At Peasedown St John Primary School, we believe that play is at the heart of childhood. It’s fundamental to children’s health, happiness, development, and wellbeing. Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states:
“Every child has the right to rest, relax, play and to take part in cultural and creative activities.”
Play is not just something children do — it’s how they explore, learn, build relationships, and grow into confident, resilient individuals. At PSJ, we see play as essential, not optional.
Research shows that children spend up to 20% of their time in primary school playing. That’s one fifth of their school experience — and it deserves to be nurtured and developed with the same care as subjects like English and Maths.
In 2023, we began our exciting journey with OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning), an award-winning, mentor-supported school improvement programme. OPAL helps schools like ours take a strategic and sustainable approach to transforming playtimes into high-quality, inclusive learning opportunities. We are incredibly proud that our efforts were recognised with the OPAL Platinum Award — the highest possible achievement — in the summer of 2023. This means that every child at PSJ has access to exceptional play, every single day.
As providers of play, we embrace the principle that risk is a natural and necessary part of childhood. As outlined in Managing Risk in Play Provision: An Implementation Guide (2012):
“The goal is not to eliminate risk, but to weigh up the risks and benefits. No child will learn about risk if they are wrapped up in cotton wool.”
We believe children need opportunities to challenge themselves, to assess risks, and to learn how to keep themselves and others safe. Our role is to create a rich, stimulating environment that is as safe as it needs to be, not risk-free. When planning and assessing play opportunities, we take a risk-benefit approach, ensuring that the developmental value of an activity is always considered alongside any potential hazards. We use dynamic risk assessments to support safe and rewarding experiences for all children.
We’re incredibly fortunate at Peasedown St John to have generous, varied outdoor spaces — a rare asset for a primary school. These grounds provide the perfect setting for our OPAL journey, and we are continually developing them to reflect the wide range of play needs and interests of our children.
Our commitment to play is not a short-term project. It is a long-term vision that underpins our school values and the way we support every child’s holistic development.
We invite you to explore our Play Policy and Long-Term OPAL Strategy (see links below):
Peasedown St John Primary School Play Policy 2024-2025
We believe that creating rich, inclusive play opportunities is something we do together — and our families play a vital role in making it all possible. Here’s how you can help:
Learn more about why play matters.
Take a moment to read to documents below including the booklet for parents called The Power of Playtime (linked below) to understand how OPAL supports your child’s wellbeing, development, and learning every single day.
Dress for the outdoors!
Wellies or outdoor footwear are an essential part of our uniform, along with waterproof coats or puddle suits. These help your child stay warm, dry, and ready to explore, whatever the weather.
Can you donate loose parts or outdoor play items?
We’re always looking to enrich our play spaces with open-ended, creative resources. If you have items such as crates, tyres, kitchenware, fabric, or other loose parts you think could be useful, we’d love to hear from you!
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Please note that we are ALWAYS on the hunt for the following resources:
Thank you in advance!
Each year, we appoint a group of children as OPAL Operators —enthusiastic leaders who are passionate about improving play across the school. They act as the voice of their peers, helping to spot opportunities for enhancing our playtimes and making sure every child’s ideas are heard.
To support this, we hold a regular OPAL assembly for the whole school. These assemblies are a key part of how we develop a safe, creative, and inclusive play culture.
At Peasedown St John Primary School, we love to celebrate play through a variety of special OPAL events each year, which we aim to include in our school calendar. One of the highlights are our 2–3 ‘Stay and Play’ sessions, where parents are warmly invited to join their children during playtime and experience the joy and creativity of our OPAL approach firsthand. These sessions offer a wonderful opportunity for families to see how play supports social, emotional, and physical development. We also organise exciting lunchtime events throughout the year to keep playtimes fresh and engaging. Popular favourites include our annual Easter egg hunt and summer water play day, which bring a real sense of fun and community to our school.
Easter Egg Hunt 2025
Easter Egg Hunt 2024
Stay & Play 2024-2025
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