OPAL at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School

At St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, we are delighted to share that we have joined the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) programme — an award-winning initiative that helps schools transform playtimes into richer, more imaginative, and more inclusive experiences for every child.

Inspired by our school motto, taken from St Oscar Romero —
“Aspire not to have more, but to be more” — we believe that play is a vital part of helping our children become confident, creative, compassionate individuals. Through OPAL, we are developing playtimes that nurture the whole child: their well-being, their friendships, their resilience, and their sense of joy.

What is OPAL?

OPAL stands for Outdoor Play and Learning. The programme is built on the belief that high-quality play is essential for every child’s health, happiness, and development. By working with OPAL specialists, we are redesigning our outdoor spaces and rethinking how play works at St Joseph’s — ensuring that all children have exciting opportunities to explore, build, imagine, problem-solve, and collaborate every single day.

Why OPAL at St Joseph’s?

By embracing the OPAL approach, we want to make our playtimes:

• More stimulating and engaging

• Filled with creativity, exploration, and discovery

• Inclusive for every child

• Active, joyful, and full of fun — in all weathers!

Through this programme, our children will experience play that helps them grow, not just accumulate more toys or equipment — truly living our mission to be more.

Find out more

To learn more about the OPAL programme and how it is transforming play in schools across the country, please visit the OPAL website