OPAL Playtimes

At Laycock Academy, we are incredibly proud of our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learn) play journey. Over the past year, we have worked hard to transform our playtimes into rich, inclusive and exciting opportunities for every child. As we continue to develop our provision, we are now working towards OPAL accreditation, which reflects our whole-school commitment to the value of high-quality play.

We believe that play is a vital part of childhood. Through OPAL, our children are encouraged to be creative, active, imaginative and independent. Playtimes at Laycock provide opportunities for children to collaborate, problem-solve, take safe and appropriate risks, build resilience, interact with nature and develop positive relationships with children across school.

Our outdoor environment has continued to grow and develop, with a wide range of play opportunities available across our grounds. Children can enjoy loose parts play, den building, creative and imaginative play, physical challenge, digging, nature play, quiet spaces, role play and opportunities to explore. These experiences support children’s physical, social and emotional development, while also making playtimes joyful, purposeful and fun.

Pupil voice is central to our OPAL approach. Children are actively involved in shaping our play provision, sharing their ideas, discussing new areas and helping us think about how play can be “safe enough” while still allowing challenge, creativity and open-ended exploration. Our OPAL assemblies give children regular opportunities to celebrate play, revisit expectations, reflect on risk and contribute to the future development of our playtimes.

We are also grateful for the support of our families and wider school community. Donations of loose parts and regular feedback have all helped us continue to improve our OPAL provision. We can’t wait to organise our parent stay and play event where parents and families can experience first-hand the enjoyment, independence and confidence that OPAL play brings to our children.

Please keep an eye out for regular OPAL updates in our school newsletter, requests for loose parts and resources on our Class Dojo, and dates for future OPAL Stay and Play sessions. We are always grateful for the continued support of our families in helping us make playtimes even better for our children.

At Laycock Academy, OPAL play reflects our school values of Aspiration, Community and Nurture.

We are committed to ensuring that every child has access to high-quality, meaningful play every day.