Brook Farm House Pre-School
Our ambition was to provide the best nursery around. This desire led us to convert our family home into a separate independent setting that directly links to the nursery, but offers dedicated and focused pre-school facilities and care.
The design of the building has been considered specifically around the needs of pre-schoolers. Containing a music room, two ateliers (art rooms), a library and a brand new garden building, called the lodge – Brook Farm House Pre-School has a unique, stimulating and encouraging atmosphere. The idyllic setting, whilst being in close proximity to the nursery school, allows the children to have the sense of adventure, coupled with a sense of security in their early years.
The staff employed reflect this ethos with a qualified teacher, and a dedicated physical education instructor all present, as well as fully qualified forest school practitioners.
We have a dedicated forest school retreat, which can be used following Forest School adventures, giving the children the perfect place to reflect and conclude forest school activities as well as an exclusive forest school garden.
A newly installed permanent swimming pool cover has also allowed us to expand our already extensive outdoor areas giving all rooms access to open air facilities whether it be brook side, pool side or in the lodge garden.
Although only opened in autumn 2016, the setting has direct benefits for transition and parents and children have provided exceptional feedback following its introduction.
Pre-School Rooms
Pre-schoolers at Brook Farm House have access to three base rooms all offering different experiences and facilities that aim to stimulate little minds.
Herons provides wide open, free-flowing space where the children can let their imaginations run wild. Pre-schoolers can enjoy a warm, safe, stimulating topic-lead environment with direct access to outdoor space.
In Kingfishers pre-school children can find stimulation and comfort, with wonderful views out onto the brook. Doors can be opened onto a secure patio area where the children can watch the wildlife, and occasionally catch a glimpse of the local kingfisher as she sits on the bridge looking for fish.
The lodge provides a perfect, self contained environment where the children can access the gardens at Brook Farm House and then retreat to a dedicated, heated building to continue the outside activities inside. A covered entrance and private toilet facilities make this room fully self contained.
Outdoor Space
As well as the forest school, Brook Farm House has three dedicated outdoor areas.
The Lodge Garden has access from both the main building and the lodge and provides an artificial grassed area, which allows safe and clean outside play. Within the garden there's a climbing wall, a herb garden and a construction site. Wildlife is a plenty and often the children's play is interrupted by a visit from a squirrel or two.
The Courtyard, which has access from Herons and the forest school retreat offers a fully secure area which allows the children to spend plenty of time in the fresh air. The newly constructed permanent pool cover helps provide a large, flat open space where the children can let their imagination run wild. Construction of complex assault courses to challenge all is a current favourite.
Brook side offers a unique outdoor area for Herons with a babbling brook for the children to paddle in and a ship wreck to explore. The waterfall provides the constant, relaxing sound of running water. Herons opens up to a fully secure and safe patio giving gated access to the brook from which the children may be lucky enough to see the visiting baby heron or the resident kingfisher sitting on the slate bridge.
Forest School
The forest school has an area specifically dedicated to outside learning and experience where the children can grow and cultivate their own crops, cook up a meal in the sand kitchen or create art using natural resources. A snug, heated cabin, shielded from the wind gives an ideal refuge if the weather turns during an expedition.
The forest school retreat, with access to the court yard, provides the perfect place, following an outdoor adventure with forest school, where children can catch a breath, reflect and conclude the outdoor activities under cover if its required, or with the bi-fold doors open to the fresh air.
Atelier One and Two
Brook farm house boasts two ateliers (art rooms) which provide dedicated space where the children can let their creative side run wild. There are facilities for painting, clay modelling, ceramics and textiles as well as much more.
We are so proud of our children that their work takes pride of place throughout both settings!
