New nursery for Exeter Cathedral School

Boys and girls at Exeter Cathedral School are getting ready to move into a brand new, state of the art, single storey nursery in May.  

The nursery pupils aged from rising three to five, will benefit from two new classrooms, a sensory room and newly landscaped gardens in two distinct zones– an ‘active zone’, where the children can ride bikes and let off steam, and a ‘natural zone’ which will include a ‘bug hotel’, sandpit, tree house and gardening plots for each teaching group.

The school has invested over half a million pounds in this exciting project in order to offer the very best environment in which the children can play, learn and flourish.  The building, designed by Kensington Taylor to sit sympathetically within the walled garden will enable Hall House to retain its homely, historic setting and cottage garden feel, also incorporates eco-design features, including a sedum roof and solar power. 

Stephen Yeo, Headmaster of Exeter Cathedral School said: “The work we have undertaken at Hall House will have a transformative impact on the space and facilities available for all of the children throughout the Pre-Prep enabling them to have easy access to the gardens. 

This is an exciting time for Exeter Cathedral School as we continue to provide the finest education for our pupils in the most stimulating learning environment possible.  Further new developments planned for the school also include a new £4 million Performing Arts Centre, on the current Kalendar Hall site in South Street.”

Exeter Cathedral School currently has 300 pupils between the ages of rising three and thirteen, including up to 40 Cathedral Choristers.  The school has 125 Pre-Prep pupils on roll at Hall House, which was rated excellent in its most recent inspection.  A small number of the older children choose to board in the school, be it regularly or on a very flexible basis. The school has 800 year old origins and has educated Exeter Cathedral choristers throughout its history.  Today the school provides a very broad and dynamic education across the curriculum, while retaining its very strong musical roots.

The new building will be opened by Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE on 5 May 2015.