In March 2023 we were awarded the Platinum OPAL Standard Quality Mark! The platinum award is a very prestigious award, being the highest possible award an OPAL practising school can receive.
Our children used to be restricted to separate playgrounds with minimal equipment on offer. Since the beginning of our OPAL journey, we have opened our whole school grounds, giving the children access to a wide range of different environments and have introduced many different activities to extend our play offer. In addition to this, we have brought everyone together, allowing our children to mix with other year groups.
What we the benefits of OPAL play
At Flakefleet we recognise that play is an essential part of a happy and healthy childhood. We aim to provide high quality, enjoyable play experiences for all children across school. We will do this by providing carefully considered outdoor spaces, play structures and resources that offer a rich choice of accessible play experiences for every child.
Here are some of the benefits of OPAL
Some of our main zones:
- Loose parts
- The mud cafe
- MUGA (a variety of different ball games)
- Sensory Garden
- Free dig
- Sand pit
- Fancy dress
- Scooter track
We even have outdoor speakers in each playground and playlists that add extra enjoyment to each playtime.
Donations
Many of our resources are donated by kind parents and members of the public. This helps us to make our play as sustainable as possible. We are always on the lookout for loose parts including buggies, pans, traffic cones, fancy dress clothes, guttering or piping. Please contact the school office or speak to your child’s class teacher if you have anything you could offer.
Further Information
For further details about our amazing playtimes please see the documents below.