A junior school in West Yorkshire has appointed a new Early Years lead as part of its £2m expansion which will see it also welcome pupils from Reception and Year 1 from September.
Laura Tapscott has joined Bradford Grammar Junior School at a pivotal time as the school invests in a new Reception and Year 1 building and transforms its spacious grounds further to accommodate its flourishing outdoor curriculum.
Laura, who will be the school’s Reception teacher and Early Years Foundation Stage Lead, previously taught at schools in the south.
She said: “It’s wonderful to be able to form something from scratch, it’s a whole new adventure and a new legacy in terms of the school.
“One thing I loved about my last school was that it was like a family, and I know the junior school will be the same. The experience these children will get will be second to none.”
Laura is a keen advocate of the Montessori method of education, which is based on child-led learning and collaborative play.
“It’s very child led but with boundaries and structure,” said Laura. “It’s about being that ‘scaffolding’ role when you’re leading but allowing them to explore what is intrinsically motivating them. The environment and the adult role are very important.
“Reception is that beautiful balance between being adult and child initiated and the confidence they gain over the year is wonderful.”
The significant investment in the school’s grounds will see the creation of a mud kitchen, a construction area, a woodland exploration area, discovery trails and an outdoor performance space.
Richard Ribeiro, headmaster at the school, said: “The grounds development will be a creative space for all our children to develop and use their imaginations and be connected with nature.
“Elsewhere, the eco-friendly designs of the new building are spacious, light and well-resourced and will allow our young learners to experience an outstanding BGS education in a secure and nurturing environment.
“This is an exciting time in the history of Bradford Grammar Junior School as we seek to enhance the academic and co-curricular journey of every pupil and we look forward to welcoming new learners and new staff to the BGS family in September 2024.”
For more information and a virtual reality walk through of the new building visit the ‘Junior School Development’ page.
“… and will allow our young learners to experience an outstanding BGS education in a secure and nurturing environment.”
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