The Thinking Schools Academy Trust continues to strengthen its early years provision across Medway, with the official launch of an expanded nursery space at Cedar Children’s Academy in Strood.
Supported by the government’s School-Based Nursery Capital Grant, the project has increased nursery capacity and enabled Cedar Children’s Academy to welcome two-year-olds for the first time. The investment reflects the trust’s strategic focus on improving access to high-quality early education and supporting families at a fundamental stage in their children’s development.
The new provision was officially opened on Friday 8th May during a special event attended by pupils, staff and trust representatives. The opening ceremony was led by Lauren Edwards, MP for Rochester and Strood, who cut the ribbon and spoke about the importance of early years investment as part of a national programme to expand childcare and nursery places.
Speaking at the event, Lauren Edwards MP said: “I was delighted to cut the ribbon at the newly expanded nursery at Cedar Children’s Academy and to meet Headteacher Tracey Baillie, along with the dedicated staff and children who will benefit from this fantastic new space. “Cedar was one of the first schools to receive government early years funding as part of a national programme, backed by a further £370 million to expand access for younger children and support more families. Investment like this is about giving children the best possible start in life and ensuring local parents have access to high quality early education. “I look forward to seeing many more nurseries like this across my constituency in the coming years.”
Speaking at the event, Lauren Edwards MP said:
“I was delighted to cut the ribbon at the newly expanded nursery at Cedar Children’s Academy and to meet Headteacher Tracey Baillie, along with the dedicated staff and children who will benefit from this fantastic new space.
“Cedar was one of the first schools to receive government early years funding as part of a national programme, backed by a further £370 million to expand access for younger children and support more families. Investment like this is about giving children the best possible start in life and ensuring local parents have access to high quality early education.
“I look forward to seeing many more nurseries like this across my constituency in the coming years.”
The learning environment has been carefully designed to support children during a pivotal stage of development, with a strong emphasis on play-based learning, language development and social interaction.
This project sits alongside other trust-led early years developments funded through the same government programme. Earlier this year, Little Thinkers Nursery at All Faiths Children’s Academy opened to children aged 9 months to 3 years, further strengthening the trust’s all-through education model and commitment to early intervention.
Reflecting on the Cedar project, Headteacher Tracey Baillie said: "This really is a proud moment for our school. From the earliest discussions through to seeing children begin to enjoy the space, this project has been a true team effort, and it means so much to see it come to life. “I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to our incredible staff team, whose care, creativity and commitment have shaped every detail of this environment. Their dedication has created a space where our youngest children will feel safe, inspired and ready to begin their learning journey. “At Cedar, we are passionate about giving every child the very best start, and being able to extend our provision to include two-year-olds is a significant step forward for us."
Reflecting on the Cedar project, Headteacher Tracey Baillie said:
"This really is a proud moment for our school. From the earliest discussions through to seeing children begin to enjoy the space, this project has been a true team effort, and it means so much to see it come to life.
“I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to our incredible staff team, whose care, creativity and commitment have shaped every detail of this environment. Their dedication has created a space where our youngest children will feel safe, inspired and ready to begin their learning journey.
“At Cedar, we are passionate about giving every child the very best start, and being able to extend our provision to include two-year-olds is a significant step forward for us."
Together, these developments demonstrate the trust’s continued work with government and local partners to improve educational outcomes and expand access to high-quality early years education across its communities.