Case Study

Nursery at St Stephens Primary

Building type: Early Years
Project price: £141,000
Completion date: 2013

With a fast-growing intake, St Stephen’s RC Primary School in Droylsden needed to find a new way to extend their Early Years teaching provision. Andrew Simpson, Chartered Building Surveyor tells us how The Learning Escape created a new outdoor space that has allowed them to deliver a new way of learning on time and on budget.

Why did St Stephen’s want to develop an outdoor learning space?

The school has seen an increase in the Early Years intake so they needed to develop a space that would allow them to extend our Early Years teaching provision. They were working to a tight deadline so they needed a building that could be developed quickly but still to a high level of quality. They wanted their Early Years pupils to have a space that they could call their own and give them opportunity to reconnect with nature.

What made The Learning Escape stand out from other providers?

It was the quality of a Learning Escape that first caught our eye. The materials and methods are environmentally friendly and long lasting, making them high value both in terms of sustainability and aesthetics. We were concerned that they would not be able to develop our new building within the timescale, or budget, that we had but The Learning Escape assured us that they could look after the whole project and deliver it quickly and cost-effectively. It was very reassuring to know that they could deal with any paperwork and queries and it was nice to hear from them post-build to see how the school was getting on.

The Learning Escape eco-classoom St Stephens primary

What are the biggest benefits St Stephen’s has noticed for the pupils and the school?

They now have a pleasant teaching and learning environment where they can interact with their Early Years pupils in a unique space. Bringing an element of the outdoors into the classroom has inspired the young learners and they are more attentive when working in the new building. It has given the school something new and exciting, a symbol that they are thinking about the future of both their pupils and environment.

How did you find working with The Learning Escape overall?

Excellent. They were very efficient and accommodating, the team fitted into the school perfectly and the children loved watching the builders work on the new project. We had no problems with their project being completed within a reasonable timescale and the end result was fantastic value for money.

“The Learning Escape were very efficient and accommodating, the team fitted into the school perfectly and the children loved watching the builders work on the new project.”
Andrew Simpson
Chartered Building Surveyor