OUR GUIDE TO SETTING UP A PRE-SCHOOL CLASSROOM
Is your nursery fit to burst? Demand for pre-school places is high with the average waiting time 12 months across the UK, according to a recent childcare report. With the Government extending the 15 hours of free childcare to two year olds last April, demand has increased further. Accommodating all those children and staff in well-designed spaces is quite a task, but if you are looking for solutions to help house pupils, we’re here to help. Whether you are thinking of setting up a new nursery, or looking to expand with a new classroom, here are some pointers for creating great pre-school facilities.
Child-centred design
The great thing about designing a new, purpose-built pre-school classroom is that you can create the very best learning environment using child-centred design. No need to stick with dingy, draughty old buildings – you can start afresh! Child-centred classroom design involves looking at things from a pupil’s point of view – which can be very different from that of an adult. Design considerations may include:
- Facilities at child height (sinks, WCs, door handles)
- Buggy-friendly entrances
- Brightly coloured interiors
- Natural light
- Easy access to outdoor play areas
Here’s one example of a truly innovative child-centred nursery design, built for our clients at Fawood Children’s Centre in Stonebridge.
MODULAR PRE-SCHOOL BUILDINGS
If you have an existing building that isn’t big enough or suitable for an extra nursery classroom, a modular building is likely to be the best way for you to expand. Not only do modular classrooms represent high quality and great value for money, they’re also easy to construct in a short space of time. Check out this purpose-built pre-school classroom built in just a few weeks for Dixie Grammar School in Leicestershire.
Maximise the space you have
It’s important to make good use of space in your pre-school building. Ideally you’ll want to be able to accommodate as many children as possible into your classroom in order to get the best return on your investment, but you’ll also need to adhere to regulations governing the space required per child. So, great storage solutions and creative, space-saving ideas can really help you to get the most out of the space.
Working with Vertis, you can be sure you’ll benefit from innovative ideas to use the space you have, such as the ‘secret garden’ we created for children at Fawood Children’s Centre, which filled an awkward area of dead space with a fantastic and exciting play feature.
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Practicalities like price and lead time are important considerations for any nursery. With a deadline that’s less than a year away, the speed of implementation is particularly vital. So it’s good to know that modular nursery buildings are cost-effective and quick to install.
You can find out more about Vertis’ range of different school products and prices on our Education product page.
Pre-fabricated off-site, their installation does not involve months of noisy building work; our modular classrooms are typically built and ready to use within 3-6 weeks.
Funding options for your pre-school facilities
If your budget is limited, remember that the Department of Education offers funding for early years providers offering education for children under 5. Here at Vertis we also offer finance options to help you spread the cost of your new nursery building. That’s good to know, especially when you need to construct your classroom sooner rather than later to meet demand.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR MODULAR NURSERY CLASSROOMS
If you’d like to know more about what’s involved in building a modular classroom, have a look at our school buildings products to see what might suit you.
And if you’d like to see our construction in action, check out our video of recent nursery and pre-school classroom completed for Offley Endowed Primary School.