In May 2025, we launched a bold and exciting step...
Amazing Play, Every Day
At Tunstall Church of England Primary School, we believe that play is an essential part of every child's development. Through our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) programme, we are transforming playtimes into exciting, creative and inclusive opportunities where every child can flourish.
Children spend around 20% of their school day at play. We believe this time is just as valuable as classroom learning, providing opportunities to develop confidence, resilience, communication, creativity and problem-solving skills in a natural and enjoyable way. Research consistently shows that high-quality play supports physical
health, emotional wellbeing, social development and readiness to learn.
Our Vision
Our vision for OPAL is simple:
Every child deserves amazing play every day.
We want our outdoor environment to be a place where children feel inspired to explore, imagine, create, collaborate and challenge themselves. Our playtimes are designed to be inclusive, engaging and full of opportunities for children of all ages and interests.
By embedding play at the heart of school life, we aim to nurture children who are confident, independent, resilient and ready to embrace new experiences.
Our OPAL journey began with a commitment to rethinking what playtime could be. Rather than seeing lunchtime simply as a break between lessons, we recognised it
as an important learning opportunity where children develop lifelong skills. Working alongside the OPAL Primary Programme, we have carefully reviewed our
outdoor spaces, listened to the views of our children and families, and created an action plan to transform our playground into an exciting environment that promotes
curiosity, creativity and adventure.
Throughout our journey we continue to:
- Develop new play zones and exciting outdoor spaces.
- Introduce open-ended resources that encourage imaginative play.
- Increase opportunities for physical activity and healthy risk-taking.
- Promote cooperation, communication and problem-solving.
- Ensure every child has access to meaningful, enjoyable play experiences.
- Continually evaluate and improve our provision based on children's interests.
OPAL is an ongoing journey, and each improvement helps create an even richer play experience for our children.
Since introducing OPAL, we have seen children become more engaged, active and collaborative during playtimes. High-quality play supports:
- improved wellbeing and happiness
- increased confidence and independence
- stronger friendships and communication skills
- greater resilience and perseverance
- enhanced creativity and imagination
- better problem-solving and teamwork
- improved concentration and readiness for learning after play
These qualities complement our wider curriculum and help children develop the skills they need both in school and beyond.
The success of OPAL relies on the support of our whole school community.
Families play an important role by donating suitable loose parts and recyclable materials, volunteering at play development days, and sharing ideas that help us
continue improving our outdoor provision. Together, we are creating an environment where every child can enjoy rich, meaningful play experiences every single day.
Our OPAL journey continues to evolve. As we develop new areas, introduce additional resources and respond to the ideas of our children, our playground will
continue to grow into a vibrant, inspiring space where imagination, friendship and adventure thrive.
We are excited to see where the next stage of our OPAL journey will take us and look forward to sharing our progress with our whole school community.