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Top marks for village school's play offering

OPAL Four children, wearing hard hats and hi-vis bibs with 'Construction Worker' written on the back', dig a large hole at Elloughton Primary School OPAL
Elloughton Primary School has achieved a Platinum Award from Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL)

A village school has been named among the very best in the country for the quality of its play.

Elloughton Primary School, in East Yorkshire, achieved Platinum Award status from Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL).

The accreditation is awarded to schools demonstrating exceptional commitment to providing high quality outdoor play opportunities for pupils.

Headteacher Carole Fulstow said: "There is now more engagement, social interaction and resilience among the children. Children have lots of freedom to roam and play, they are more independent, and have better developed social skills and teamwork. We are accessing all of our grounds and the playmakers feel like a team.”

OPAL A framed Platinum Award on the ground in a play area surrounded by wild flowers OPAL
Headteacher Carole Fulstow credits the new approach to play for making children more resilient

According to OPAL, a school improvement programme, Elloughton Primary is one of only a handful in the country to complete their "OPAL journey" in little over a year.

Even fewer achieve the Platinum Award within that time scale, it added.

The school also achieved the accolade of Best Overall Implementation 2024 in the OPAL Regional Awards.

OPAL mentor, Ana Ardelean, said the quality of play at Elloughton Primary School had been "transformed".

Den-building

All children in the school have wellington boots, meaning they can access all outside areas whatever the weather.

Activities include creating dens, digging in a large sandpit and performing on a stage.

Describing it as a "wonderful" site, Ms Ardelean noted children were free to choose from a "great range of play opportunities" and could "roam and choose who they want to play with".

"The culture of play feels embedded," she added.

Children’s play is celebrated with weekly assemblies, including the sharing of photographs taken throughout the week to capture the wide range of play.

In addition, a Golden Welly Award and OPAL certificates are presented to children who demonstrate the key values of OPAL Play.

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