OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning)

At Minet Infant and Nursery School, play is an important part of our curriculum and we have partnered with OPAL, an award winning programme, to strategically and sustainably improve our play provision.

High quality, child-led play opportunities have a critical role in supporting our aims at Minet Infant and Nursery school:

• have the learning and social skills to succeed and contribute;
• the confidence, enthusiasm and self-belief to achieve, create and participate;
• the curiosity and passion to problem-solve, take risks and be ambitious;
• a sense of social responsibility that makes them team players, great friends and active citizens.

Our children have access to a wide range of materials, which they can use in their play. These currently includes tyres, crates, wood, mud, wheeled toys and much more.

Through regular play assemblies, they are taught about dynamic risk assessments and playing co-operatively with others.

We follow advice from the Health and Safety Executive, who support active play in schools: