Fairlight is a primary and nursery school which serves the community of Brighton, East Sussex. They have approximately 337 pupils on roll, and the school site is urban; it offers very limited space and is only tarmac. Yet they have managed to transform a concrete postage stamp into a play haven.

Play is hugely important at Fairlight Primary and Nursery School. They understand that it is a key way in which children learn. And at this time, when well-being, mental health and physical health are such a high profile, they recognise that play is key to supporting this as it means children are happier and healthier and also play develops resilience, collaboration and inclusion.

Fairlight Primary and Nursery School is one of just a handful of schools who have achieved the Platinum Award on several occasions, and as a result, they are a key part of advising on the development of the OPAL College training platform. They are also one of only 5 schools worldwide to be awarded the Honours Award. This means they continue to support other schools locally and nationally by hosting training sessions and sharing advice and support.

In March 2024 Fairlight Primary and Nursery accepted their most recent award at the Houses of Parliament in Westminster; Headteacher Damien Jordan spoke to a group of assembled ministers, lords and advisors around the importance and the need for play to be given a higher profile in schools at the launch of the cross party paper on play for all.

What were the main issues you were facing at playtime?

Fairlight has a postage stamp, concrete playground, with a significant lack of space.

Why did you get OPAL to work with your school?

We wanted to be clear on the process of supporting play at our school.

What measures had you tried already?

We tried putting in things to do.

What did OPAL help with that you couldn’t do yourselves?

They enabled us to follow a process and question the reasons.

How did the programme impact pupils’ physical, social, emotional, mental, and cognitive development?

It has transformed so many aspects of school life, from attendance to handwriting.

How did the programme meet the needs of all your children, in particular pupils with SEND?

We have 30% SEND and 50% FSM, and it means they benefit from high-quality play.

How did the programme impact attendance?

Children want to come to school and are not scared at playtime, which is often the case during unstructured time.

How did the programme impact communication, vocabulary, and imagination?

Creative play is now as important as football!

How did the school secure funding and resources?

Grants and PTA fundraising.

What partnerships proved most valuable?

Building connections with the local community.

What was the impact on parents and wider community members?

Children trust the school and they want to come and play.

Click here to see the Fairlight OPAL video.