Rachel Young is the reception and year one class teacher at Hawkshead Primary School, a very small village school in Cumbria. She has 17 children in her class. The school invited Early Excellence because they felt the need to change things in the early years and wanted to create designated areas of learning where the children could explore, be creative, and develop fundamental skills essential in the early years. These areas also allowed children to persevere and develop their own interests.

Matthew, from Early Excellence, was invited to help, and he was amazing. He assisted in choosing the resources, designing the specific areas, and making the most of the available space. Rachel recalls the first day everything was set up with a new cohort of children in September. The children came in, and their faces lit up with excitement as they darted across the room, eager to explore and engage with everything.

The new environment has had a significant impact on the children’s learning and development. They have become confident, engaged, and enthusiastic, able to develop their own interests. It is also rewarding to see the children use the skills taught to them in everyday learning. Rachel has realised that what is taught in direct tasks is only a small part of their learning. The real growth happens when they apply those skills in continuous provision. The learning has truly developed, and improvements are evident in essential areas such as communication, literacy, and maths throughout the year.

For advice about how best to design and equip your learning environments – whether a new space or an existing classroom – simply contact us for help or e-mail nikki@earlyexcellence.com