Early Excellence Case Study
Transforming Early Years Provision Across Quest Trust
Quest Trust’s School-Based Nursery Grant Expansion Project
Quest Trust:
Supported by the DfE
School-Based Nursery Grant
With a clear vision for high-quality early education, Quest Trust has expanded and strengthened its Early Years provision through strategic leadership and targeted investment - supported by the Department for Education’s School-Based Nursery Grant.
Recent developments include:
– Relocation and expansion of the 2–3 provision
– Expansion of the 0–2 setting
– Extension of an existing 3–4 school-based nursery
– Development of a brand-new 3–4 setting to meet growing local demand
These changes have significantly increased capacity while maintaining a strong focus on quality and progression.
A Unified Approach to Early Years
Early Years across the Trust is led by Kate Eastwood (Director of Early Years) and Nichola Crank (Area Manager, PlayPals). Together, they oversee nursery and reception provision from ages 0–5, ensuring consistent curriculum, high-quality environments and clear progression for every child.
Scaling Provision with Purpose
The Trust relocated its 2–3 provision to create space for the expansion of the 0–2 setting. With support from the School-Based Nursery Grant, the 2–3 environment was also expanded and enhanced.
To meet increasing community need, one existing 3 nursery was extended and a new 3–4 setting opened –creating additional high-quality early learning places for local families.
“We chose Early Excellence because we wanted resources that had earned their placeresources that support purposeful play and highquality learning.”
Kate
Eastwood, Director of Early Years
“We wholeheartedly recommend Early Excellence. Their expertise, commitment to progression and high-quality resources have made a real difference across our Early Years provision”
Nichola Crank, Area Manager for PlayPals
To support this phase of development, the Trust partnered with Early Excellence, selecting complete classroom packages to ensure consistent environments that inspire purposeful play and meaningful progression from age 2 to 5.
By investing the School-Based Nursery Grant in a cohesive suite of resources across all settings, the Trust has created smooth transitions for children as they move between rooms and phases.
A Seamless Installation
The ordering and delivery process provided practical support at every stage.
Example room layouts and planning support enabled the team to transform each space quickly and confidently
Impact in Action
The newly developed 2–3 provision is already making a measurable difference. Practitioners report:
• Increased engagement
• Richer, more sustained play
• Greater independence and curiosity
• Deeper learning
Delivering Lasting Change
Quest Trust’s experience demonstrates the impact that strong leadership, clear vision and the effective use of the DfE School-Based Nursery Grant can have on Early Years provision.
“The delivery team were fantastic - assembling furniture and clearly labeling everything made set-up easy and efficient.”
Nichola Crank, Area Manager for PlayPals
Following the success of the initial project, further orders were placed for the new 3–4 settings - reinforcing the Trust’s confidence in the partnership and approach.
“The environment encourages exploration and allows children to revisit and embed their learning.”
Kate Eastwood, Director of Early Years
Learn more about the DfE School-Based Nursery Grant and discover complete Nursery Classroom solutions.
earlyexcellence.com/explore-school-based-nurseries
To find out how Early Excellence can support your school development priorities in EYFS and KS1 or develop a bespoke package, take a look at our school improvement services online or get in touch with a member of our Senior Team today.
Contact our team on: 01422 311 314 seniorteam@earlyexcellence.com
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