Navigation

Exceptional Education at the Heart of the Community

Exceptional Education at the Heart of the Community

We've Achieved A Platinum Award for Outdoor Play and Learning!

We've Achieved A Platinum Award for Outdoor Play and Learning!
Himali Dolatessim

Lunchtime play has been transformed at our academy as we achieve an OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) Platinum Award!

In January 2023 we started our journey with OPAL, in order to improve playtime by giving children more opportunities for socialisation, cooperation, coordination, resilience, creativity, imagination and enjoyment. With OPAL, children at our academy were given access to more of the grounds, including forest areas, and they were given access to these areas in all weathers; allowing them greater freedoms to play where, with whom and how they liked. The support from the local community was incredible with donations of tyres, pallets, small parts, toys, and games donated to help make the project work.

Children can now take part in a huge range of play experiences at lunchtime; with areas such as a creation station, a building site, mud kitchens, access to a forest, water play, board games, sports, and a climbing wall. Music is played out across the playground and children are able to dance and sing which brings even further enjoyment.

The latest addition to the play at Warndon was the opening of six huge sandpits which was made possible due to funding from Worcestershire County Council’s Public Health Innovation Grant. These sandpits have brought and incredible amount of joy to the children and enabled them to have new experiences and opportunities.

The audit report, written by Rachel Murray, OPAL Play Mentor, included the following statements.

·         “An OPAL Platinum award shows that the quality of outdoor lunchtime play at your primary school is some of the best in the country.”

·         “The Platinum play award, alongside the Ofsted Outstanding grading, demonstrate that this school is highly ambitious in providing the very best experiences to all their pupils, with opportunities to learn and succeed both inside and outside of the classroom.”

·         “Pupils of all ages played together, and the feeling and tone of lunchtime play was happy and inclusive.”

·         “Pupils were active across the entire site; I observed tree swings, sliding, basketball, dancing, traversing obstacle courses, table tennis, den building, gymnastics, football and more. Music on the playground led to an impromptu karaoke sing-along and a wonderfully relaxed, party atmosphere.”

·         “Opening up the sizeable green spaces that have previously not been used at lunchtime meant that pupils were enjoying close connections with nature, and we marvelled together at hatched eggshells, patterned snail shells, wiggly worms and an extremely fast centipede!”

Miss Jauncey, Assistant Principal said “Since Covid, children have experienced less opportunities to play, to socialise and to be children. Working with OPAL to focus on high quality play experiences for every child, every day has given our children their childhood back.

The benefits of play and being outdoors and connected to nature, particularly with regards to children’s wellbeing, is undeniable.

Now we are an OPAL school, children swing from tyres, play in sand pits, dig, run, hunt for bugs, dress up, climb trees and play sports every lunchtime, with no barriers on age, race, gender or ability.

Inclusivity has always been at the heart of what we do at Oasis Academy Warndon and with OPAL, this has really solidified that. We are extremely proud to have achieved a Platinum award, showing our commitment to play, wellbeing and inclusivity.”

Freya, a pupil from Year 3, said: “OPAL is fun, people can create things and do anything they set their mind to. It used to be 2 playgrounds, but it has changed so much, and we don't have to be split up anymore. It's amazing and we really enjoy it."