Positive Playtimes

It is International Play Day! A global reminder of the fundamental importance of play in every child's life.

As someone who has dedicated over 15 years to understanding and championing positive play, this day holds deep significance for me.

Often, play is seen simply as downtime or entertainment. However, through my work in schools and developing programs like Positive Playtime Award Programme, I've consistently seen that play is essential for holistic child development.

It's the natural classroom where children:
Develop crucial social skills: learning negotiation, cooperation, empathy, and conflict resolution.
Build emotional resilience: de-stressing, expressing themselves, and managing feelings.
Enhance physical literacy: through active movement and exploration.
Boost creativity and problem-solving: inventing games, rules, and scenarios.
And, of course, experience pure joy and a sense of belonging.

Sadly, for some children, playtime can be challenging. This International Play Day, let's reflect on how we, as educators, parents, and community members, can ensure every child has access to high-quality, inclusive play experiences.

My mission is to support schools in making playtimes truly harmonious and joyful.

If you're a school leader or educator looking to re-invigorate your play provision, let's connect.

Every moment of play truly matters.

Circle Time: One of the Most Powerful Tools We Have for Children's Wellbeing

When was the last time your staff received training in Circle Time?

Looking at this photograph from a recent Circle Time training day at Madley Primary School in Herefordshire, I am reminded why this work matters so much.

What do you see?

I see staff laughing together.
I see colleagues listening to one another.
I see people feeling comfortable enough to participate, contribute, and be heard.
I see connection, belonging, trust, and psychological safety.
In short, I see exactly what we want our children to experience every day in our classrooms.

Yet one of the things I hear most often from teachers is:
"I've never actually been trained in how to facilitate Circle Time."

For many schools, Circle Time has become something that happens occasionally, often without a clear structure or shared understanding of best practice.

However, when facilitated well, Circle Time can be transformational.

It helps children:
• Develop emotional literacy
• Build confidence and self-esteem
• Strengthen friendships and relationships
• Improve listening and communication skills
• Develop empathy and understanding
• Feel heard, valued, and included
• Build a stronger sense of belonging within their class and school community

Circle Time creates opportunities for every child to have a voice.

It provides a safe space where children can explore feelings, celebrate successes, solve problems collaboratively, and develop the social and emotional skills they need to thrive.

Most importantly, it helps build happier, more harmonious classrooms.

The feedback from the Madley Primary staff team was overwhelmingly positive:
⭐ "A brilliant day full of practical activities and ideas to support effective Circle Time implementation."
⭐ "Lovely ideas for new games to try out, clear structure to the sessions, lots of opportunities to practise."
⭐ "Circle Time works for all."
⭐ "An engaging day that has highlighted the importance of Circle Time and how the circle time structure helps it to be a safe place to develop emotional literacy."
⭐ "A wonderful way to revisit the process and add new skills and tools to my teaching facilitation."

What I particularly loved was seeing staff fully immersed in the experience themselves.

Because before we can help children feel connected, respected, valued, and heard, we need adults who understand what those experiences feel like.

Thank you to Lee Batstone and the wonderful team at Madley Primary for your enthusiasm, openness, and commitment to nurturing positive relationships and wellbeing across your school.
Circle Time Training for Schools

My practical Circle Time training helps schools:
✅ Develop emotional literacy and wellbeing
✅ Strengthen pupil voice and belonging
✅ Build positive relationships and classroom culture
✅ Improve listening and communication skills
✅ Increase staff confidence and consistency
✅ Create safe, inclusive environments where every child can thrive

I also offer follow-up observation and mentoring days, where I observe Circle Time sessions in action, provide coaching and feedback, and support staff in embedding effective practice across the school.

If you'd like to strengthen Circle Time provision in your school, I'd love to hear from you.

Contact us here: https://positive-playtimes.com/contact/

Together, we can help ensure every child feels heard, valued, connected, and included.

Our most popular 90-minute online masterclass IS BACK, giving you a complete framework to implement a highly successful, whole-school playtime buddy strategy, without the stress.

