Playwork in Schools

The increasing raising of awareness of the importance of play within the education system has meant that hundreds of schools across the UK have been working to bring in the playwork approach, whether it is a whole school approach or restricted to lunchtime and other playtimes. We are going to explore the various options that have been adopted.

Play-responsive Education - Suzanne Axelsson

The Original Learning Approach weaves playing, learning and teaching together, and the play responsive educator takes on three roles - teacher, facilitator and playworker. Using images and films from play and education environments around the world the session will aim to provoke our thinking about the education system and the role of play in learning, teaching and well-being. Creating time and place for play is about creating democratic spaces where social justice can evolve alongside cognitive development. Play and learning spaces should be safe and brave but not devoid of challenge and adventure. By being play responsive as educators we respond to children's autonomous play in order to create lessons.

Crossing Boundaries - Yvonne Dalorto

Design & Play Build for climate resilience

Using case studies from our 12+  years of co-designing and building playable landscapes in schools and APGs we discuss both the physical and practical, alongside staff  behavior change through training. How can we provide meaningful connection for children to nature and play in the urban environment? How to overcome a culture of both risk and nature aversion in school staff?  We share examples with plenty of photos and stories from delivering over 50 projects, with transferable tips to take back to your own settings or play-build projects.

TIME: 13:00 - 14:00 LENGTH: 1 hour

On being a playworker in school - Vicky Edwards

In this semi-auto biographical session, I am going to talk about and explore how my playwork knowledge and understanding impacts on the relationships formed with children, and how these relationships are different than those of other TAs and staff within the school. I will tell anecdotes band try to draw out how the power of being a playworker can make a difference in the experience of a child at school.

TIME 14:30 - 15:30 LENGTH 1 hour

The national schools' Plan for Play campaign- Michael Follett

On March 12th, OPAL will launch a policy campaign called the Plan for Play at the House of Commons with support from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fit and Health Childhood. The aim of the campaign is to get DFE and Ofsted to require schools to demonstrate how they will improve play opportunities for every child every day. To go along with the campaign, OPAL is developing a new NVQ level 3 for school playwork. If successful, it will open huge opportunities for playwork training providers and playworkers and bring more play to more children more of the time. Come and learn more about this campaign, why the focus is on schools and explore what opportunities it could provide in the playwork sector.

TIME 16:00 - 17:00 LENGTH 1 hour