New art hut plans for Sheffield nursery school

Broomhall Nursery, on Broomhall Road, plan to install a Shepherd Hut on its grounds, to be used as a dedicated art studio where youngsters can ‘create, explore and experience themselves through art’.

If plans are approved by Sheffield City Council, the hut will sit in the grounds at the front of the nursery, which has been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Within the studio there will be three stations; one for working with clay, one for observational drawing, and one for collage work.

As part of the heritage statement on the planning application, the nursery say they want to mitigate some of the visual effects of the hut on the environment, and other areas of the grounds have been considered.

The statement reads: “We want to mitigate some of the visual effect on the environment that the Shepherd’s Hut would pose by removing the yellow chicken rocker that is in the front garden once the Shepherd’s Hut is in situ which the current Headteacher and Chair of Governors do not feel is in keeping with the natural look we are trying to create.

“Removing the sandpit was also suggested but this resource, particularly for children living in high rise flats and who never visit the seaside is an incredible play experience of being able to dig deep and develop those important gross motor skills and provides endless hours of fun and learning for hundreds and thousands of children over many decades.”

A spokesperson for the school said: “ At nursery we encourage creativity in this area and hold an ‘Art Show’ each year in which each child at nursery displays a piece of their work.

“Broomhall Nursery School wants to build on its outstanding provision of creative experiences by purchasing a Shepherd Hut to install in our grounds as a dedicated Art Studio.

“This will be a place where children will go to create, explore and experience themselves through art: a beautiful space brimming with natural light, creativity and curiosity.

“The Studio and the activities within it will be complementary to the classrooms; a place where children are eager explorers with an intense desire to make sense of their world.

“Some of the most effective means children have of explaining things to themselves are drawing, painting and clay work.

“These activities enable them to explore their feelings and ideas and communicate them to others.

“The emphasis is very much on the creative process and children’s work will be stored so that they can revisit, modify and alter their creations.

“The beautiful and extensive grounds of Broomhall Nursery are one of the things which set us apart from other early years providers. A Shepherd Hut Art Studio will sit very comfortably within the beauty of the environment.”

The application will now be considered by planning officers, who will make a recommendation for councillors to approve or refuse the plans.