The School of Play is a play-based wellbeing organisation grounded in research and powered by connection. Movement, storytelling, gratitude and playful interaction, for every classroom, family and team.
In 2010 I was a PE teacher in London and couldn't shake the feeling that we were teaching children everything except how to be well. That's where the idea started. A free app called ClassBreak, then a curriculum, then a global ecosystem. The single belief underneath all of it: five minutes of play, done well, changes the rest of the day.
The School of Play didn't start as The School of Play. It started in 2012 as a free app called ClassBreak, and grew, year by year.
In 2024, Dale Sidebottom and Paul Campbell came together as Directors to form The School of Play, uniting ClassBreak, Energetic Education, Jugar Life and twenty years of wellbeing practice.
Dale serves as the internationally recognised founding director of The School of Play, ClassBreak, Energetic Education and Jugar Life. He brings over twenty years of experience in education and health.
He authored All Work No Play and hosts the Energetic Radio podcast. As a TEDx speaker, he has engaged audiences across 25 countries.
Paul contributes more than twenty years of comprehensive educational experience. His career evolved from dedicated classroom teaching to accomplished Assistant Principal roles, with emphasis on fostering wellbeing and positive education.
Beyond classroom work, he has collaborated with professional athletes and prestigious sporting clubs on player welfare, including a recent position at the Collingwood Football Club.
In 2024, Dale and Paul united as Directors to form The School of Play, bringing ClassBreak, Energetic Education, Jugar Life and two decades of practice together under one global brand.
One five-minute idea, twelve years of iteration, twenty-five countries, same north star: helping people build happier, healthier and more connected lives through play.
The School of Play story
“It started as a teacher with five spare minutes. It turned into a curriculum, a platform, and a global movement.
Dale and Paul built every workshop on the same play-based framework. Take the free Play Leadership Profile quiz and see where you fit, Connector, Creator, Challenger or Carer.
Built by educators. Validated by La Trobe University. Lived in classrooms, families and teams every day.
The voices, experience and expertise that shape The School of Play.
Schools, families, organisations and conferences, we will help you find the right path.
