Plato is often quoted as saying:
"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation."
Anyone who has worked in the Early Years will tell you about the importance and value of high-quality play in the curriculum. Recent findings from the State of Play interim report by the Raising the Nation Play Commission (February 2025) make one thing clear: play is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. Schools considering the removal or devaluation of playtime must recognise the long-term consequences of this decision on children’s well-being, development, and behaviour.
Children Have a Right to Play
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 31) asserts that play is a fundamental right. Play promotes creativity, social skills, and emotional resilience. It necessitates negotiations, turn-taking, and the resolution of conflicts. It supports children in creating a code of honour, a shared language, and a sense of community, ultimately contributing to their development into well-rounded individuals. Schools have a responsibility to uphold this right, ensuring children can engage in free, active play.
Play Promotes Self-Regulation
Beyond its role in social development, play is also crucial for emotional and cognitive regulation. Unstructured play helps children develop self-regulation—the ability to manage their emotions and impulses. For many children, being indoors following adult direction can be the catalyst for restlessness and disengagement. The State of Play report emphasises that unstructured play is essential for children to learn how to navigate challenges, cooperate with peers, and develop critical problem-solving skills. Removing playtime deprives children of this vital developmental mechanism.
Eliminating Play Worsens Behavioural Issues
Many schools reduce or eliminate playtime in response to challenging behaviour, yet research suggests this approach is counterproductive. The State of Play report highlights that children deprived of breaks and movement opportunities often exhibit increased frustration, aggression, and difficulty focusing in class. Rather than serving as a deterrent, removing playtime can intensify undesirable behaviours, creating a cycle of disruption. The report calls on the Department for Education to discourage the punitive withdrawal of playtime in schools.
At Roots Federation we see our children demonstrate high levels of engagement in play, learn new concepts and vocabulary through play and grow both socially and academically through play on a daily basis. We urge schools and policymakers to recognise the essential role of play in education for all children. Rather than reducing playtime, schools should integrate more opportunities for structured and unstructured play throughout the day. The State of Play report recommends that Ofsted include the sufficiency of playtime as a measure of school performance, encouraging schools to prioritise play and rewarding those that value it highly. We heartily agree and see this as vital if we are to create healthier, happier, and more engaged learners.
Now is the time to ensure that play remains at the heart of education!
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