Play England warmly welcomes the Children’s right to play Position Statement published by the British Psychological Society.
The British Psychological Society’s Division of Educational and Child Psychology states that:
- Child-led play is a critical enabler of children’s holistic development and wellbeing.
- Educational psychologists have a key role in championing opportunities for child-led play for all children both in and outside school, for example through:
- Challenging practice that restricts or reduces access to play.
- Advocating for access to play within casework.
- Supporting whole-school initiatives to promote play.
- Withdrawing break time opportunities for play in school should never be used as a punishment (e.g. for misbehaviour or completing unfinished work), nor the threat of withdrawal be used to control children’s behaviour.
- All children and young people should have access to free, high quality, local opportunities for play.
- This is particularly important for children who may currently experience exclusion from play e.g. disabled children, children living in poverty or children from minority communities.
Full statement is available at: https://www.bps.org.uk/news-and-policy/schools-should-never-threaten-take-away-break-times-schoolchildren-punishment