Our ELC Setting

St Mark’s Primary Early Learning & Childcare is located within the grounds of our school. It has a separate entrance on Oxgangs Road North, with a welcoming reception area. We are open from 08:00 to 18:00 each day and for 52 weeks of the year.
Nursery places are available for children beginning the term after their 3rd birthday.
We also have ‘Terrific Twos’ places available. To enquire about these places, please contact your Health Visitor or contact the nursery by emailing nurseryadmin@st-marks.edin.sch.uk or by calling 0131 529 3703.

Our indoor spaces
Our Early Learning & Childcare (ELC) facility comprises of 2 large playrooms, and 2 smaller playrooms, kitchen, cloak area, toilet cubicles and a nappy changing area. The rooms have been designed to promote independent, child-led learning and play. The inside has natural wood furniture and neutral decoration following the Early Years thinking that the children bring the colour to the space. Low dividers partition the room into activity areas and the spaces are designed to be playful and homely.
Large floor to ceiling windows and doors make the rooms bright and airy, allowing children to have a visual connection with the outdoor space. This is enhanced by the practice of allowing the children to choose to go outside when they want to making the two spaces feel like one.
The playroom has a beautiful home corner, a large block play space, creative areas and literacy stations. All activity furnishings, resources and storage for learners are accessible by them and there is some pin boarding at their level so they can celebrate their own work by adding it to the display.
Soft furnishings, rugs, lamps and plants create a homely comfortable environment to improve wellbeing, making the space a nice place to be.
The playroom also has its own kitchen for food prep which includes adult and child height sinks.
We have a calm sensory area on the second floor for learners to access when required.

Our outdoor space
Outside, we have an enclosed garden area which runs the length of the building, with a large, covered area which allows use of outdoors all year round. It offers a free flow approach for learners to choose whether they want to be inside the playroom or outdoors. Providing them with space to ride bikes/scooters, explore with water, mud and sand, play with loose parts and be surrounded by nature.