Here at Goffs Oak Primary School, we are committed to ensuring quality play opportunities are available to all our children. We believe that play is essential for physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual development of each child. Our school acknowledges the UN Charter on the Rights of the Child, especially Article 31, and supports the child's right to play. Most of our best childhood memories are from playing outdoors, climbing trees and exploring the wide world around us. OPAL gives us the opportunity to give those memories to your children.

Children spend 20% of their time in school playing. To ensure that this time is used to its full potential, in November 2024, our school started our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) journey that allows the children freedom to explore play in their own imaginative ways, often using found and gathered resources in the natural outdoor environment. An OPAL approach promotes a more inclusive play environment in which all children can feel comfortable to express themselves.

Our outdoor areas are continually being developed to offer an even wider range of play opportunities. The children love playing in all the different areas including, creating games with small world toys, making new recipes in the mud kitchen, designing and making in the craft zone and creating new dance moves to the music. They are having fun and developing life skills of teamwork, problem solving, communication and resilience, whilst also developing their creativity and imagination. 

Our OPAL play project is developing successfully and the children love being outside. Our project goes from strength to strength but there is always more to do. With the support of our OPAL team and fantastic families the world of play will continue to be transformed to capture and inspire our children's imagination.