At Nelson Mandela School we have introduced OPAL play at lunchtimes. OPAL gives all children across the school the opportunity to have fun exploring, investigating and learning through play. Play is a crucial way of developing creativity, problem solving, teamwork and is a vital tool to allow children to challenge themselves in a safe environment.

The OPAL Primary Programme rationale is that “… better, more active and creative playtimes can mean happier and healthier children, and having happier, healthier, more active children usually results in a more positive attitude to learning in school, with more effective classroom lessons, less staff time spent resolving unnecessary behavioural problems, fewer playtime accidents, happier staff and a healthier attitude to life.”

All year we will be collecting loose parts from the list below; if you have any or are able to get any for school, please could you bring them in and give them to the office for the children to use. They will be played with, painted on and maybe even used to create dens, so we will not be able to return anything after it has been donated.

 

For more information please click here for the Opal Play Policy.and Opal Guidance of Playtime Document

 

 

               

          

                                      

         

                                                                                           

                                                                                

 

 

                              

                                                                                                               

 

 

 

 

 

OPAL INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PLAY

11TH JUNE 2026

 

  

We would like to say a big thank you to the adults who joined us for our OPAL stay and play day. The weather was not kind to us, but we put on our coats and had a wonderful day of playing anyway! Here are some photographs of all the fun that was had over the course of the day and some lovely comments that were left on our evaluation sheets at the end of each session.