Play

Improving Play at Shefford Lower School

At Shefford Lower School, we know that play is a vital part of every child’s development—physically, socially, emotionally, and creatively.

That’s why we’re proud to be working with OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) to enhance the quality of playtime for all our children.

Why Play Matters

Play is much more than a break from lessons. It helps children:

Stay active and healthy
Build friendships and develop social skills
Grow in confidence, resilience, and independence
Use their imagination and express creativity
Learn valuable life skills through experience

Children spend around 20% of their time at primary school in playtime—that’s equivalent to 1.4 years of their school life. We want to make every minute of that time as rich, inclusive, and engaging as possible.

What Is OPAL?

The OPAL Primary Programme is an award-winning approach to improving play in schools. It’s the result of over 20 years of research and has been successfully implemented in over 800 schools in the UK and internationally.

Some of OPAL’s key achievements include:

Winner of the Best Active Schools Programme in Europe (2018)
Two UK National Playwork Awards
Supported by Sport England, with major investment to expand the programme

The OPAL programme is based on the idea that children learn just as much through play as they do through formal teaching—and that every child deserves a great play experience, every day.

What Will This Look Like at Shefford?

As we begin our OPAL journey, you may notice some exciting changes at Shefford Lower School:

Children using more of the school grounds, in all seasons
A wider variety of play opportunities available during lunchtime
More freedom, creativity, and challenge in how children choose to play
Children getting more active—and sometimes a little muddier!

To support these changes, we’ll encourage practical clothing for outdoor play, such as wellies and waterproofs, so that children can enjoy the outdoors in all weather.

The Benefits

Schools that implement OPAL consistently report:

Happier, more engaged children
Fewer playground disputes and less time lost to behaviour issues
Safer play with fewer accidents
More time for learning in the classroom

Working Together

Over the next 18 months, we’ll be receiving expert support from OPAL and involving our whole school community in the process. There will be opportunities to:

Meet the OPAL mentor at school
Attend special events to see the changes in action
Contribute materials and resources for play
Support your child in embracing more active, creative play