OPAL is a programme of mentored support to help schools create the conditions for play.
 The OPAL programme starts with a structured audit carried out by the mentor and the school together. This covers all cultural and environmental conditions affecting the quality of children's play. This is followed by the INSET which informs the whole school community of the programme and brings together their agreed values and principles to form a play policy. OPAL uses a very structured development tool which allows the school and the mentor to work out a detailed development plan tailored to the needs of the school. Development meetings throughout the year support the school to embed their plans and implement them. Meetings are also provided to inform parents on the changes the school will undertake to improve play and improve the grounds. The final meeting in the programme is the OPAL award audit.
What do you get?

• Eight expert led support and development meetings spread over a year
• A play policy based on your staffs' values to be used as a basis for all future decision making
• A three year strategy and action plan
• Support to create a long term grounds improvement plan
• Unlimited phone and email support
• An e-pack pack of tools, resources and notes

OPAL is not a Do-It-Yourself Quality Assurance package. OPAL is always supported by an expert experienced mentor who guides and supports the school through an extended period of cultural and environmental change. 

OPAL Works to Support Learning
OPAL has been independently proven to be highly effective at helping schools bring about sustainable and beneficial change and is used as an example of best practice by DCSF, Skills Active, KIDS and Play England. 
OPAL will help meet new OFSTED requirements for activities which support learning.

OPAL Saves Money
An average school will save £2000-£4500 a year of time spent by professionals dealing with problems arising from playtimes after OPAL.
Schools spend a lot of money on equipment with very limited play value.
OPAL will show you how to get maximum play value for minimum spending.

OPAL Gives you Peace of Mind
OPAL will help you understand the latest guidance on the law concerning risk, play and the Health and Safety at Work Act. We will help you develop appropriate policies so that your staff can let children play in confidence that you are doing the right thing by them and the law.
OPAL will give you the confidence to use risk assessment to enable and not eliminate risk.

OPAL Helps Children and Adults Enjoy School More.
Stress has a damaging impact on the effectiveness of children and adults in school. It stops staff from doing their jobs and it prevents children from learning. OPAL helps children have much richer and more satisfying playtimes, taking the strain off adults and creating a more co-operative and creative culture within the school.
OPAL will enable a happier environment for learning, playing and working.

OPAL Demonstrates Quality
OPAL Awards show that a school has reached clearly defined stages in providing the conditions for great play. Awards are Silver, Gold and Platinum.
OPAL will help your school creating lasting improvements to your school. It is the only play development programme created by a Local Authority School Improvement Service

If you want to find out more about OPAL, the introductory meeting will answer all of your questions. 
The OPAL mentor will visit your school and talk you through each of the services on offer, explain how the OPAL programme works and what the benefits are to staff and children. An introductory meeting is free for schools which are seriously considering the OPAL programme.

The OPAL INSET is the foundation for creating change in play in a primary school.
Through discussion, memories and presentations we explore the school community's values and principles, and shape these into a very individual policy document to guide future decision making.
We learn how understanding Health and Safety legislation and guidance can unlock a school's potential for play.
We look at the four simple rules which govern the creation of rich play environments and how these relate to children's cognitive, social and physical development and learning.
INSETs can be half day or full day and tailored to the school's particular need. 
                                                 Price: From £500

Play is a process. In order for this process to flourish a range of underlying cultural conditions need to be in place. Once these conditions are understood and improved then children will be able to make use of their infinite capacity for imaginative, physical explorative play. It is very unlikely that spending a lot of money on play equipment or isolated training for supervisors will have any significant lasting impact on the quality of play in a school. The OPAL audit is a comprehensive mentored self evaluation process which allows schools to come to an informed judgement whether they are undeveloped, developing, good or excellent in 18 areas of policy, practice and environment.
The process is supportive and non-judgmental and based on discussion, observation and clear criteria. 
The audit gives the school a detailed picture of their current strengths and weaknesses and numerical baseline against which progress can be measured. An OPAL audit tells the school where it is at the moment, an essential step before planning where to go next.
                                                                              Price: £280 - refundable from full OPAL programme

Development meetings are a chance for the mentor and the school staff to create a realistic and individually tailored strategy for play development.  The development meetings follow the same detailed and structured development tool as the audit. The first meeting focuses on the cultural conditions for play and the second on the physical environment. Meeting three monitors progress and resolves arising issues. The OPAL resources that come with the development meetings, combined with the mentor's expertise, enable the school to choose a set of actions which suit the pace of change they are happy with and the resources available.
                                               Price: Part of OPAL programme

The full OPAL programme is based on twelve years of testing and development. The resulting programme has been proven to create the conditions to ensure significant and sustainable improvements in the quality of play in primary schools. The programme is one of cultural change, this involves bringing everybody along on a journey: the head teacher, the governors, the staff, the children, the supervisors, the parents and the care-taker.

Change like this does not take place overnight, if it does it is unlikely to last. For these reasons the complete OPAL programme is made up of a series of mentored develop meetings (including one for parents) spread across the year. The programme ends with a final audit and planning meeting which measures progress from the initial baseline and establishes a detailed second phase development plan. 
                                                      Price: £3500 plus expenses

The OPAL awards audit is carried out after schools have had a chance to implement their action plans. The awards audit process is carried out through a supported self evaluation between the mentor and the school. During this audit the mentor also discusses and records the next steps, so the school also have a renewed action plan. Award levels are silver, gold and platinum.
                                        Price: Part of OPAL programme. £280 for past OPAL schools

Are you thinking of investing money into your school grounds or children's centre to improve play?
Play Value. It is amazingly easy to spend large amounts of money and get remarkably little play value. Large brightly coloured equipment and lots of expensive safe surfacing looks impressive to adults but may not be the best way to create a landscape which fosters diverse and engaging play opportunities. When judging value for money, play value should be a top consideration.

Master Planning Many schools can only afford to carry out a few grounds improvements a year and without a master plan school grounds can become cluttered with randomly places features.
In a playful landscape planning session you can discover the four golden rules of creating playful landscapes and create a unique design brief and plan, so future developments compliment each other and that you know what to ask for when commissioning work.
                                                                       Price: Half day planning workshop to create brief and concept plan £280 plus travel

OPAL can offer a range of outdoor play and learning workshops including our 'Dads and Kids' bushcraft sessions. This can include fire-making, campfire cookery and shelter building.
These sessions have proven to be a great way to bring families and school together in a way which is appealing to children and popular with parents.
                                                 Price: £280 half day plus expenses. 

OPAL Standard
OPAL Standard is based on the full package of support over 12 months which proved to be extremely effective in South Gloucestershire. OPAL has been commissioned by local authorities and individual schools.  It is recommended for schools which wish to commit to sustained culture change to support improved play. 
Features: All meetings carried out by expert OPAL mentor at school site. Introduction, Audit, Inset, Policy writing, Three Development Meetings, Parents Meeting, Grounds Planning Meeting and Brief Writing, Final Awards Audit and second phase action plan.
Price: £3500 plus expenses 

OPAL Introduction and Audit
Not sure OPAL is for you? The audit meeting helps you understand exactly what your strengths are and and what needs improving. The Audit covers 18 criteria essential for sustainable play development.
Price: £280 plus expenses. ( Refundable from the Standard package)

All services are covered by the OPAL Guarantee