should treat high-quality play as essential to children's development, ensuring every child has access to joyful, enriching play every day.

Driving Systemic Change

OPAL supports schools with training, research, and national initiatives to embed structured, high-quality play into education, making lasting improvements for children’s lives.
The Opal logo, which is colourful and represents children playing.

The benefits of play

Play is fundamental to healthy childhood development. When children encounter amazing, rich, playful opportunities the benefits are truly phenomenal. The benefits of play include:

Builds resilience and enables children to manage risk

Improves children’s health and wellbeing

Develops problem solving, communication and social skills

Increases physical activity

Develops confidence and self-esteem

Play prepares children for the next stage of their lives.

A picture of school children playing outside in a forest, on a tire swing.
“The best initiative I have ever implemented in my school – it impacts every child every day.”
Nikki Raynor
C of E Primary

The OPAL Primary Programme

Playtime makes up 20% of a primary school child’s life, but most schools don’t plan strategically for this part of the school day.

The OPAL Primary Programme is a mentor supported school improvement programme that addresses all the areas that a school must plan for if they want to strategically improve the quality of play.

OPAL enables schools to make permanent, long term and sustainable changes to their playtimes, developing areas around leadership, risk, health and safety, access, grounds development and playwork practice.

OPAL has worked with over 1,500 schools across the UK and has now spread to Canada, South East Asia, Isle of Man, France, and Scotland.

Are you ready to unleash the power of playtime?

Book an introduction meeting

OPAL in the North East

In the North East, the OPAL Primary Programme is delivered by OPAL North East under franchise from Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) CIC. OPAL North East has a team of specialist mentors who work across the region supporting around 250 schools on their OPAL journey to improve playtimes for all children.

 

See what OPAL looks like at Knoplaw Primary School in Newcastle!

OPAL and Ofsted

Play improves outcomes across the board and the impact of the OPAL Primary Programme is regularly mentioned by Ofsted.

On re-inspection, we moved from Grade 4 (RI) to Grade 1 (Outstanding) in Behaviour and Safety at the Junior School. We would never have what we have now if it weren’t for the involvement of OPAL!

Clare Fletcher

Headteacher

Pupils engage extremely well with the extensive outdoor play and learning facilities. Social times are exciting and productive. Outdoor play and learning are strengths of the school. The school teaches pupils to be independent, for example the school gives the pupils the tools to resolve conflict. Pupils are taught to risk assess situations.

Dan McKeating, Lingey House, Feb 2024

Lead Inspector

The introduction of exciting new activities has transformed outdoor time. Pupils build with barrels and crates, dress up, expend energy on the trim trail and play small-side games on the multi-use games area, including on ‘football-free Friday’. Adults quickly resolve occasional disputes using six familiar questions, such as ‘What were you thinking at the time?

Phil Scott, Hetton Primary School, Feb 2024

Lead Inspector

Pupils enjoy using the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) area at breaks and lunchtimes. Here, they learn to take risks safely through trying out challenging activities such as balancing and climbing. Some older pupils have had training as OPAL leaders. They take their responsibilities for checking that stations are safe, and supporting other pupils in using them, very seriously.

Jan Corlett, Cumwhinton, June 2024

Lead Inspector

Connect with us

At OPAL North East we are always striving to share good practice and network with the whole play in schools community. Follow us on social media to keep updated and get in touch if you would like to discuss enrolling in the OPAL Primary Programme.

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