Pupils at St John’s Catholic Primary School in Trowbridge are celebrating after their school was awarded the prestigious OPAL Platinum Award for its outstanding approach to playtimes.
The award is the highest level of accreditation in the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) programme and recognises schools that create exceptional opportunities for children to play, explore and learn outdoors.
Following a full audit of playtimes, the school was recognised for its creative play spaces, use of loose-parts materials and a culture that encourages children to explore, imagine and play together across year groups.
Children now enjoy a wide range of activities during break times, including den building, sand and water play, wheeled play, climbing, digging and nature exploration. The programme has transformed playtimes into active, creative and inclusive experiences for pupils.
Helen Easton, OPAL mentor, said, “St John’s Catholic Primary School has created a truly outstanding play environment for its children. The school has shown a clear commitment to high-quality play, with strong leadership, a dedicated play team and a culture where children are trusted to be creative, active and adventurous in their play.
“It has been a pleasure to witness the transformation of play at St John’s and the joy it is bringing to the children. Achieving the OPAL Platinum Award is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the hard work of the whole school community.”
Kim O’Rourke, headteacher, said, “Our school community is delighted to celebrate receiving the OPAL Platinum Award, a recognition that reflects not only the high quality of play opportunities we provide for our children, but also the way our Catholic mission and ethos are lived out each day across our school grounds.”
She explained that the school’s approach to outdoor play helps nurture the whole child – spiritually, socially, emotionally and physically.
“Our outdoor areas now provide a rich variety of opportunities for imaginative play, physical activity, problem-solving and quiet reflection. Children are encouraged to take ownership of their play and develop confidence, resilience and creativity.”
The school also places strong emphasis on caring for the environment, encouraging pupils to reuse materials, look after resources and protect outdoor spaces as part of its Catholic values.
Vicky Holmes, OPAL lead, said, “Achieving the OPAL Platinum Award is a fantastic recognition of the work our whole school community has put into transforming playtimes. We are incredibly proud of our children, who showed our visitor just how creative, inclusive and adventurous play at St John’s can be.”
Recent additions to the playground include a large sandpit created with the help of parent volunteers and donated materials, expanding opportunities for imaginative play and highlighting strong community support for the school.
Pupils themselves say the changes have made a big difference.
One Year 5 pupil said, “Play times are so much better now we can use the field and the whole school space. Everyone is much happier and we no longer have wet play.”
A reception child added, “You can do anything you want in OPAL time, today I went to Disney Land at lunch!”
The school plans to continue developing its outdoor play environment ahead of its next OPAL re-accreditation in 2028.
