An outstanding Early Years learning environment is so much more than walls, desks, and books; it’s an active participant in the education process.
It’s a carefully designed physical space – or spaces – where children can learn through play, exploration, and interaction with others. It supports holistic growth – the social, emotional, and cognitive – and offers a safe and nurturing atmosphere that nurtures diverse developmental needs.
Ultimately, a great Early Years setting is an ‘enabling’ learning environment. In this type of setting, young children can flourish and be themselves, feel secure, make choices, and embrace new opportunities.
An enabling Early Years learning environment is a ‘home-from-home’ space where children feel safe and comfortable. When children feel emotionally secure, they learn more about their surroundings through the things they see, touch, and hear.
The more relaxed a child feels, the more likely they are to effectively play and learn, too. They feel confident to explore and engage in different activities, to experiment, and to take the lead.
Every specialist facility on our Leopardstown campus is built to meet the specific needs of our students – and to enrich how and what they learn. Our Early Years Centre is no different!
In Tír na nÓg, our specialist teachers and staff create an enabling, positive learning environment for our students, which is colourful and inviting. Every corner is designed to enhance the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme we teach.
Tír na nÓg is a warm and welcoming space, with a real familial feel.
It’s a safe learning environment, where caring teachers prioritise wellbeing and nurture the individual growth of each child. Learning is joyous and fun-filled, too, as our children feel empowered to confidently play and explore.
Our dedicated Early Years learning environment is also a space where students are free to make individual choices, try new things, and experience the outcomes of their decisions. We want our children to move, act, create, imagine, show independence and work with others, and Tír na nÓg unlocks endless opportunities to do these things.
Our spaces also act as a third ‘teacher’, offering distinct learning areas that nurture different interests and build skills across the curriculum. We encourage children to take charge of their learning, too, and purposefully explore activities that foster their reading, maths, and creative skills.
Our Early Years learning environment also encourages exploration and discovery beyond the classroom.
Our spacious outdoor area gives children the chance to get moving and learn through collaboration. It also unlocks exciting, hands-on opportunities for messy play!
We’re committed to providing the best possible facilities for our children.
This is important for so many reasons. Studies show, for example, that modern, comfortable, and stimulating learning environments – like our Early Years Centre – have a hugely positive impact on students’ engagement and wellbeing.
This happens directly through conditions such as lighting and air quality, plus the resources, equipment, and technology learners have access to. A school’s learning environment also has an indirect impact through the culture and atmosphere created, and the social expectations set for the whole community.
Equipment, technology, and accessibility also affect motivation and happiness.
To ensure the best outcomes for our youngest learners, creating an enabling Early Years learning environment is essential.
Our Early Years Centre is designed to be an inclusive, learning-rich environment – cultivated by caring teachers who prioritise safety and wellbeing – that empowers our students to confidently explore, play, and grow.
When students have the facilities, spaces, and resources they need, they’re more likely to thrive. They’re also better equipped to flourish personally, emotionally, and socially. This ensures they’re ready for the challenges and opportunities of Primary school – and beyond.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why is it so important to create a high-quality Early Years learning environment?
Creating an enabling Early Years learning environment is important for so many reasons, not least because early childhood is a time when a human’s brain is developing at its fastest.
It’s during this period that children form the foundations for learning, emotional wellbeing, and social interaction. A nurturing, stimulating environment also helps a child to develop lifelong skills, such as language, emotional regulation, and problem-solving.
A safe learning environment promotes confidence, creativity, and independence. The research also shows that high-quality Early Years learning environments positively impact on academic performance and improve health and social outcomes.
What does a high-quality Early Years learning environment look like?
An outstanding Early Years learning environment is safe, stimulating, inclusive, and tailored to every child’s interests and needs. It’s an ‘enabling’ setting, where young learners can be themselves, feel secure, make choices, and embrace opportunities.
What makes NAIS Dublin’s Early Years Centre special?
Our dedicated Early Years Centre is purpose-built to meet the need of our youngest learners.
It’s a space where students can play and learn, take risks and experiment, and try new things. Our spacious outdoor area, for example, gives children the chance to get moving and learn through collaboration. It also unlocks exciting, hands-on opportunities for interactive play.
Crucially, Tír na nÓg is a safe learning environment with a warm, homely feel. This ensures our children feel comfortable and secure, laying the foundations for an array of exciting learning adventures.
Our students have big ambitions. And whether it’s earning a place at Oxford, embarking on a career in chemical engineering, or pursuing a passion for the visual arts, our role, at NAIS Dublin, is to help them get exactly where they want to go.
At Nord Anglia Education schools, we encourage our students not only to learn foreign languages but to think, feel, and experience the world through them. Many of our schools around the world, from the United States to Switzerland and from Vietnam to China, offer a world-class bilingual education.
Bilingualism—the ability to communicate fluently in two languages—helps children learn and grow. At our schools, we understand being bilingual helps students truly excel because it boosts their thinking skills, improves decision-making, and enhances communication. Plus, it helps them appreciate other cultures on a deeper level.
Read on for a closer look at all the benefits of bilingualism.
