OPAL Play – Autumn and Winter Update

 

OPAL Play – Autumn and Winter Update

We were delighted to achieve our Platinum Award in the Summer Term and looking forward to continuing to develop our outdoor provision this year. Our children are as enthusiastic as ever about OPAL play! Whether it’s balancing on tyres and planks, digging in the sand pit, creating stories in the small world area or building dens, OPAL continues to offer creative, exciting and inclusive playtimes for all.

As the weather turns wetter and colder, OPAL doesn’t stop! In fact, it becomes even more adventurous! Children love splashing in puddles, making mud pies, building shelters, and exploring how the changing seasons transform their play. To make sure every child can enjoy this to the fullest, we ask that all children have wellies and waterproofs in school every day. This ensures they can play freely and stay comfortable whatever the weather.

How You Can Help!

Our OPAL journey is all about using real, everyday resources to spark imagination and creativity. You can support us by donating any unwanted materials you might have at home. For the autumn and winter months, we are especially looking for:

• Crates and buckets

• Guttering and pipes

• Tarpaulins and large waterproof sheets

• Scooters, buggies, wheelbarrows and watering cans

• Empty plastic bottles (for water play)

• Cones and other safe construction materials

Your donations make a huge difference in enriching playtimes for all children. Thank you for helping us make OPAL a success throughout every season!

Please bring donations to the school office or leave just isdie of the school gates.

OPAL: Platinum Award

We are absolutely thrilled to share the amazing news that our school has been awarded the OPAL Platinum Award—the highest possible recognition for outstanding play! This is a truly incredible achievement, placing us in the top 10% of schools in the world for play. Our playtimes are joyful, inclusive, and empowering for so many of our children, and it’s clear how deeply embedded play is in the culture of our school. 

One child summed it up perfectly: “I love playtime, I can go anywhere I like and play with whatever I want!” 

Thank you for your ongoing support—it means the world as we continue to make our school a place where every child can thrive. 🎉

As always, we are on the hunt for donations:

Kites 

deckchairs/camping chairs

scooters

buggies

buckets and spades

Culture and Religion Day

Today we celebrated our first Culture and Religion Day. It was wonderful to celebrate the diversity that makes our school Broadford and to see our pupils and staff sharing in their cultural and religious beliefs. This was a great opportunity to develop pupils' British Values of Tolerance and Mutual Respect and the afternoon was full of exciting opportunities, such as learning:

• French greetings and music 
• The Christian Easter story
• Greek food
• Nigerian dance and artefacts
• Albanian language
• Rangoli Patterns and their significance

Please see below just a few of our wonderful students representing their culture and religion:

 

 

Family Style Dining Experience

After the Easter break, we are moving over to a family style dining approach at Lunchtimes

What is Family Style Dining:

Family-style dining for classes is a wonderful way to foster community, encourage responsibility, and create an enjoyable mealtime experience. It provides an opportunity for pupils and staff to share meals together in a communal setting. This initiative will hopefully promote social skills, teamwork, and respect for our communal spaces

How will it work?

• Each teacher will choose one week in a half term period where they will each lunch with their class
• Within that week, the class will vote for which day they would like family style dining e.g. Mrs S chooses Week Two of Summer term 1. The children choose Wednesday
• Children can either have a school dinner or a packed lunch but will all be sitting at the same table
• A member of SLT will always sit at the table and eat with the children as well

The Dining Experience:

• On designated family-style dining days, tables will be set up with tablecloths and flower arrangements
• Jugs of water or juice will be provided for pupils to pour their own drinks
• The class /es that are dining will go to lunch straightaway as will be taken to the dining hall by their class teacher.
• Staff will sit with the pupils at the table to create a relaxed and engaging atmosphere.
• Staff will promote good table manners and encourage positive conversations.
• Pupils are expected to be respectful during meals, using polite conversation and following table manners.
• Everyone will stay seated at the table until all are finished.

