Congratulations to Rachael Murray, who won the Inspiring Educator award in CLOtC’s Outstanding Contribution to Learning Outside the Classroom Awards 2016 held on Thursday 24th November. Rachael is Blue Coat CEVA Primary School’s Play Co-ordinator and has massively transformed their play space in the two years she has been in the role.
When she started, the primary school’s playground and field space were bare and filled with bored and often disruptive pupils who were divided into their Key Stage age groups. Uninspiring and unfulfilling play in the school led to overcrowding and high incidences of accidents and behaviour incidents. Rachael engaged with the pupils, families and staff in order to transform the space into somewhere the pupils could thrive creatively, socially, emotionally and spiritually. The play environment is somewhere they can take risks and gain huge rewards.
Rachael’s transformation has included a skilled and happy ‘play team’, a huge ‘mud kitchen’ and funded she has funded and created a 50 tonne ‘play beach’ for sand play. Additionally, she has truly engaged with families to include them in developing the site and to make them recognise the importance and value of play for their children. Rachael regularly holds ‘play assemblies’ that address issues, concerns or common risks posed in play in order to further engage pupils.
The school has seen huge benefits for the pupils, with enhanced social opportunities, particularly amongst those with communication and language special educational needs as the play provides opportunities to develop their key skills for overcoming learning barriers. Additionally, accidents have decreased as pupils have become more resilient and effective in managing risk in their play, and behavioural issues are at an all-time low due to the engaging and co-operative nature of the play. The most importance result and the one Rachael should be most proud of, however, are reports from the pupils themselves who have said they are “happier” and consider themselves to be “more creative” and “better at getting along”. A phenomenal result!
Play is now one the school’s biggest attractions to prospective parents, with awards such as OPAL Platinum Play, National Playwork, as well as visits from experienced and new senior leaders and playworkers and universities researching play in order to look at the school’s dynamic approach to play.
Once again, a massive congratulations to Rachael Murray who has made such a fantastic transformation and completely changed these pupil’s learning outside the classroom experience. They are truly lucky to have her!
