What is OPAL?

Matchborough First School Academy has started an exciting journey to improve opportunities for physical activity, socialisation, cooperation, coordination, resilience, creativity, imagination and enjoyment through improved play during lunchtimes. We are at the start of our journey and this process will take up to 18 months. We embarked on this journey, knowing there is so much more opportunity for the children to be learning whilst playing.

One of the main reasons the school is carrying out this programme is that childhood has changed, and many children no longer get their play needs met out of school, due to the many changes in society today. some of these factors are;

• The average screen time for primary children is six hours per day.
• Average outdoor play time per week is five hours
• The percentage of UK children who only play outdoors with other children at school is 56%.

This is why we have started OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning), to assist us on our journey to improve lunchtimes. OPAL is the UK’s leading, award-winning organisation providing school improvement through play. It has helped hundreds of schools improve play for thousands of children across the world, even as far as Australia! Their vision that OPAL has is very clear:

‘every child in every school has an amazing hour of high-quality play every day – with no exceptions. If one child is not enjoying playtimes, then things still need improving.’

What are the benefits of Opal play?

• All children are able to engage in fun activities at playtime. 
• Improves Mental Health. 
• Research shows OPAL children are happier.
• Social and emotional development.
• Increased creativity, imagination and collaborative skills.
• Through the OPAL approach to play children are not only more active at playtime, but they are also having the opportunity to further develop life skills such as cooperation, team work and problem solving. They are becoming motivated and enthusiastic builders, engineers, explorers and designers.

What does OPAL mean for us?

• Happier children
• Children coming into class ready to learn
• A fully inclusive playtime 
• It allows children an opportunity to be creative and make decisions
• Children develop independence and resilience skills
• Increased social skills as children from different year groups will be playing together
• FUN!

Can you help?

We have been busy collecting resources for OPAL, If you have any of these items please being them to your child's class teacher or the school office. Thank you!