A rich, demanding, creative curriculum

Play

Play at Dringhouses Primary School

We feel very strongly about the importance of play here at Dringhouses Primary. We’ve joined forces with OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning), who are supporting us through the introduction of an initiative to build and develop our play provision across the school. 

The school’s PTA (FODs – Friends Of Dringhouses) have generously funded the project, and from here we’re going ot calling on everyone in our community to support us, with donations of resources and time. The drop-downs below will show you more about the project and about the sort of things that we’re looking for at any given time.

Play Policy

OPAL

OPAL website

At OPAL we have seen just how much of an impact improving play can make to a school. We are not just talking about playtimes being a bit less bother or about children being a bit happier. We are talking about cultural transformation.

When you address a need that is so fundamental to the physical and mental wellbeing of children as play, and you do it well, it is impossible to think of how you ran a school and didn’t do this.

Our vision is that every child in every school has an amazing hour of high quality play every day – with no exceptions. If one child is not enjoying playtimes, then things still need improving.

We want every school to plan for, resource and evaluate the quality of their play provision as if it were an important human right, essential to all aspects of children’s development and a source of joy and happiness that every child can access because it is all of these things.

When you sign up to the OPAL Primary Programme you are starting a process that should change your school and your children’s lives forever.

Our Opal Mentor - Ana Ardelean

ana_ardeleanAna delivers the OPAL Programme in and around Leeds, Yorkshire and Manchester.

Ana has worked as a playworker, children’s service manager and trainer, current lecturer in Childhood Development and Playwork and play consultant.

Ana’s background is in playwork and front line work with children. She has 15 years of experience working in many different play settings in various countries; nurseries, schools, after school and holiday clubs, playschemes and special needs support services, refugee camps and more. She then moved on to play service management and development, playwork training and consultancy.

At the moment she is researching play in refugee children and supporting schools across Yorkshire to improve the quality of children’s play. Ana also sits on the trustee board as a treasurer of the International Play Association (England branch).

Help us out!

OPAL Bingo

Each class has been assigned a bingo card.  Working as a class team, collect all the items on class bingo card and shout ‘bingo’ to win your class 15 minutes of extra playtime.  If you collect all the items plus the starred item your class will receive 30 minutes extra play.

Class 11 Opal Bingo Card

Class 10 Opal Bingo Card

Class 9 Opal Bingo Card

Class 8 Opal Bingo Card

Class 7 Opal Bingo Card

Class 6 Opal Bingo Card

Class 5 Opal Bingo Card

Class 4 Opal Bingo Card

Class 3 Opal Bingo Card

Class 2 Opal Bingo Card

Class 1 Opal Bingo Card

Outdoor Classroom Day

This year’s outdoor classroom day is May 18th

Latest news

Whole school newsletter – 29 November 2024
2 December 2024
Whole school newsletter – 22 November 2024
25 November 2024
Admin Assistant (Level 1)
11 November 2024
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