What is OPAL Play?

We started our OPAL journey in June 2023 and our journey with it - so far - has been amazing. OPAL has completely revitalised our playtimes and play is now an integral part of the school day. Research shows that playtime takes up more than 20% of a child’s time at school, which is around 1.4 years of primary school life.

Play in the Past

Previously, our children were restricted to the tarmacked areas of school separated by different lunch times and with minimal equipment available. Since the beginning of our journey, through OPAL, we have been able to become more flexible with our lunch times, giving our children maximum time to play. We have opened our whole school grounds, giving the children access to a wide range of different environments and experiences. In addition to this, we have brought everyone together, allowing our children to mix with other year groups regardless of their age or backgrounds.

What We Want for Our Children at Seaburn Dene

At Seaburn Dene Primary School, we believe that every child deserves high-quality play, every day. Play is not an optional extra—it’s essential to children’s health, happiness, development and overall well-being.

Our vision - "We always try to be that little bit better" - closely aligns with that of the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) programme:

"That every child has an amazing hour of high-quality play every day."

Through rich, engaging play opportunities, our children develop key life skills—creativity, imagination, resilience, stamina, cooperation and confidence—all while having fun and enjoying their school day to the fullest.

What OPAL play brings to Seaburn Dene:

• Mental well-being: Children are happier and more content. Many OPAL schools, like ours, report improved emotional health amongst pupils.

• Physical activity: All children are more active, often without even realising they’re exercising because they’re so engaged in play.

• Social and emotional growth: Play brings children of all ages and backgrounds together—building friendships and essential interpersonal skills.

• Self-regulation: With increased freedom comes responsibility. Our children learn how to manage themselves, assess risk, and look after one another.

• Links to learning: Play boosts creativity and imagination—skills that feed directly back into classroom success.

• Risk management: Children develop their ability to assess and manage risk safely, with fewer reported accidents and greater confidence.

• Improved behaviour: Happier, busier children lead to calmer classrooms and fewer behaviour issues.

• Higher attendance: When play is this exciting, children genuinely look forward to coming to school.

• Staff well-being: Supervising joyful, active children is far more rewarding and less stressful—leading to improved staff morale.

• Teaching and learning: After an active hour of play, children are more focused and ready to learn—supporting higher standards of teaching.

• Parental confidence: Parents want their children to be happy at school. A school that values freedom, fun and emotional well-being is one they can trust.

At Seaburn Dene, play is a priority—because happy children learn best.

Play Policy

Risk Benefit Assessment 2025

What children say about OPAL at Seaburn Dene

Heidi, Yr 5, said, "Playtimes used to be rough - rough games, like tig - I used to prefer being inside. Now it's more gentle and there is more stuff to do. I like playing with my friends, doing dances and going on the swings. It is better now and makes us feel like we fit in more."

Tilly, Yr 4, said, "OPAL is really good. The blue mats are really fun and we like doing gymnastics on them."

Phoebe, Yr 4, said, "OPAL is really good and fun. We like the blue mats, the blue bars and the staff are really friendly."

Charlie, Yr 5 said, "There is more stuff to play with now. It is better than it used to be, there is more to do. I like using the pallets to make jumps."

Rayne, Yr 5, said, "There used to be nothing really to play with. Now it is completely different. I like the swing. There is so much more to play with: so many options. It makes me feel much happier and it is now really fun."

Alfie, Yr 5, said, "Breaktimes are now better, because of the swing, the sandpit and the house. If we added anything - I would be filled with joy!"

Seaburn Dene Primary School Achieves OPAL Gold Award! - May 2025

Over the past two years, we have been working in partnership with OPAL – Outdoor Play and Learning. With the support of experienced OPAL mentors, our staff have been developing a rich and engaging play curriculum that ensures every playtime is positive, enjoyable, and meaningful for all our children.
OPAL’s vision is clear: that every child in every school should enjoy at least an hour of high-quality play every day – no exceptions! Our children have been at the heart of this journey, enthusiastically embracing the improvements and shaping the way playtimes look and feel at Seaburn Dene.
This whole-school project has been passionately led by Mrs Tough and Mrs Smith, whose dedication has driven the transformation in how we approach play. Today, we are incredibly proud to share that following our final assessment…
Seaburn Dene Primary School has achieved the OPAL GOLD Award!
This places us in the top 4% of schools nationally for the quality of our play offer. The award recognises our commitment to every aspect of play – including policy, planning, resources, staff training and continuous improvement – and our dedication to children’s right to play, as outlined in Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
This is a fantastic achievement for our whole school community and something we are immensely proud of. In the coming weeks, we will be holding a special presentation assembly led by our OPAL mentor to officially receive our Gold Quality Mark.
We’re sure you’ll join us in celebrating this brilliant achievement for Seaburn Dene – a GOLD award for GOLD-standard play!