Responsibilities:

• All students will take part in clearing off their plate
• Returning their plates and utensils
• Clearing and wiping down the tables

Feedback:
After each half term, gather feedback from pupils about their experience and what they enjoyed most or would like to change.
Encourage pupils to share their thoughts about the importance of family-style dining and what they learned about community and responsibility.

Culture and Religion Day

Good morning all,

Firstly, Eid Mubarak! - Wishing our families celebrating Eid a time filled with blessings and happiness.

This message is a reminder that on Friday, we will be celebrating our first World Culture and Religion Day in school. Pupils are encouraged to come to school wearing a piece of clothing or bringing an object that best represents their culture or religion. Pupils will then spend the afternoon learning about two different cultures and a religion that is represented in Broadford's community. This is an opportunity to celebrate our diverse community and learn about those around us. 

This day also strengthens our pupils' understanding of the British Values of Mutual Respect and Tolerance. 

OPAL - Outdoor Play and Learning!

OPAL

Our children are as embraced as ever with OPAL. Whether it is playing with tyres and planks, digging in the sand pit, enjoying imaginative play in the small world area or building dens, OPAL is offering  creative and exciting play times for all children.

This week in OPAL, Mrs Kupriene has kindly set up a new water play area, created a new small social space for quiet time and has renovated our sand area. All the areas have been created following donations from parents, children and staff.

Thank you for your support with:-

 Donating to school, small world creatures, cars, pots and pans etc. for the creative play

 Supporting the OPAL ethos by asking your child about their play and accepting that they may get

dirty... Some parents have been sending in spare clothes with their child for lunchtimes – please

feel free to do this.




You can still help us more by donating any unwanted materials you have at home such as:-

 Any empty recycling bottles, which can used for water play

 Dressing up clothes

 Watering cans, wheel barrows, guttering

 Crates, cones

 Scooters and buggies

 Tents, bean bags, cushions, large pieces of fabric

OPAL in Action!

OPAL: Outdoor play and learn - Please donate any spare resources!

 

OPAL - Outdoor Play and Learning

We believe that playing outdoors in rich environments is one of the best ways for children to enhance their social skills, build resilience, forge friendships, spark their creativity, and foster a love for the planet. Now, more than ever, this is crucial for their development.

Our playground project has generated incredible excitement among the children, who have passionately contributed ideas for the outdoor resources they'd like to see. Rest assured that all equipment is thoroughly risk assessed before it goes outside, and the children learn the rules for safe, fun play during assembly time.

To keep our playtime experiences fresh and engaging, we are still in need of donations. If you're decluttering or have any items you no longer need, please consider donating to us! The following items would greatly enhance our outdoor play opportunities (examples below):


- Bread crates

- Cable drums

- Metal/plastic pots and pans

- A variety of plastic utensils

- Guttering

- Dressing up clothes

- Blankets (great for our den building!)

- Small World toys (like dinosaurs and cars)

- Scooters

- Skateboards

- Deck chairs/camping chairs (all sizes)

- Pencils, pens, and chalks


Your contributions will help our children enjoy a wider range of play experiences. Please drop off any donations at the school office for Mrs. Stanley to collect. 

Also, do let us know if you are creative and have any fabulous ideas or want to get involved!

Thank you for your continued support.

Mrs Stanley

OPAL: The importance of wheeled play in the playground - we need your donations!

 The Importance of Wheeled Play in the Playground

Wheeled play refers to any activity that involves the use of toys or equipment with wheels. This can include buggies, scooters, skateboards, and even toy cars. Wheeled play is an essential component of a child’s physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development. By incorporating wheeled play into our playtimes, we are providing them with invaluable skills that will benefit them for years to come.


The Benefits of Wheeled Play


1. Physical Development:
Wheeled play is a fantastic way to encourage physical activity in children. Activities like riding bikes or scooters help develop gross motor skills, increase balance and coordination, and build strength. Children engage large muscle groups, which improves their overall fitness and health. A fun ride around the playground can release pent-up energy and promote a more active lifestyle.


