The main school and playground entrances are set back from the site boundary to provide a welcoming threshold to the street for parents and children to meet. This leads to the first of four themed courtyards. Visible beyond the secure line and directly outside the staff areas and library, this space was conceived of as a public facing park garden. For the nursery children, space to run around and dig in the sand was important – this south facing garden became the desert courtyard. Varied planting in vibrant colours and tall grasses with decks and seating form an oasis courtyard to the south west corner for years one and two. A rainwater chute and pond create a tranquil water garden for older children.

A perimeter wall wraps around the building and courtyards forming an enclosure like a traditional farm or Roman villa. Teaching spaces are grouped in pairs for each year group and clustered around the courtyards with colours relating to the landscape beyond. The number of classes facing each courtyard increases as the children grow and move through the school and their world effectively expands. The wider landscape was seen as a series of fields for playing, planting and growing.