Or POP (Playground of Possibilities) curriculum is a living laboratory for our vision, "with God all things are possible," where the playground becomes a space of infinite potential and self-discovery. We nurture wisdom as children learn to navigate the complexities of "risky play," mastering the art of self-regulation and creative problem-solving through the use of loose parts and natural landscapes. It requires immense courage for pupils to step out of their comfort zones, whether climbing to new heights, building complex structures, or negotiating social boundaries in unstructured space. This freedom to explore ignites a deep, authentic joy, fostering a permanent sense of awe and wonder as children connect with the natural world and realise that, through play and perseverance, they can achieve feats they never imagined.

Our story so far…

Our POP journey has been along a long, loopy and twisty path, paved with tyres, mud, COVID interruptions and a lot of hill rolling. But to understand where we are, it’s good to look back at where we’ve come from and forward to where we want to be. 

We’re fortunate at Blue Coat to be blessed with wonderful grounds: a large field, beautiful mature trees, a hill and more besides. But for too many years, play was limited to the yard - aside from a few glorious days in the summer when the field was “open”. We want to make the most of our glorious natural resources and to make every breaktime a memorable experience for every child. 

The first step was to “open” the field under (almost) all conditions and encourage the children to wear wellies and waterproofs when needed. Some children have taken to this like fish to water - which is a good attitude to have at times on our rather sodden grass. Children have loved playing in the trees, building dens, and rolling things - including people - down the hill. 

We have gradually increased the variety of play opportunities that the children have. The children now have fancy dress, music, small world play, den building, sports, chalk and much more on offer every day. The impact it has had is more than just increasing ‘play’. We have seen their imagination and creativity blossom during this time. The children are able to collaborate effectively to build dens, listen to each others’ ideas when decided what to ‘cook’, take turns when using the water, take calculated risks when rolling each other down the hill.

Our whole school community is part of POP

We - children, parents & carers and staff - all have our responsibilities to make POP work.

Children: Have the easiest job - to go, explore, take (calculated) risks, try new things, play with new people and in new ways. 

Staff: We have the pleasure of facilitating, encouraging and joining in with the amazing things the minds of Blue Coat pupils can create.

Parents & Carers: Talk to those in your care about their break times, help them be prepared to be outside in (almost) any weather, be prepared for some nature to come home attached to your child at times.

Donations

Many of our resources are donated by kind parents and members of the public. This helps us to make our play as sustainable as possible.  We are always on the lookout for loose parts including buggies, pans, traffic cones, fancy dress clothes, guttering or piping. Please contact the school office or speak to your child’s class teacher if you have anything you could offer.

Further Information

For further details about our amazing playtimes please see the documents below. Our most recent POP adventures will be on Facebook and in the newsletter.