Nursery Buildings and Pre-School Buildings | Modular Early Years Rooms

Outdoor play | early years space | outdoor activities | nursery rooms | nature-based EYFS learning

Funding Support: School-Based Nursery Capital Grant 2025–26

At Cabins for Schools, we specialise in creating high-quality, bespoke nursery buildings that give children the very best start in life. Whether you’re expanding your provision, improving your facilities, or responding to increased demand for nursery places, our timber-framed buildings provide a warm, safe, and inspiring environment for early years education.

With the increasing demand for early years education, many primary schools are looking to expand their facilities to offer school-based nursery provision. However, not all schools have the space or resources to convert existing classrooms into suitable nursery areas. This is where our modular buildings and log cabins can provide the perfect solution, offering flexible, affordable, and purpose-built spaces designed to meet the unique needs of early years education.

We’ll work closely with you to choose the ideal build style and size to meet the specific needs of your nursery, school-based nursery or pre-school.

Expanding Nursery Capacity with A Log Cabin

Log cabins offer a charming, nature-inspired solution for expanding nursery space, making them ideal for eco-friendly or outdoor-focused childcare environments. Key benefits include:

Natural Aesthetic: Log cabins create a warm, rustic atmosphere that blends beautifully with natural surroundings, fostering a cosy and inviting space for children to learn and play.

Expandable Design: We can connect two log cabins together to form a larger structure and include covered porches and side room extensions. We will create the log cabin nursery building that's perfect for your requirements.

Eco-Friendly: Made from sustainable Scandinavian slow-grown redwood, our log cabins align well with environmentally conscious practices, which can be a strong selling point for parents who prioritise eco-friendly childcare.

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Expanding Your Nursery Capacity with a Bespoke Modular Building

Modular classroom-style buildings are a bespoke, cost-effective solution for nurseries and pre-schools needing additional space. They offer several advantages:

Bespoke Design: Our Modular nursery buildings are custom designed to suit your specific needs. This tailored approach ensures that the space perfectly aligns with your operational requirements. From building size to cladding to opting for a partition or the placement of windows and doors, you will have so much freedom when we design your new nursery or pre-school building.

Fast Construction: Since our modular buildings are constructed off-site at our factory in Derbyshire, they can be assembled on-site quickly, minimising disruption to existing nursery operations and reducing overall construction time.

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New Grant Funding Available: School-Based Nursery Capital Grant 2025–26

The UK Government has launched its second phase of the School-Based Nursery (SBN) Capital Grant to support schools and nurseries looking to expand or build nursery provision on their school site. Under this scheme, eligible primary-phase schools and maintained nursery schools can apply for up to £150,000 in capital funding to help create or expand nursery spaces.

Application window: Opens 24 September 2025 at 10:00 AM, closes 11 December 2025 at 5:00 PM.
Project deadline: New nursery provision must be operational by September 2026.

If your school is considering expanding its nursery provision, now is the perfect time. We design bespoke, durable nursery buildings and can assist you with grant-aligned design to maximise your chances of securing funding.

Nursery Case Study: The Happy Homestead Eco Nursery

The Happy Homestead Eco Nursery

The Happy Homestead Eco Nursery & Forest School, located on a 1.5-acre meadow near Scunthorpe, provides outdoor-focused childcare for children from birth to age 5.

The nursery selected a design of two 17m² log cabins connected by a 1.2m porch, creating a cosy and nature-centered learning environment for children who love spending time outdoors.

Read our Case Study

Funding for Nursery and Pre-School Buildings

We understand the financial challenges of expanding childcare facilities. That’s why we’re here to support you in securing funding for your new building.

We’ll provide a free design and free no-obligation quote to help you with your funding application.

Check out our tips for writing a successful funding bid to increase your chances of securing financial support.

Start Your Nursery Project Today

With the School-Based Nursery Capital Grant 2025–26 now open, there’s never been a better time to invest in a new nursery building. Whether you’re looking to expand places, improve facilities, or create a brand-new provision, our team is here to help.

Turnkey Projects Made Simple Your Journey With Cabins for Schools

Consultation

Chat to a member of our team about your ideas for your new nursery, pre-school or childcare space.

Free Site Survey & Quote

We can conduct an in-person or virtual site survey to ensure your new nursery building will fit your site perfectly. Our team will provide a detailed quote and breakdown of costs for your new nursery building.

Installation

Our fully trained teams of DBS checked fitters, electricians and painters will install your new nursery building in a matter of days.

Ongoing Support

Our aftercare team are on hand to provide help and advice to schools and other educational settings across the UK.

Contact us today

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Modular Nursery?

A modular nursery is a childcare building made from prefabricated sections built off-site and assembled on location. Modular nursery buildings are a fast, cost-effective solution to expanding nursery space with minimal disruption during installation.

Why Expand Nursery Provision in Schools?

The government’s recent expansion of funded childcare hours means more schools are under pressure to provide pre-school and nursery facilities for children as young as two. By offering school-based nursery provision, primary schools can:

Meet local demand for early years childcare.
Support working families by offering seamless early years education on-site.
Enhance the school’s reputation by providing a high-quality learning environment for young children.
Ensure a smoother transition for children moving from nursery to primary school, creating continuity in their education.

Can we use the School-Based Nursery Capital Grant for one of your buildings?

Yes – our bespoke nursery buildings meet the criteria for the SBN Grant. We can help ensure your application has a clear, costed design plan.

Do modular nursery buildings need planning permission?

Planning permission requirements for modular nursery buildings vary depending on the size, location, and specific regulations in your area. It’s essential to consult your local planning authority to determine whether planning permission is needed for your project. In some cases, modular nursery buildings may fall under permitted development rights, which do not require planning permission.

What is an outdoor eco classroom?

An Outdoor Eco Classroom is an additional building detached from the main school build. This means you have the freedom to choose where it’s placed on your school grounds. At Cabins For Schools, we have a range of Outdoor Eco Classrooms and log cabins to suit the needs of your school. Outdoor Eco Classrooms are gaining popularity as an effective and cost-efficient way to supplement the learning space available at schools. They’re also becoming more common due to the unique learning environments they provide. Schools find these spaces to be perfect for libraries, nature learning, and SEND.

News and Events Latest From Our Blog

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10th September 2025

What Should a School Sensory Room Include?

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Unlocking Funding for New School Buildings: A Partnership with FundEd

3rd September 2025

Unlocking Funding for New School Buildings: A Partnership with FundEd

For many schools and educational settings, the vision of creating new learning spaces - whether that’s an outdoor classroom, a sensory room, or a dedicated SEND building - often comes up against the same roadblock: funding. While the...

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Sensory Room Discovery Days – Join us For Our Launch Event!

22nd August 2025

Sensory Room Discovery Days – Join us For Our Launch Event!

SENDCOs, teachers, headteachers and PTAs all share the same challenge: how do you create a sensory space that really works when space is limited and budgets are under pressure? For many schools, sensory provision is something that...

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Download Your Free Copy Of Our Pricing Guide

If your school needs extra space and you are researching building options, see some of the amazing spaces we have created for School and Education and get prices to help you plan for your project.

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See Our Buildings Find Other Schools

Find other schools, nurseries and educational institutions across the UK who have already upgraded their space with a Cabins for Schools building.

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We're here to help you find the right outdoor classroom or log cabin for your school. A virtual or in person site survey can be helpful if you are not sure where to start with the process.

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