Outcomes
Transforming Your Play Spaces
Play is essential for children’s learning and development. Schools have a crucial role in helping meet the play needs of children and young people. For many children and young people, school playtimes may be the only daily physical activity they engage in. Read more on play in schools
Following evaluation of PlayBoard’s Positive PlayGrounds programme, TOPS was established due to the need for a more substantial programme of training and support for staff alongside play-based, participative work with pupils, and input from parents, in order to embed play-based approaches within schools’ underlying ethos.
The programme aids schools to excel in outdoor play through revolutionising their play approach and school estate – placing play at the core of children’s education and development.
TOPS-achieving schools have seen outdoor play change dramatically. As well as implementing the TOPS Standards to ensure planned outcomes, schools have gained bonus outcomes: extended time for play, integration of year groups, and increased accessibility of previously restricted areas for outdoor play.
Schools have immense potential to provide outstanding outdoor play opportunities. If you would like to discover how TOPS can transform your school please get in touch to discuss options.
Training Programme
Impact
Participant Feedback
“There is so much more to say and I feel this evaluation is only hitting the tip of the iceberg. However, we cannot thank TOPS (PlayBoard) enough, for challenging our thinking in regards to play and for their continuous encouragement along the way. Our staff have been so encouraged by the whole positive impact TOPS has had on our children’s play, our children as a whole, our staff and our school environment”. Carr Primary School
“We are delighted to receive this prestigious award, recognising all the hard work that the school community has put in to enhancing our play opportunities at King’s Park. We know that children learn best when they are happy and engaged and play is a great tool to ensure this.” King’s Park Primary School
“I have found myself using the playground for lessons with my own class. Before, most of my lessons were inside but after the zones opened up I have taken my class to the sand pit to practice letter and number formation; to the mud kitchen to link in with our spring topic; perfume making with spring flowers; and small world tuft trays to study the mini beasts the children collected as part of our World Around Us. I have also seen other teachers in other year groups using the playground to facilitate outdoor lessons which was rare to see pre-TOPS.” St Colmcille’s Primary School
Resources
Listen to our TOPS podcast episode to hear from two local teachers on their experience of the programme.
Get In Touch
If you would like to improve outdoor play at your school and provide your pupils with quality play experiences, get in touch.
For more information email info@playboard.org and one of our experienced staff members will be in contact to discuss your requirements.