Old Basford School Opportunities Bring Success
OPAL Play
OPAL Play
We are absolutely delighted as a school to share with you that we are officially an OPAL Play school (Outdoor Play and Learning). Our journey with OPAL started in September 2023, and we have gone from strength to strength ever since, and we were recently awarded 'Platinum status', which is the highest OPAL accreditation. Please see the letter from Bobby, our mentor, which is full of high praise.
OPAL Team
OPAL Mentor: Dr Bobby Beaumont
Headteacher: Laura Duffin
Curriculum Leads: Sharon Priddle, Jayne Thomas & Lydia Jones
Play Co-ordinator: Joanne McNicholas
Governor Rep: Yacine Blair
Play Organisers: Joanne McNicholas, Tina Swain, Sue Porter, Becca Knighton & Tracey Shepperd
Meet the Play Team
Loose Parts
Use a range of loose parts to build dens, vehicles, assault courses and many more wonderful things. Expand your imagination using the resources in this area.
Sand Play
We are very lucky to have a large sandpit to enable the children to build structures and experience sand between their toes. The children are able to use a range of resources to support their sand play.
Slack Lines, Tyre Swings and the Trapeze
The children have many opportunities to build their core strength and physical ability through our trim trail and various swings. The children love to balance on the slack lines and become acrobats on the trapeze swing!
Messy Kitchen
Come and bake something in our messy kitchen! Use the natural resources around you to create concoctions and just have fun exploring different natural materials and getting messy!
Active Zone
We have a wide range of equipment to keep the children busy, fit and healthy. They enjoy a range of activities from badminton to athletics and trampolines to pogo sticks.
Water Play
We make the most of rainy days and bad weather with our extensive willy library and waterproofs available. There is no such thing as wet play in our school. The children can explore water by playing with brushes, watering cans and various toys. They can also explore the puddles on very wet days!
Rough & Tumble
Rough-and-tumble play is a fun and positive social activity for children. It also promotes social and emotional development because it involves risk-taking and conflict resolution. Our children ensure that they give consent when they step into the rough and tumble zone and always follow the negotiated rules.
Photos to follow...
Calm Corner
For those children who want some quiet time or don't want to be as active, we have a dedicated calm corner. Here the children can sit and relax, or play a game with a friend. There are construction materials and small world play available here.
Small World & Role Play
We have a large collection of small world resources to help children develop their imagination through play. It is also great for children to build friendships and practise social interactions as they play alongside others, creating stories and games.
Wheelie Zone
Our wheelie zone is an extremely popular area for children to use. It is an excellent opportunity for children to practise their cycling and scooting skills. We also have a range of other wheeled items including lawnmowers, suitcases and pushchairs.
Creative Area
In the shelter on the bottom playground, children have the opportunity to be creative using a range of resources. It is a quiet, calm area to go and express themselves.
Reading Shed
For those children that just want to have a few minutes of calm time reading, we have a reading shed and chairs for the children to sit on, as not everyone wants to be active and running around.
Photos to follow...
Performance Area
We have costumes, music, a stage and backdrops for our performance area. The children enjoy being creative, dressing up, dancing and performing for others.
Amazon Wish List
We now have an OPAL Play wish list for anyone that would like to kindly support our outdoor play and learning. It will also give you some ideas of items we are looking for that you might have at home and be able to donate.
We thank you in advance for any kind contributions to OPAL Play.
OPAL Play Event 2024
What a fabulous morning we had! Our parent event was a huge success and much fun was had in the snow. Please have a look at our gallery below and check out the feedback received from the parents who attended. We fed back to Bobby and his response to us was just how special it was!
OPAL Policies & Documents
We have already introduced so many activities to our Opal Play provision and there is something for everyone. Here you can see what we would like for the near future. We would like the children to have more access to more of the school grounds so more exploring can take place. We would like to introduce more risk-taking and physical activities such as tree and rock climbing. Watch this space for any developments