We are incredibly proud to be an OPAL Platinum School!
We were delighted to share our playtime during our final OPAL audit with our OPAL mentor, Rachel. Our entire school community were accessing and enjoying play together. Rachel noted in her feedback, “There was a genuine sense of inclusion, joy, and belonging right across the site.”
Please read our final report and our OPAL offer below.
At Tysoe, we believe in the power of play!
Play is not only for the youngest in our school. We believe play is for all and supports our children to develop resilience, teamwork, creativity and problem-solving. Play is critical to health and well-being, providing opportunities for children to explore their physical and emotional environment, and developing in children the self-esteem and confidence to push the boundaries of what they can achieve. We also aim to nurture a love of the natural world and our local environment through meaningful and purposeful play – whatever the weather!
Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 31, play is a human right. All state parties have a duty to ensure every child has access to play.
Research from the Education Endowment Fund, shows that children’s mental and physical health is getting worse and that great play can make it better. During their seven years at primary school, children spend 1.4 years at play.
At Tysoe C of E Primary School we have a plan to ensure that every child has at least one hour’s outstanding outdoor play every school day– with no exceptions! At Tysoe, we believe that play teaches children everything they need to learn but cannot always be taught in a classroom. There are many benefits to children from having lots of rewarding and stimulating play, we firmly believe that every child has the right to play.
Underpinned by a risk-benefit approach, the OPAL Primary Programme aims to support more active and creative playtimes meaning happier and healthier children resulting in a more positive attitude to learning in school, with more effective classroom lessons, less staff time spent resolving playground issues and, fewer playtime accidents.
Play is not always pretty, but it is worth it! And always fun!
Learn more about our OPAL offer here…