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Did you know that children in Primary School spend 20% - or 1.4 years - of their school time in play?

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We’ve invested in the Opal (Outdoor Play and Learning) programme, which will enable us to provide every child with rich opportunities to be creative, collaborative, and active in their outdoor play. We are excited that this will start during the first couple of weeks back in September.

Our children’s play opportunities will be improved, and we’ll make more use of the wonderful school grounds we're blessed to have at Withycombe.​

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Can you help with resources?

 

We are still looking for donations to support this programme - please give us some thought if you are doing a summer clear out! Members of our OPAL team will be working at school during the Summer Holidays. If you would like to donate anything from the list below please bring it to the front of school first thing on 26th August!

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We would like to thank the PTFA for their generous donation towards a large shed to store our resources in, and to families, friends and colleagues who have already helped with donations, but we do still have a wish list!

Here's our wish list! (please could all donations be in good, working order)

We'll cross things off this wish list when we have enough!

 

  • Bubble machine - we have one, but a second would be great.

  • CD or Bluetooth music player / speaker, preferably suitable for outside use / rainproof - we have had one - another would be great.

  • ‘Really Useful’ boxes (this brand so we can stack them) – any size

  • Scaffold planks and timber for making structures – are there any willing builders or decorators out there?!

  • Play sand (as much as you can spare)

  • ‘Small world play’ items - cars, Barbie/Ken dolls, toy shop items

  • Push chairs / wheeled suitcases

  • Wheeled sit on toy vehicles

  • Construction kits - Lego/Duplo/Stickle Bricks/wooden blocks etc

  • Plastic milk crates/supermarket delivery crates/plastic bread trays

  • Kitchen pots, pans, baking trays, wooden spoons, chopping boards

  • Tools like small spades/shovels, trowels and brooms (child-sized)

  • Tubes of various sizes and various materials

  • Thick netting and ropes

  • Keyboards/torches/laptops/calculators/mobile phones/desk phones/cameras (it doesn't matter if these don't work)

  • Large clean sheets or brightly-coloured fabric

  • Camping roll mats/yoga mats

  • Wooden pallets / Cable drums

  • Guttering and down pipes / connecting pieces

  • Noodles (the swimming pool type!)

  • Dressing up clothes / character costumes

 

If you have any enquiries regarding the suitability of your donations, please email us to check, at opal@wrpschool.org

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The OPAL Team will endeavour to respond to any queries or communications as soon as possible. Please also let us know if you are able and willing to help with any building projects, e.g. creating a sandpit or other wooden structures during the summer holidays, and we will link you up with our new Site Manager, Neil!

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If you would like to learn more about the OPAL programme, please have a look at: www.outdoorplayandlearning.org.uk.

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We will soon be arranging events where you can come and see for yourselves what is happening at school and have the opportunity to join in! We are really excited about this project and hope that you will be too.

 

Thanks again for your generous support,

Mr Smith and The OPAL Team

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