Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Primary School is celebrating after achieving the highly coveted OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) Platinum Award, recognising the exceptional quality of its play provision and its commitment to creating happier, healthier, and more resilient children.

Awarded only to schools demonstrating the very highest standard of outdoor play, the OPAL Platinum accreditation follows dedicated development of the school’s outdoor environment, play culture, and whole-school approach to wellbeing.  

“School playtimes are all too often an untapped resources for all the soft skills, wellbeing, resilience fun and friendship we want for children.  At Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Primary School their OPAL playtimes are optimised to provide rich and varied opportunities so that all children have fantastic play every day. Playtimes are a place for adventure and challenge, integration and cooperation, and most importantly fun. Thanks to all the team for their hard work in developing playtimes that children deserve." (Ben Tawil OPAL mentor.)

Headteacher Kelly Nuttall said, “The achievement of this OPAL platinum award is down to the unwavering hard work of the staff and support from the children, parents, and governors of the school. The impact is that our children have daily access to the natural world and are able to explore it through play as well as strengthening their connection to God’s creations and developing what we hope will be a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship.”

The OPAL approach has had a remarkable impact on children across the school:

• Improved social skills, as children of all ages interact, problem-solve, and collaborate during play.

• Greater physical activity, supporting both physical health and emotional wellbeing.

• Increased confidence and independence, as pupils take ownership of their ideas, build structures, create games, and explore freely.

• Happier lunchtimes, with far fewer disagreements and increased engagement for all children, including those who previously found unstructured playtimes challenging.

A core part of the school’s OPAL success is its commitment to sustainable, low-cost, and creative play:

• Many of the play resources are repurposed or recycled, showing children how everyday materials can spark imagination.

• The school’s approach encourages pupils to live simply, valuing resourcefulness over consumerism.

• Children learn to care for the environment by reusing materials, nurturing shared outdoor spaces, and recognising the importance of reducing waste.

• Families and the wider parish community have contributed by donating items for play, reinforcing a culture of sustainability and shared responsibility.

This aligns closely with the Live Simply principles inspired by Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, helping children understand stewardship of creation through hands-on experience rather than words alone.

The Platinum Award is the result of teamwork across the entire school community: staff, governors, families, parish links, and, most importantly, the children themselves.

The OPAL Lead Mrs Heston praised the collaborative spirit:

“Our children’s joy in play is at the heart of everything we do. OPAL has given them freedom, creativity, and confidence. This award belongs to them.”

With OPAL now deeply embedded in school life, the school is committed to continuing its sustainable play journey—enhancing outdoor spaces, promoting child-led exploration, and living out the Catholic mission to care for creation.