Children are genetically programmed to play - When their need to play is not met they exhibit behaviours that adults find challenging, creating drama about fights, arguments and first aid, exhibiting boredom, anger and frustration or lethargy and disengagement.

At OPAL we understand the depth and complexity of play and what you need to do to make sure every child is fully engaged throughout playtimes. Many schools applying the OPAL approach see a reduction of both recorded incidents and superfluous first aid by around 80%. Teachers report that behaviour after playtimes is significantly better.

Football is often a source of conflict and aggression for those involved and annoyance and exclusion for those not. OPAL schools understand how to provide for all 16 play types. When children have such a rich offer, football issues tend to disappear. Football only appeals to a small group of certain types of players. Those excluded or forced to reluctantly participate are likely to be unhappy and find behavioural outlets to express this.

OPAL is not a panacea for all behavioural problems - just most of them!