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earlyyears.teachwire.net
When planning your nursery’s interior, there
are statutory requirements to which you must
adhere – but don’t forget to consider children’s
perspectives too, says
Melanie Pilcher
...
hether your nursery is
in a purpose-built space
or a converted building,
how you organise its
physical layout and
resources is an important consideration.
The environment you create through your
choice of furnishing, design and equipment
contributes to your overall effectiveness as
a provider of childcare and education.
The first consideration is meeting
statutory requirements as defined in the
Statutory Framework for the Early Years
Foundation Stage (2014) (EYFS). This
outlines what must be done to maintain
the safety of the premises, ensuring
all areas are fit for purpose and age
appropriate. You will have to consider the
following aspects:
D
health and safety requirements
(including fire safety and hygiene)
D
emergency evacuation
D
indoor space – i.e. square metres per
child in each age range
D
access to outdoor play/outdoor activities
D
provision for sleep and rest
D
toilets, hand basins and nappy-
changing facilities
D
an area for staff breaks, and an area
for staff to talk confidentially to
parents and carers.
Prospective providers must be able to
demonstrate that they meet requirements
before being registered. Ofsted will check
that this is the case at the registration visit.
Legislation defines ‘premises’ for childcare
as being ‘any area or vehicle’, so providing
there is a defined area for the sole use
of children, childcare can take place in
outdoor settings such as woodlands.
This broadens out the idea of premises,
allowing for creativity and flexibility
when planning an effective learning
environment, but does not lessen the need
for safeguarding and welfare requirements.
It’s important to remember that your
requirements will change over time, for
example a drop in birth-rate could result
in reduced baby intake; or increased
funding levels may mean more places are
needed for two-year-olds. You will also
have to provide for individual children,
making ‘reasonable adjustments’ as
necessary, so fixtures and fittings should
be both functional and adaptable as you
redefine rooms or areas to meet a need.
THE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
Theorists including Lev Vygotsky and
Friedrich Froebel placed great emphasis
on the learning environment, reminding
W
us of the importance of children using
their imagination and learning through
exploration of their world. Your nursery’s
layout and fixtures should promote the
emotional wellbeing of children, mirroring
that which is familiar to them at home and
in their local community, but also prompting
their understanding of the world and how
other people and cultures live.
Here are some further ideas for
ensuring the effectiveness of specific
areas of your setting:
Entrance area
The entrance is a visitor’s first impression of
your setting, so it should be uncluttered and
send out a clear message that the nursery is
a safe, nurturing and welcome environment.
Ensure there is ample space for parents and
children arriving at the same time – you
could provide a visitor book for parents
to sign their child in and out, and a notice
board displaying important information
such as a copy of the current Ofsted report,
lunchtime menus, planned closure dates,
infection outbreak, etc.
Create a sense of belonging for
children by providing name pegs and a
place to put their personal items when
they arrive. Security is paramount, so
ensure systems are in place that mean no
unauthorised visitor can gain access.
Classrooms/
group rooms
The learning environment should be
furnished in such a way that it can be
Your nursery’s layout
and fixtures should
promote the emotional
wellbeing of children, mirroring that
which is familiar to them at home.
Creating safe
& effective
spaces
