Outdoor enrichment

At St Mary’s Infants School, we believe that active bodies build bright minds! Our Outdoor Enrichment programme is designed to energise, inspire, and support every child’s physical and emotional wellbeing. We know how important it is for children to be physically active and confident movers, so we offer a wide variety of engaging activities during lunch and playtimes to keep them moving, learning, and having fun.

Qualified sports coaches join us at lunchtimes to build on the skills taught in PE lessons, helping children grow in confidence, teamwork, and resilience. From cooperative games to skill-building sessions, pupils learn valuable life lessons like sharing, communication, and leadership, all while having a blast!

But it doesn’t stop there. Our outdoor spaces are bursting with opportunities linked to other curriculum areas too. Whether it’s climbing, chalking, reading and writing in our covered area, or playing with skipping ropes, balls, and hula hoops, children are free to explore, create, and connect in ways that suit their interests and spark their imaginations.

We’re proud to be an ‘All Weather’ school. Come rain or shine, our pupils head outdoors to enjoy the fresh air and freedom to play.

Our thoughtfully designed outdoor provision supports:

• Building on PE and club skills
• Achieving 60 minutes of daily physical activity
• Developing leadership at every level, including Junior play leaders
• Supporting personal interests and holistic development
• Growing social, moral, spiritual, and cultural understanding
• Strengthening teamwork, communication, and problem-solving
• Living out our school values: forgiveness, perseverance, respect, friendship, generosity, responsibility, humility, compassion, trust, peace, courage, and thankfulness
• Improving behaviour through purposeful play
• Accessing curriculum-linked activities via our weekly lunchtime timetable
• Ensuring every child feels included and empowered
• Returning to class refreshed and ready to learn

With a wide range of well-resourced zones across the playground, children are free to choose where they want to play, creating a calm, joyful, and focused environment that sets them up for success in the classroom and beyond.