COVENTRY’S Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School’s outdoor play and learning facility has been recognised as one of the best in the country.
The school’s facility has become the first in the city to be awarded Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Platinum status, placing it in the top one per cent in the UK.
School staff worked with an OPAL mentor ahead of launching the play area last May.
The mentor showed teachers how to make the most out of a range of play zones including a water area with a bath and taps, a mud kitchen, a construction zone, a sandpit, quiet spaces, music areas, and a woodland trail.
The play and learning areas aim to improve youngsters’ health, well-being and fitness which will help them to learn more effectively when they return to the classroom.
Sacred Heart was the first school in Coventry to sign up for OPAL.
Sacred Heart school teacher Sophie Newman said: “During seven years at primary school, children spend 1.4 years on average at play.
“We started the OPAL journey as we wanted to ensure that all of our children experience amazing play opportunities every day.
“We are incredibly proud of this achievement and we are now looking forward to building on this, with some more exciting projects in the pipeline.”
