Creating Excellence in Primary School Playtimes

Helping schools to develop a long-term playtime strategy, this book shows how schools can overcome barriers to excellent play for child development and wellbeing. With proven examples that are workable within schools' playtime budgets, the strategies show how to tackle and improve upon common issues including behaviour, staffing and facilities.

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School playtimes account for 20% of a child's school life, but how can schools ensure that this time is as beneficial as possible for primary school pupils? Emphasising the importance of play in child development, this book identifies the key challenges facing schools during break times and sets out a complete strategy for effectively managing playtimes that are fun-filled and offer children greater long-term benefits.

With before and after case studies showing how school playtimes have been transformed through the author's OPAL Primary Programme, this book demonstrates how to improve common issues such as behaviour, staffing, space and facilities in a sustainable way that capitalises on investments in equipment and training. Promoting wellbeing and healthy child development, this book provides inspiring reading for primary school staff and play workers, and creative ideas and ready-to-use solutions that will help schools to meet Ofsted criteria for excellent play.