Earlier this week St Michael’s School, Aldbourne was presented with the Platinum Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Award in recognition of the high quality outdoor play the children are able to engage in. This is the highest award for the quality of outdoor play and learning – an achievement only 1% of OPAL schools achieve.
Helen Easton from OPAL stated, “This is what Platinum looks like! Achieving the top OPAL award is no easy feat but St Michael’s showed me a joyous playtime with a wonderful atmosphere as well as a rich play offer, congratulations!”
OPAL – which stands for Outdoor Play and Learning – is a programme to improve opportunities for physical activity, socialisation, co-operation, coordination, resilience, creativity, imagination and enjoyment through improved play. It is based on the idea that as well as learning through good teaching, children also learn when they play.
At St Michael’s the children have access to lots of different equipment such as scooters, bikes, helmets, dolls’ houses, mud pits, sand pits and fancy dress as part of their play time. The school is grateful to the local community for giving donations, such as scrap bits (old drain pipes and bits to create dens from) which all help the children to be creative and imaginative with their play.
Parents were invited to the school to see the award presented and then for a stay and play session to watch the outdoor play in action.
Judith Arkwright, Headteacher of St Michael’s, said, “We are over the moon to have received the highest accreditation from OPAL and to be awarded Platinum status. A huge thank you to the children for all the energy they brought to showing how they play and to all of the staff for their relentless enthusiasm and inspirational ideas.”
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