Schools Play Policy
The development of a play policy within school will provide a useful means of demonstrating how the school is addressing the Every Child Matters agenda and the fulfilment of every child’s potential throughout its work.
The involvement of all members of the school community, including staff, governors, parents and pupils, is essential if a school policy on play is to be meaningful and become embedded throughout the school’s work.
A school play policy can include:
• the school’s objectives for play and their contribution to other school priorities;
• how play may be linked to specified learning outcomes for specific year groups;
• how play-based learning activities would contribute to the development of a personalised learning approach, in terms of meeting the needs of children’s individual rates of development and learning styles;
• equal opportunities issues, including ethnicity, gender, special educational needs and cultural diversity;
• the role of teachers and other adults in play activities;
• implications for professional development and support;
• the rules for play activities, including how these are formulated and communicated and any kinds of activities which are encouraged or banned;
• resourcing, including use of indoor and outdoor spaces and time made available for play
• assessment and recording strategies;
• monitoring and evaluation arrangements.