Creating An Environment Where Young Learners Flourish
By Pete Burrell, Head of Pre-Prep
As our Pre-Prep department moves to its new home, we have a unique opportunity to design learning environments that truly reflect what children aged 4-7 need to flourish. At this stage, children remain active, curious learners who thrive on first-hand experiences and opportunities to explore. Our vision is to create spaces that inspire, challenge, and nurture every child – both indoors and out.
Central to this vision is free flow between indoor and outdoor environments. Children need the freedom to move seamlessly from classroom to nature, choosing spaces that spark their curiosity and support their learning. Outdoors, the possibilities expand: open-ended resources, loose parts play, sand and water areas, mud kitchens, pulleys, climbing, crawling and sliding spaces, and even opportunities for animal care create rich contexts for exploration. These experiences nurture creativity, problem-solving, and responsibility while fostering a deep connection to the natural world and an understanding of sustainability.
Outdoor play is not an optional extra; it is essential for physical health, mental wellbeing, and social development. A stimulating outdoor environment invites children to take risks, collaborate, and engage with real-world challenges. Carefully chosen resources develop fine and gross motor skills, movement and coordination. Here, they learn to hypothesise, test ideas, and adapt – skills that underpin scientific thinking and innovation.
Through play and enquiry, children develop the qualities that will shape their futures. Today’s block builders and nature explorers are tomorrow’s engineers, architects, scientists, artists and web developers. By encouraging curiosity and resilience, we lay the foundations for critical thinking and creativity: skills essential for success in a rapidly changing world.
Enquiry-based learning complements this approach by giving children time and space to pursue their own questions. When environments are designed to support curiosity – offering books, tools, varied and natural materials – children learn to investigate, reflect, and make connections. This builds metacognitive skills and confidence, preparing them not only for academic achievement but for life beyond the classroom.
Ultimately, our new Pre-Prep environment will communicate trust, choice, and challenge. It will invite children to explore, imagine, and create – indoors and out – while embedding the knowledge and skills required by the curriculum. By prioritising outdoor play and enquiry, we give children not only the tools to learn but the joy and confidence to thrive.
Five Recommended Articles for Further Information
The Importance of Outdoor Play (UNICEF)
Why outdoor play matters for children’s health, wellbeing, and learning, plus practical tips for supporting it at home and school. Read here
What is Enquiry-Based Learning? (Early Excellence)
Explains how enquiry-based learning fosters curiosity, problem-solving, and independence in young learners. Explore here
Learning Environments (Birth to 5 Matters)
Guidance on creating spaces that encourage exploration, creativity, and independence. Read here
Outdoor Learning in the Early Years (Early Education)
Evidence on the benefits of outdoor learning for physical health, social skills, and academic progress. Read here
Loose Parts Play Toolkit (Inspiring Scotland)
A practical guide packed with ideas and evidence on how loose parts play encourages creativity, problem-solving, and physical development in children. Read here