The Beacon is a Pupil Referral Unit which caters for key stages 1 and 2 pupils who are presenting with social, emotional and mental health needs. It is located in Redditch, Worcester and has 10 pupils on roll. It has a small tarmac area and a small raised bark edge area.
The Beacon provides a safe and caring environment where everyone is valued and encouraged to respect themselves and others. They recognise strengths and, through offering a rich learning environment with a strong emphasis on therapeutic care, they strive to re-engage pupils, helping them to maximise their potential.
Their OPAL provision has put play as a rightful priority. It has provided our pupils with a daily, rich and joyful experience, which has had a ripple effect on pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. This has had even greater far-reaching benefits on relationships, sense of self and sense of belonging – benefits that go far beyond a playground.
What were the main issues you were facing at playtime?
Our greatest issue was limited time during the day for play, and also having such a small play space outside. All our children have social, emotional and mental health needs; as such, play times would often lead to social difficulties and conflicts. Many of our pupils lack the skills to initiate play and the ability to negotiate within their play with others. A high proportion of our pupils would often opt for solitary inactive play choices, such as using the computers, as something they would feel more able to cope with. In addition, part of play time was used for pupils to catch up on work not completed in lessons, so pupils were not always getting their full time to play during the day.
Why did you get OPAL to work with your school?
As soon as I watched the film showing what an OPAL school playtime looked like, I wanted that for our children. It was overwhelming to see the richness of play and a sense that this is something every child should have as their play experience.
What measures had you tried already?
We had introduced adult-led structured outdoor play activities to try to encourage pupils in physical activity. We sought advice from an Early Years advisor to improve staff knowledge and confidence in the play activities offered. We also worked hard to improve our outdoor area, securing funding to invest in dens, mud kitchen, play equipment and a climbing wall.
What did OPAL help with that you couldn’t do yourselves?
OPAL helped us prioritise play as a key area for development. It supported staff in developing an understanding of the types and range of play to be offered. It gave us the guidance needed when thinking about risk assessments and the reassurance in the processes and practices we were implementing. OPAL enabled us to use pupil voice throughout the development of our play provision and to involve pupils in the responsibility for the play choices and for taking responsibility for their play times. The development of the play charter gave pupils a sense of ownership of their playtimes.
How did the programme impact pupils’ physical, social, emotional, mental, and cognitive development?
OPAL has had a huge impact on pupils’ development. There has been a massive increase in the number of pupils choosing outside play every day. We now ensure the full playtime is available for all children and is not reduced in any way. The increase in active outdoor play has definitely improved physical fitness and well-being. It has broadened the connections and relationships between peers and with staff. Pupils’ social development has been greatly impacted – all pupils have so many more natural social interactions and opportunities to practice their social skills. There is much greater communication and interaction, and friendships are far stronger. The frequency of conflicts and crises at play times has dropped significantly, and when problems and difficulties arise at play, there is a greater opportunity to learn from these situations. Pupils are so much more motivated by playtimes and have a much greater interest in play, as it seems so much more meaningful to them.
How did the programme meet the needs of all your children, in particular pupils with SEND?
All our pupils have SEMH needs, and many have additional needs. OPAL has been perfect in taking into account the whole range of needs due to the consideration of including access to a whole range of play types. Therefore, the play being offered provides opportunities for children to engage in different play depending on their needs, interests and mood at the time.
How did the programme impact attendance?
Pupils will regularly share in their daily reviews that playtime and ‘golden time’ are the best part of their day. The joy of their experience at these times is all too clear as the laughter and chatter during playtimes is now a common background noise in the unit. Many of our pupils have not accessed playtimes at their mainstream schools due to behaviour and difficulties in coping at these times, so for our pupils to have such successful playtimes is key in promoting their desire to attend school.
How did the programme impact communication, vocabulary, and imagination?
Having increased play opportunities and higher quality play provision has greatly increased communication and social interactions – this is both during play times and also at other times, as children seek to tell others about their play. Many of our children lacked the skills and prior experiences of how to play. The range of play activities and areas has helped support a great wealth of imaginative play. Children are much more open and willing to try new play experiences rather than always defaulting to the familiar. The OPAL assemblies have supported positive 2-way communication and developed children’s ability to listen to others’ ideas.
How did the school secure funding and resources?
Funding for OPAL and the resources to support the OPAL provision were secured through the PE and Sports Premium grant, as well as additional grants from Tesco Stronger Starts and the Local Schools Nature grant. We have also received donations from our unit community.
What partnerships proved most valuable?
Rachel, our OPAL mentor, has been invaluable in supporting us through the development process, providing such expert guidance and a never-ending wealth of ideas and enthusiasm!
What was the impact on parents and wider community members?
We have provided family OPAL play sessions, and this has also been part of our Wellbeing Festival Week. We have delivered parent information sessions and shared tips and ideas for encouraging play at home. Our website also has links to lots of play ideas for the home. We have used parent voice questionnaires to gain feedback from parents and to find out about how our children play at home – where they play and what types of play they engage in.