A Policy for Play

To ensure that every child in our School, irrespective of gender, background, cultural or racial origin, or individual ability, has equal access to good play opportunities within and beyond the Curriculum.
To demonstrate our commitment to the value and importance of Play.

To ensure that the voice of the child, their opinions and responses are taken into account to the maximum degree, consistent with health and safety and with respect for the needs of others.

Children will be offered a high standard of provision which:

• Extends the choice and control they have over their play, the freedom they enjoy and the satisfaction they gain from it
• Recognises their need to test boundaries and which responds positively to that need
• Effectively manages the balance between the need to office risk and the need to keep children safe from harm
• Maximises the range of play opportunities both within planned and structured contexts and in children's undirected time
• Fosters independence and self-esteem
• Fosters their respect for others and offers opportunities for social interaction
• Fosters their well-being, healthy growth and development, knowledge and understanding, creativity and capacity to learn

All adults involved in children's play should:

• Welcome and value children as individuals
• Support and enable children's play
• Recognise that play is something which children do very well on their own and that their control of their own and that their control of their own play activity is a crucial factor in enriching their experience and enhancing their learning and development
• be able to support children in creating and determining their own goals and outcomes where appropriate

All practitioners should:

• Significantly enhance the opportunities for children to play creatively through the provision of an appropriate human and physical environment (see Appendix B Criteria for an enriched play environment)
• Understand that children can sometimes unleash powerful feels in their play and be sensitive and responsive to cues that they man need comfort and reassurance
• Use a range of strategies for monitoring and evaluating the quality of plan provision and for reviewing its impact upon children's personal, social and intellectual development

These strategies should include regular monitoring and observation of:

• The types of play expressed by children
• Relationships between children and between children and adults
• The play environment in use, including the range of environmental and resource features
• Children's spontaneous expression of enjoyment and achievement
• Children's changing use of the space and resources from day to day
• Policies and working procedures, including lines of accountability on safety, behaviour and risk management
• The expression of the Play Policy values in the provision offered
• Consultation processes undertaken with children

The process of evaluation and review should include:

• Listening to what children say about the physical environment and resources
• Listening to what children say about the rules for play and their views on why rules exist
• Assessing the influence of children on play provision and the extent to which planning reflects this
• Evaluating the impact of policies and procedures, such as risk assessment, behaviour and health and safety on the quality of provision
• Interpreting and explaining observations of children's relationships with others in the context of modifying and improving provision
• Discussing and evaluating differences observed in children over time in the context of modifying and improving provision