A New EYFS Nursery at Arnot St Mary’s Through SBN Funding!

Posted on 06 March 2026 by Ben Eden
A New EYFS Nursery at Arnot St Mary’s Through SBN Funding! Main Image
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Arnot St Mary’s Primary School set out to create a fully equipped EYFS nursery that would provide an inspiring and purposeful learning environment for their youngest pupils. With School Building Need (SBN) funding secured earlier in the year to support construction work, the opportunity arose to transform a stripped-out space into a fully functioning nursery classroom.

Led by Assistant Head Emma Smith and Headteacher Dan, the school had a clear vision. They wanted an indoor environment that supported every area of early years learning, encouraged child-led exploration and would eventually work in harmony with a future outdoor play space.

With a tight timeline in place and a January opening date fast approaching, the school partnered with Pentagon Play to help turn that vision into reality. The project required careful planning, creative thinking and a rapid turnaround to ensure the nursery was ready to welcome children from day one.

Project Challenges and Considerations

While SBN funding had enabled the construction phase of the project, the school still needed to transform the empty interior into a fully functioning nursery environment within just four weeks. This meant sourcing furniture, learning resources and activity zones that would support the EYFS framework while ensuring the room remained calm, organised and inviting.

Another key consideration was meeting the specific requirements set out by Emma and Dan. The nursery needed to include clearly defined areas for role play, snack time, creative exploration and independent learning, all while maintaining a natural flow through the space. Every element needed to contribute to a purposeful learning environment rather than simply filling the room.

With such a tight turnaround, traditional design processes were not possible. There was no time to produce digital renders or lengthy design revisions. Instead, the project required fast thinking, clear communication and practical design solutions that could be approved and implemented quickly.

Design and Planning Process

To ensure the space was designed effectively, Pentagon’s Indoor Specialist Maddy visited the school to measure the room and speak directly with Emma and Dan about their goals for the nursery. This face-to-face consultation allowed the team to fully understand how the environment needed to function for both staff and pupils.

Instead of relying on digital designs, Maddy mapped out the entire layout by hand using graph paper. This simple but effective approach clearly demonstrated where each piece of furniture and learning resource would be positioned, helping the school visualise how the nursery would operate day to day.

The design was quickly approved, and within just three days all products were ordered. By combining the SBN funded construction works with the school’s own budget for furnishings and resources, Emma and Dan were able to create a thoughtfully designed nursery environment that maximised the available space and supported a wide range of learning experiences.

Delivery and Installation for the Nursery

With the opening date approaching, delivery and installation needed to run seamlessly. Millhouse provided their Gold Service Delivery, ensuring all resources arrived the morning before the nursery was due to open.

The team carefully removed all packaging and fully assembled the furniture and learning zones, completing the setup by lunchtime. This meant staff could walk into a fully prepared classroom environment, ready for children to begin exploring from their very first day.

Emma commented on how smooth and professional the entire process felt, particularly given the tight timescale. Having the nursery fully installed and organised allowed staff to focus their attention on preparing for the arrival of their new cohort.

Overall, the school-based nursery included:

Extending Learning into the Outdoor Environment

With the indoor nursery successfully established, attention soon turned to the outdoor EYFS space. Working closely with the school, Pentagon’s Outdoor Learning Consultant Josh helped design an environment that would extend learning beyond the classroom and support a wide range of outdoor experiences.

The introduction of a Freestanding Communication and Language Zone created a dedicated area for storytelling, discussion and imaginative play. Nearby, the mud kitchen area, complete with a Mud Kitchen Island and Mud Box, encourages children to mix, create and explore with natural materials. These open-ended resources support collaboration, language development and creative role play.

Exploratory learning is further supported through the covered sand box and the chain and pulley materials mover, where children can transport materials while discovering cause and effect. Construction resources such as the Get Set Go Blocks and Play Builder Architect Set encourage pupils to design and build their own structures, supporting problem solving and spatial awareness.

A water wall with damming station introduces opportunities for investigative play, allowing children to experiment with water movement and simple engineering concepts. Combined with artificial grass and wetpour surfacing, the outdoor area now provides a safe and engaging space where children can climb, construct and explore throughout the day.

Overall, the playground included:

The Impact on Pupils and Staff

Once the nursery opened, the impact of the newly designed environment was immediately clear. Children were able to move naturally between the indoor and outdoor spaces, creating a free-flowing learning experience that supported exploration, creativity and independence. The carefully planned layout allowed pupils to transition easily from classroom activities to outdoor play, extending their learning throughout the day.

Indoors, resources such as the Island Kitchen and Investigative Play Table support imaginative role play and hands-on discovery, while calming areas like the Cosy Cove and Sleep Pods provide comfortable spaces for reading, rest and quiet reflection. These defined zones help create a balanced classroom environment where children can play, learn and recharge.

Outside, the Communication and Language Zone, mud kitchen and construction resources encourage collaboration, creativity and physical development. Features such as the water wall and sand play area introduce opportunities for experimentation and investigative play, allowing pupils to explore materials and develop problem-solving skills in an open environment.

For staff, the transformation has created a well-organised and purposeful EYFS setting that supports both structured teaching and child-led learning. By combining a thoughtfully designed indoor classroom with an engaging outdoor play area, Arnot St Mary’s has created a nursery environment that makes full and effective use of the SBN funding, giving their youngest learners the best possible start.

Reflection

Working with Arnot St Mary’s Primary School has been a fantastic example of how strategic funding and thoughtful design can quickly transform an educational environment. By combining SBN funded construction with carefully planned learning resources, the school was able to open a fully equipped nursery in a remarkably short timeframe.

Seeing the children settle into their new space and immediately begin exploring the different learning zones has been incredibly rewarding. The environment now supports creativity, independence and collaboration while providing staff with a well organised classroom that works for both teaching and play.

Arnot St Mary’s new nursery stands as a strong example of what can be achieved through clear vision, strong collaboration and a commitment to creating inspiring early years environments!



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