The Queen’s School, Chester marked the launch of its new Pre-School with a community event for local families, built around stories, music and play.
The morning welcomed young children and their parents to a range of story-inspired activities, including face painting, gardening, music and a book swap. Chester-based singer-songwriter Ashley Fayth led a nature-inspired singalong, while families explore play stations and met the wider school community over coffee and pastries.
The event was brought to life with local Chester partners who share the school’s focus on early learning through play and creativity.
Now open with its founding cohort, the Pre-School is integrated into The Queen’s School’s existing Lower School, giving children access to specialist teaching in art, languages, music and PE from the outset, alongside dedicated early years provision. Small class sizes and a tailored curriculum are designed to foster curiosity and support each child’s early development.
The launch comes amid growing recognition of the importance of early childhood education.
Head Joanne Keville said: “The early years are incredibly important. Research shows that around 90 percent of brain development happens before the age of five, with the years between two and four particularly critical in shaping language, social skills and cognitive ability. That understanding underpins our approach. We have created a nurturing yet ambitious Pre-School environment where children are given the foundations to develop a lifelong love of learning.”
A distinctive feature of the provision is its whole-school approach: Pre-School children mix with older pupils across the school, who take on informal mentorship roles. The school says these cross-year connections help build a sense of belonging and support younger children to settle quickly and grow in confidence.
Mrs Keville added: “It was a pleasure to welcome local families for a morning that captured the spirit of our new Pre-School. Stories, music and play are powerful drivers of early learning and confidence.
“We have already seen how well our founding cohort has settled since January, and we look forward to building on that momentum as we move towards our full opening in September.”
The Pre-School welcomed its first “founding cohort” of pupils in January 2026, with its full official opening in September.
Families interested in a place for September can contact our Admissions Team.