Lower School Village: championing a new way of learning
The past year has seen some exciting developments of our brand new Lower School Village.
LOWER SCHOOL VILLAGE: CHAMPIONING A NEW WAY OF LEARNING
The past year has seen the exciting development of our brand new Lower School Village at ACS Cobham. We are going through a transition where our Grade 1 and 2 students are moving into the development which, once complete, will house all students at our school from ages two to 10. The dedicated facility provides the sanctuary of a village setting within an outstanding natural environment, while also giving our students access to the wider state-of-the-art facilities on our campus.
This exciting project brings to life our shared vision to restore this part of the school, which is so evocative of the estate’s history. The new Lower School Village sits within the historic woodland area of our campus and consists of the old cottages and stable blocks of the original estate, as well as Heywood House, which has in the past entertained royalty, including Queen Victoria, before later being sold to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg. During World War II, the fields of the estate were used for growing wheat to support the war effort.
Outdoor spaces
The magical setting of the restored buildings within the grounds enables children’s learning to take place and taps into their natural ability to learn more about the world about them. With a forest play area, large playground, astroturf and tree houses, the wonderful outdoor facilities in the new development are also set to host our Forest School lessons, where children are able to explore meaningful experiences in the natural world for positive, lifelong learning.
Learning through play
Celebrating play and fostering curiosity is central to the education of our youngest learners.
We have developed plenty of playful spaces, where children can let their imagination come to the fore through loose parts play. This type of play fosters more diverse thinking and creativity where children are able to find their own solutions, ultimately helping them to conceptualise their learning and ideas.
Another concept that we put particular focus on is the concept of enquiry. Children foster a healthier love of learning when they feel motivated to learn more about something that excites or interests them, and studies show that this type of exploration is more beneficial to help students to get to grips with different learning concepts.
Implementing digital learning
Technology has been integrated into the new Lower School Village to provide students with hands on experiences that mirror what they learn in the curriculum. Each classroom boasts modern facilities with large interactive screens, and the Lower School Village is also home to a brand new science lab and “Discovery Centre”, which includes a new library and digital hub where students receive lessons around robotics and coding.
Students at the Lower School Village now also benefit from the “Hive”, run by our award-winning Digital and Teaching Learning Specialist, Lyndsey Stuttard. The Hive has been designed as a place for children to interact with conventional technology, in ways other than ‘screen time’. Here, students can experiment with tools, such as the interactive sandbox, which projects digital content onto sand and interacts with how the children play. These new resources help children to explore and understand more abstract concepts in the curriculum.
Regular specialist lessons in the Lower School Village provide students with excellent digital literacy from the age of two, and shared iPads are used regularly as a learning tool throughout the students’ learning journey. In recognition of all we do at ACS Cobham, we have achieved Apple Distinguished School status, an accreditation only achieved by a handful of other local schools in our area. With this accreditation, our teachers are equipped to prepare our youngest students for the emerging technology that they will use throughout their lives.
What’s next
With a brand-new visual art space and performing arts studio due to be built within Heywood House by August 2024, the final stages of the transition will take place at the beginning of the next academic year, when Grades 3 and 4 will begin to learn in the new space. We're thrilled to see the realisation of this important project for our Lower School, which has ultimately been designed to provide an education fit for the 21st century and ensuring that every child’s future is full of opportunity.
Barnaby Sandow BEM, Head of School at ACS Cobham
