OPAL NEWS!

OPAL Bingo 

To continue to give our children the best possible play opportunities, we are on a drive to have more resources and large loose parts in place for our children. 

How it works: 
To complete a Bingo card, each class needs to have collected one of each item listed on their sheet. A full Bingo sheet will earn the class an extra play session! The bingo cards will be posted on the children’s home learning on the 12th February.  

All items must be brought in over the course of the next half-term (Spring 2). Items will be stored safely in drop-off points inside school. 

Winners will be announced during assemblies, once classes have completed their bingo sheet. The most extraordinary mystery item will also earn an extra play! 

Our recent Welly Catwalk was a huge success and a real joy to watch! Children proudly strutted their stuff in raincoats and wellies, parading across the school in a fantastic whole-school celebration of outdoor learning. Since then, we’ve noticed a brilliant increase in weather-proof clothing on the playground — thank you for your support with this.

With the weather set to remain on the wetter side over the next couple of weeks, we kindly remind parents and carers to ensure children come to school in suitable waterproof clothing, or have a pair of wellies kept in school so they can fully enjoy outdoor play, whatever the weather.

We’re also delighted with how well our new outdoor play zones are being used. The scooter track has been a firm favourite, while the mud pit has sparked endless excitement — with children enthusiastically digging, exploring and getting stuck in! The wet weather has even inspired some wonderfully creative shelter and fort building, showing fantastic teamwork and imagination across the playground.

We recently held an OPAL development day, during which our OPAL mentor visited the school to work with the whole play team. The training focused on enriching children’s play experiences, carrying out effective risk–benefit assessments, and developing confident approaches to managing muddy and wet play. The session provided valuable guidance and practical ideas, helping to ensure that playtimes remain safe, inclusive and full of opportunity for all of our pupils.

A huge thank you to the mysterious chalk fairy who keeps leaving boxes of chalk at our donation spot — the children have absolutely loved using them to decorate the playground with their creations.

To help us continue developing rich and engaging outdoor play opportunities, we are currently looking for donations of:

• Watering cans
• Wooden planks
• Tarpaulin
• Large plastic crates
• Brooms

Thank you, as always, for your continued support in helping our children learn, explore and thrive outdoors.