Playtimes
We recognise the vital role that play has in supporting children's wellbeing, learning and enjoyment of school.
The Importance of Play
At St Julian’s Church School, we recognise that play is fundamental to every child’s development, wellbeing and happiness. We are committed to providing high quality, inclusive and sustainable play opportunities that encourage children to explore, create, collaborate and take appropriate risks in a safe and stimulating environment. Our carefully designed outdoor spaces, equipment and resources provide a rich variety of play experiences that are accessible to all children. Guided by our vision, Aim High – Believe – Succeed, we value play as an essential part of school life, helping children to develop independence, confidence, creativity, resilience and strong social skills. These qualities reflect our core values of Respect, Kindness, Joy, Creativity, Aspiration and Resilience, supporting children to flourish both in and beyond the classroom.
Children spend up to 20% of their school day playing. This is valuable time that should be carefully planned to ensure every child benefits from high quality play opportunities. Modern lifestyles, including increased traffic, reduced access to outdoor spaces and fewer opportunities for independent play, mean that many children experience less play outside of school than previous generations. As a result, the opportunities we provide at school are more important than ever.
Our Vision for Play
Through our play provision, we aim to:
- Provide a safe, inclusive and stimulating environment where every child can enjoy meaningful play experiences.
- Recognise play as an essential part of childhood and an important contributor to children’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.
- Encourage children to develop independence, confidence, creativity, resilience and problem solving skills through exploration and discovery.
- Provide opportunities for children to collaborate, communicate and build positive relationships with others.
- Support children to understand and manage risk appropriately, developing confidence and decision making skills in a safe environment.
- Ensure that play opportunities are accessible and engaging for all children, regardless of age, ability or background.
- Promote our core values of Respect, Kindness, Joy, Creativity, Aspiration and Resilience through play.
- Provide a range of play experiences that encourage imagination, curiosity, physical activity and a lifelong love of learning.
- Ensure that our outdoor spaces, resources and adult support are thoughtfully planned to maximise the benefits of play for all children.
Our Play Environment and Provision
At St Julian’s Church School, we are fortunate to have a range of indoor and outdoor spaces that provide rich opportunities for children to play. Our play provision is designed to support different types of play and to encourage children to develop confidence, creativity, independence and resilience.
Our play spaces include:
- The Paddock – our open grass-covered outdoor area provides opportunities for children to engage with the natural environment as well as a wide open space for larger play opportunities. This is where the tyres, crates and sandpit are located.
- The Adventure Playground – this area offers opportunities for physical challenge, imaginative play and appropriate risk taking, helping children to develop confidence and coordination. There is also a gardening plot available for children to explore.
- The Mud Kitchen – within the Adventure Playground, the mud kitchen provides children with the opportunity to engage with the natural environment as well as explore the resources in an imaginative and creative manner.
- The Spiritual Garden – this creates opportunities for children to care for living things, explore nature and develop an understanding of the environment. Our PTA runs a weekly gardening club to nurture this interest further.
- The Outdoor Classroom – within this area you will find loose parts and natural resources which allow children to use their imagination, problem solve and create their own play experiences. This area supports investigation, discovery and hands-on experiences that complement classroom learning.
- The Playground – this is where our Play Shed and sporting equipment is located, where children have access to a range of materials and resources that enhance their play opportunities.
- Quiet and Reflective Spaces – throughout the school site there are many small areas that provide opportunities for children to relax, talk, read and enjoy calmer moments during play. The children often create these areas on the playground using the den making equipment.
- The EYFS and KS1 Outdoor Areas – including our purpose-built canopy area with water features, mark-making opportunities, a mud kitchen and role-play spaces, enabling children to access high-quality outdoor learning throughout the year.
Across all areas of our school, we aim to provide a balance of play experiences, including:
- Physical play: supporting movement, coordination and confidence.
- Imaginative play: encouraging creativity, storytelling and role play.
- Exploratory play: allowing children to investigate, experiment and discover.
- Social play: helping children to develop friendships, communication skills and cooperation.
- Constructive play: encouraging children to design, build and solve problems.
- Risky play: supporting children to develop resilience, independence and an understanding of how to manage challenges safely.
We regularly review and develop our play provision to ensure that our environment continues to inspire children, reflect their interests and provide meaningful opportunities for play.
To find out more about how we deliver our vision for play, please click the button below to read our Play Policy.