What you get (and how it saves you time):
➡️ A Step-by-Step Implementation Strategy: Know exactly what to do, and when, to launch your buddies successfully.
➡️ Tried & Tested Lesson Plans: Deliver high-impact training to your pupils with zero extra workload or prep time.
➡️ Ready-to-Go Activity Resources: Fun, engaging playground games your PALs can lead immediately, so you don't have to invent them.
➡️ Complete Admin Suite: Instant access to ready-made application forms, job descriptions, and certificates.

The Impact on Your School:
⭐ More Teaching Time: Drastically reduce the school time spent resolving playground conflicts after the bell rings.
⭐ Safer, Happier Playgrounds: Proven strategies to increase inclusion, reduce bullying incidents, and lower the rate of playground accidents.
⭐ Confident Student Leaders: Watch your Year 5 and 6 pupils genuinely step up and take pride in their roles.

Who is this for?
This masterclass is ideal for any member of your school team - teachers, senior leaders, or support staff looking to empower Year 5/6 pupils to lead active, inclusive play.

🗓️ Masterclass Details:
📅 When: 22nd June | 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
📍 Where: Live Online
💰 Investment: £150 + VAT (Bringing the team? Email us for group discounts on 12+ spaces)
🔗 Secure your school's spot here: https://positive-playtimes.com/playground-pals-masterclass/

What is the one thing that connects academic learning, core values, life skills, and mental wellbeing?

It’s Play.

At Positive Playtimes, we don’t see play as a break from the curriculum; we see it as the Golden Thread that weaves through every stage of a child’s development.

It is the foundation that holds their growth together, ensuring the fabric of their education remains strong and resilient.

When we prioritise high-quality play, we aren’t just filling time; we are actively nurturing:
✨ Active Learning: Children naturally observe, plan, execute, and review. It is the ultimate classroom for curiosity.
✨ Lived Values: This is where respect, kindness, and equality move from the school walls into real-life practice.
✨ Emotional Resilience: Play provides the space for self-regulation, a sense of belonging, and the freedom of imagination.
✨ Holistic Growth: Physical, social, and cognitive skills all develop simultaneously when a child is engaged in purposeful play.

Without this thread, the school experience can lose its strength.

My mission is to help schools transform lunchtimes from managed chaos into vibrant, structured environments where every child can flourish both inside and outside the classroom.

From bespoke staff training to our Positive Playtime Award, I provide the proven tools to help you make play a priority in your setting.

Is it time to weave the Golden Thread into your school day?
🔗 Explore my services and book a consultation here: https://positive-playtimes.com/

Think Ofsted only cares about what happens inside the classroom? Think again. 🚨

Under the new 2025 Ofsted framework, behaviour, safeguarding, and pupil wellbeing are now inspected across the entire school day. That means lunchtimes and playtimes are under the microscope like never before.

If your lunchtime staff are still just ‘policing’ the playground rather than actively managing it, it’s time for a shift.

On June 24th, we are training school staff to look beneath the surface. Our Lunchtime Supervisor Superhero course delivers practical, Mindful Supervision skills to transform the most unstructured part of the day into a safe, positive, and inclusive environment.

What your team will learn to do:
⭐ Play, Not Police: Shift from crowd control to creative play and positive behaviour management.
⭐ Boost Well-being: Create calm dining halls, happy playgrounds, and structured, inclusive activity zones.
⭐ Safeguard Effectively: Proactively tackle bullying and support your most challenging pupils when they need it most.
⭐ Empower Staff: Re-energise supervisor morale, build pupil respect, and establish/revitalise the PPALs (Positive Playground Activity Leaders) system.
⭐ Master the Elements: Walk away with concrete strategies for everything from traditional playground games to stress-free wet plays.

Give your support team the confidence they need to ace the new inspection standards and keep your pupils thriving.
⚠️ There are just 18 places left on this highly popular course!
📅 Event Details:
📍 When: June 24th, 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
📍 Where: Live via Microsoft Teams
🔗 Secure your school's spots here: https://positive-playtimes.com/lunchtime-supervisor-training-2/

Do you struggle with knowing how to train and support your playground activity leaders (PALs)?

