OPAL
OPAL Playtime at The Academy of Cuxton School
Because play is children’s work — and it should be brilliant fun!
We’re thrilled to announce that The Academy of Cuxton School has begun an exciting new journey with OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) — a nationally recognised programme that helps schools create happier, more active, and more imaginative playtimes for every child.
What is OPAL?
OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) has supported hundreds of schools across the UK and around the world — including in Canada, Australia, France, New Zealand, and many more — to transform the quality of children’s play. The message is simple but powerful: play is essential for children’s health, happiness, and development. Every child deserves time and space to play freely, creatively, and joyfully every single day.
Why OPAL at Cuxton?
At Cuxton, we believe playtime should be purposeful, fun, inclusive, and well-resourced. Through OPAL, we’re reimagining our outdoor spaces and lunchtime experiences to create opportunities for children to:
Build, design, and explore their own ideas
Move, climb, and challenge themselves
Work together, share, and make friends
Let their imaginations run wild
Enjoy every playtime — in all weathers!
Our OPAL Journey So Far...
We’ve already taken our first exciting steps towards becoming an OPAL school!
To help us understand what playtime currently looks like and where we can make improvements, we have:
Surveyed our children to hear their thoughts, wishes, and ideas for play
Asked our staff about what’s working well and where they see opportunities
Gathered feedback from parents and carers about what they’d love to see
We’ve now collected all of these valuable insights and will be using them to shape the next stages of our OPAL journey.
Survey Results
Children’s Survey Summary:
Children would like equipment out to stop them from getting bored... more spaces to roam...Staff Survey Summary:
The children need to be kept busy to avoid arguments, injuries and allow them the time and space to socialise and be ready for afternoon learning.Parent Survey Summary:
Children often talk about not doing much at lunch... or football dominants the playground...
We’re all singing from the same hymn sheet — children, staff, and parents alike — as we work together to make play at Cuxton even better.
Our children have been very busy in assembly time, drawing and creating their very own dream playgrounds. Some lovely ideas. our children have definitely thought of EVERYTHING!
Meet Our OPAL Working Party
Play needs leadership and teamwork to thrive — and we’ve got a fantastic group leading the way!
Our OPAL Team:
Mrs Aldham-Breary – Headteacher
Mrs Mulholland and Mr Bilton – Curricular Leads of Play
Mrs Thomas – Play Co-ordinator
Mrs Fielon – Play Governor
Dr Puts – Parent Play Champion
We have our first meeting booked in and are excited to be working with our OPAL Play Advisor, who will guide us through each step of this transformation.
Coming Soon: New game
As part of our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) development, we are excited to be introducing a new playground game for all children called Four Square. Four Square is a fun and active ball game played on a court divided into four squares, where children bounce and pass the ball between players with the aim of staying in the game and moving up to the highest square. The game encourages teamwork, coordination, strategy, and positive social interaction. We will also be exploring ways to incorporate more adventurous — yet safe — elements of play, giving children opportunities to take appropriate risks, build confidence, and engage in imaginative, active exploration during their playtimes.
What’s Next?
Keep an eye on this page or our Facebook page for regular updates, photos, and stories as our OPAL playtimes continue to evolve. Together, we’re building a play culture where every child feels happy, included, and inspired to play in their own wonderful way.
✨ Watch this space — playtime at Cuxton is about to get even more amazing!
In the final week of Term 3, we were delighted to welcome Gráinne, our OPAL mentor, who delivered an informative workshop for parents about our vision for play at school. She explored what play really means, the many benefits it brings to children’s development, and how we can continue to enhance play opportunities across our school. The session also highlighted the importance of appropriate clothing for outdoor play. As play can sometimes be muddy or wet, having the right clothing and footwear ensures children can fully enjoy their experiences without concern. Practical items such as waterproof raincoats (which can be worn over warm coats), wellington boots to allow access to all areas of the playground while keeping school shoes clean, and even a spare pair of warm socks can make a significant difference in keeping children comfortable, warm, and ready to learn.