Leading independent girls’ school, Norwich High School for Girls, welcomed their youngest pupils back to the start of the new term with a brand new Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) hub at their Prep School building, Stafford House, on Newmarket Road in Norwich.
The new space brings together their Nursery and Reception girls into one bespoke area.
Mrs Susan Roberts, Head of Prep School and Nursery commented: “We have a beautiful 14 acre site on Newmarket Road, and the new EYFS hub has transformed the classroom areas and outdoor space for our youngest girls, allowing us to prioritise the kind of active and imaginative play that is so vital for girls.
Outside a large wooden deck provides a platform for the playhouses with a newly tarmacked kart track to one side and a large barked area filled with mud kitchens, STEM workshops and even a potions lab to the other.
There is a seamless transition from the dynamic outdoor play area to the airy and bright indoor spaces. For the Nursery children, there is a dedicated room where girls can feel safe and supported, and have fun exploring a large play loft with an upstairs area. Moving through the shared area for cooking, construction and messy play into Reception, there are zoned areas for role play, small world and a comfortable corner cave, all of which the girls can explore during their free-flow independent learning time.
“Using high quality furniture and equipment from Haba has enabled us to create three bespoke rooms, uniquely designed to provide our girls with everything they need to develop their confidence and creativity in their learning at the very start of their educational journey. We are now able to offer something that is not found in any other Early Years setting in the county.”
The nursery at Norwich High Prep School offers excellent pre-school care for girls aged 3 to 4 years and is the ideal first step within the Norwich High School community.
“Our newly refurbished Early Years Hub is an exciting and nurturing place for the girls to be cared for and educated in. With our extensive outdoor areas, including a vegetable polytunnel and a small woodland area for Forest School lessons, the range of activities and experiences are endless. Being based in the same building as the Prep School, allows for opportunities for the girls to familiarise themselves with rooms such as a Science lab, Art Studio, Pastoral Room and a newly-renovated Library, which they will use more as they continue their journey through the school. Our warm, safe and inclusive family environment makes the girls’ transition from home to Nursery a relaxed and happy one.”
The classroom layout is based upon Reggio Emilia’s theory of the learning environment being the ‘third teacher’ and care is taken to provide an ever changing range of indoor and outdoor activities to spark curiosity, stimulate learning and solve problems.
With the girls’ interests at the heart of the planning, our team of experienced Early Years practitioners link these with the EYFS Framework, ensuring the girls find a love for learning and a thirst for knowledge as they are encouraged to follow their own lines of enquiry.
Norwich High Prep School is currently accepting admissions in all age groups from 3-11 years. Find out more about Norwich High Prep School including the latest Open Morning information here or call 01603 453 265.