Outdoor Play and Learning

Outdoor Play and Learning

We are working towards becoming an OPAL school - we ensure that every pupil has an amazing period of high-quality play every day! 

At Westgate Hill Primary Academy, we are passionate in ensuring that our outdoor play offer is as vibrant, creative and innovative as our academic curriculum. We recognise that having quality time and provision to play is essential for positive mental and physical health, exploring learning in new ways and for the development of healthy relationships. The benefits of play are enormous - children are provided with rich learning opportunities to help them practise skills, develop socially and emotionally and to grow strong and healthy. 

We know you want your children to be happier, healthier and to get the chances to play they want and need so much. The OPAL project aims to improve opportunities for physical activity, socialisation, co-operation, coordination, resilience, creativity, imagination and enjoyment through improved play. OPAL schools have reported seeing these benefits -

• 80% drop in reported behaviour and first aid incidents
• 20% more afternoon teaching time
• Compliance with wellbeing inspection requirements

• Increased resilience, collaboration and inclusion

For more information about the OPAL programme, please visit the OPAL website: https://outdoorplayandlearning.org.uk/

How can you help?

There are certain things children must have in order to be able to play. These include:

– Having clothes that you can play in
– Having things to play with
– Having a certain amount of freedom

As our school continues to improve play opportunities for your children, you may find that we are asking you for donations/resources, and that we make changes about how the children use the school grounds. We are hoping that they will be able to use more of the grounds, for more of the year. Your children may get a bit messier, be exposed to more challenges and have greater freedoms to play where, with whom and how they like. The experiences that we are fostering at Westgate Hill are essential for children’s physical and mental well-being and healthy and in line with all current good practice advice on health safety, well-being and development.