Learn how to implement a whole school playtime buddy strategy in our most popular online masterclass (90 mins)

Here’s what you’ll get (and how it will help):
➡️ Step by step strategy for introducing your Playground Buddies into the playground – so you know exactly what to do when
➡️ Tried and tested lesson plans – so you can deliver playground buddy training without adding to your workload
➡️ Ready-to-go playtime activity resources your Playground PALs can use in the playground – so you don’t have to create your own.

The Benefits you gain:
✅ A full suite of templates (Application forms, certificates, job descriptions).
✅ Create more active and inclusive playgrounds with our proven strategies.
Less staff time spent resolving conflicts (which means more time for teaching and learning
✅ Reduce bullying incidents (along with accidents/injuries)

Secure your spot on the 22nd June (9am-10.30am) for £150+VAT: https://positive-playtimes.com/playground-pals-masterclass/

Group discount for 12 or more, please email us.

This is ideal for any member of your school team who would like to deliver Play PALs training and support to your year 5/6 pupils.

On June 24th, we are training staff to look beneath the surface. Our Lunchtime Supervisor Superhero course teaches Mindful Supervision, giving staff the skills to support mental health and wellbeing through structured play and inclusive zones.

Participants will learn how to:
Create happier and safer lunchtimes and playtimes.
Help the whole school promote a positive lunchtime and playtime policy.
Safeguard your children.
Adopt proactive strategies to tackle bullying.
Develop effective positive behaviour management systems.
Play and not police!
Re-energise and make playtime more positive through creative play.
Re inspire staff and children with new and traditional playground games.
Establish or re–energise the Positive Playground Activity Leaders (PPALS) System.
Create calm dining halls.
Create Zoned Activity Areas.
Build respect for your lunchtime supervisors.
Have clear understanding of the lunchtime supervisor role.
Create happy confident lunchtime supervisors and enhance morale and team spirit.
Improve Wet Play.
Provide ideas to support our most challenging children at playtime.

There are just 18 places left on one of our most popular courses! Give your staff the confidence to support your pupils during the most unstructured part of the day.

📍 When: June 24th, 9:00 - 11:30 AM
📍 Where: Live via Microsoft Teams
🔗 Secure a spot: https://positive-playtimes.com/lunchtime-supervisor-training-2/

Happy Outdoor Classroom Day! 🌿✨

Today is a global celebration of learning and playing outside. At Positive Playtimes, we don’t just celebrate this once a year; we constantly encourage more time outdoors every day for both curriculum learning and harmonious play.

We want to shine a spotlight on a school that truly lives this ethos: A recent WINNER on the Positive Playtime Award Programme - Madley Primary School.

What makes them stand out? Their commitment to getting children outside in all weathers.

Rain, wind, or shine, the students at Madley understand that there is no such thing as bad weather, only "bad clothing!" Under our Positive Playtime guidance, they have transformed their outdoor sessions into a core pillar of their school culture.

Why Does Outdoor Time Matter So Much?

Getting children away from desks and into the fresh air isn't just a break, it’s a developmental necessity.

Holistic Wellbeing: Outdoor play is a natural stress-reliever.

Cognitive Boost: Studies show that children who learn outdoors have better concentration and memory retention.

Social Harmony: The playground is where children learn the soft skills of life—negotiation, empathy, and conflict resolution. In an outdoor setting, these interactions happen more organically.

At Madley Primary, and through our programme, we emphasise that a playground shouldn't just be a flat piece of tarmac. It needs to be an inspiring landscape for the imagination.
When we create zoned areas, we give children the permission to dream. An inspiring space invites a child to be an architect, an explorer, or a team leader. It turns a simple break into a rich, imaginative adventure.

Let’s Re-energise Your Playground!
Madley Primary School is a wonderful example of what happens when a school prioritises the great outdoors. Their pupils are happier, more active, and more resilient.

Headteachers - Is your playground reaching its full potential? Use today as a catalyst to rethink your outdoor offer. Whether it’s introducing traditional games, training staff in mindful supervision, or creating new zones, every small change makes a massive difference. Contact me to learn more about our positive playtime support programmes.

Congratulations to the team at Madley Primary School for being such an inspiration! 💛