2. Social Skills:
Playing with wheeled toys often requires children to interact with their peers. Whether they are racing, taking turns, or simply sharing space, these interactions help children navigate social situations. The playground soon becomes a hub for developing friendship skills, as kids learn the importance of teamwork, cooperation, and even friendly competition.


3.Cognitive Development:
Wheeled play isn’t just about physical movement—there is a mental component involved too. Children need to assess their environment, navigate obstacles, and make quick decisions on how to manoeuvre . This type of play supports cognitive development by enhancing spatial awareness, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking.


4.Emotional Resilience:
Wheeled play teaches children how to manage risks and cope with failure. When a child gets up after a fall and tries again, they learn resilience and determination—skills that will serve them well throughout life.


5.Creativity and Imagination:
The playground is a canvas for imaginative play. Children can create their own games, invent make-believe scenarios, and explore new ways to use their wheeled toys. From pretending to be race car drivers to creating imaginary worlds, wheeled play fosters creativity in a way that structured play rarely can.

Donations: We would welcome any of the following donations to support our wheeled play:

Buggies, scooters, skateboards and toy cars.

Please drop any donations off at the school's office.

Harold Hill Foodbank Donations

                                             Harold Hill  Foodbank Donations

Today, Year 6 were visited by a volunteer from the Harold Hill Foodbank. Dennis explained to them what a foodbank is, how they began, how their one started and told us all about the amazing work they do to support our local community. 

At the end of the talk, Dennis gave the children leaflets about the foodbank and a list of items that are really helpful for them to have to make their packages. We have challenged Year 6 to bring in as much food as possible so that we can deliver some food to the foodbank and support the incredible work they do. 

If any other year groups would like to contribute to the foodbank collection, it would be hugely appreciated!

The items are: tinned meat/ fish, tinned vegetables/ fruit, cooking sauces, tea, coffee, milk (UHT), cereals, biscuits, fruit juice (long life), instant mashed potato, rice pudding and custard. 

There will be a collection area in Year 6 (and in the office) for any optional donations. Miss Wyatt will be taking some children to the foodbank to deliver the items after half term so please start bringing in any donations from now!

Thank you in advance for your donations - we are proud to be supporting our local community! 

Welcome to Broadford - Reception cohort 2024

Welcome to Broadford


Children starting school in September 2024


A warm welcome to all families that have been offered a Reception place for their child at Broadford Primary School. Thank you for choosing Broadford. We look forward to your child starting their school journey with us in September and getting to know them as the wonderful individuals that they are!


Please refer to the Local Authority guidance below to ensure you accept your place by 30th April 2024.


At Broadford, we aim to build excellent relationships between home and school. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require any further information.

School office phone number: 01708342880

School email: office@broadford.havering.sch.uk


We look forward to meeting you all in the coming months.

Guidance from the Local Authority


Parents/carers will have received an email during the evening of the 16 April 2024 advising them of the school they have been offered.


Parents/carers will also be advised in the email to log back onto the eAdmissions website to accept or decline the school offered by 30th April 2024.


Accepting or declining an offer, Havering strongly recommends that all parents/carers accept the school place offered.


Accepting a school place does not prejudice the chances of being offered a higher preference later on in the process as the child’s name will automatically be placed on the waiting list for the schools listed higher than the school offered.


If you have been offered a school that wasn’t your first preference, your child will remain on the waiting list for any other schools that you ranked higher than the one they have been offered. If a vacancy then comes up because another child decides not to accept a place, the LA will allocate the place to the next child on the waiting list. You can find out where your child is on the waiting list by contacting the Havering school admissions team after the 1 May 2024

Little Steps baby and Toddler Group

 Little Steps Baby and Toddler group

We are always to pleased to welcome so many new and returning families to our baby and toddler session. 

Please do come and join us for fun and games and arts and crafts activities, a friendly chat, a cup of coffee and a biscuit.

Our finance team and our home school support workers are also available if you need any advice or family support.

Little Steps will continue to run this term and is open to anyone in the local community. 

Sessions run on a Monday from 1.30 until 2.45pm.

These sessions are free of charge and there is no need to book.