A new nursery in North Berwick has been getting rave reviews from a discerning group of customers: the three- and four-year olds who attend every day!
Law Nursery School opened in a new purpose-designed building next to Law Primary School on 29 April. The early learning and childcare facility, which had been previously housed in the town’s Community Centre, provides 240 spaces across two sessions.
When asked what they like about the new building the outdoor hammock, painting supplies and music area with piano were all highlighted with one boy confidently declaring that: “I like all of the spaces inside and out”.
Law Primary School and Nursery Head Teacher Ronnie Taylor believes that the whole community is already benefiting from the new spaces: “We’re delighted that the new nursery is open and operational,” he said. “In terms of our stakeholders, our parents find it much more convenient to be able to drop off in one location both at school and at nursery. For staff there is so much more potential to work collaboratively across the nursery and the school setting. And, of course, for our children and young people to be able to work and play together, learning across the community, makes a huge difference to their lives.”
The new building has been carefully designed to offer a range of options for learning and play led by children’s interests. From painting and blocks, to interactive whiteboards, cosy nooks, a music area and a stage with dressing up supplies for impromptu performances, the nursery offers bright space for imaginative play. A large garden combines open space, sand and play equipment, a soft planting scheme and a herb garden to provide ample opportunities for outdoor learning. As well as benefiting from the high-quality spaces, being co-located with the primary school offers children better opportunities for collaborating with the wider school community.
'Brilliant facility'
East Lothian Council’s Cabinet member for Education and Children’s and Family Services Councillor Fiona Dugdale visited the nursery to meet staff and children. She said: “This is a brilliant facility and I’m so pleased to have been able to visit. It has been a significant investment for the council but you can really see how much the children are enjoying being here and using the spaces inside and out to their full potential. It’s wonderful.
“Our early childhood experiences form the basis for all of our future life experiences including learning, behaviour and health. Our early learning and childcare teams dedicate themselves to providing high quality learning experiences, building nurturing relationships within inspiring spaces and help children and families to thrive.”
Hadden Group was awarded the £3.4m design and build contract for the nursery in December 2020. The firm’s Managing Director Scott Hadden said: “We’re proud to have successfully delivered this fantastic new nursery for the children and staff. Well-designed educational buildings make such a huge difference to teaching and learning environments both indoors and outside. This project continues our valuable and longstanding relationship with East Lothian Council and I’m sure it will be a key asset for North Berwick’s children for many years to come! ”