24/03/2025
The Nicol Centre
The Nicol Centre gives really exciting, cutting-edge experiences that put us far ahead of other prep schools...
In September 2015, we opened our purpose-built Nicol Centre (previously the Innovation Centre, renamed in honour of a previous Chairman of Governors, Richard Nicol), with two floors of excitingly different facilities which stimulate the children's abilities in creative thinking and self-expression.
The Centre was shortlisted in the 2016 Times' Independent School Awards in the 'Strategic Education Innovation' category. In 2019 we won another national award, for "Best Use of Technology".
| The Ground Floor focuses on Thought Innovation, in three sectors: |
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A STEAM Innovations Studio using robotics, coding, programming and 3D printing. The studio shows the children what technology can do and allows them to become personally familiar with developing their own applications. An Interactive Languages Studio delivering a programme of Languages, Linguistics and Culture. The studio replicates life abroad by creating a rotating selection of practical environments, including Green Screen and Virtual Reality technology to take the children around the world. This encourages them to develop practical language skills and it also helps them develop creative ideas about how they might live and work in foreign communities and different environments. A radical and exciting Maths Studio which brings mathematics principles to life and embeds numeracy in every aspect of pupils' critical thinking. Teachers lead lively stimulating teaching based on projects and self-exploration. An Open Plan Learning Zone delivering a new form of learning with brightly coloured soft furnishings instead of desks and chairs, the whole room about flexibility, energy, ideas and peer learning. |
| The Upper Floor focuses on Creative Expression and Innovation |
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Music & Music Practice Rooms offer superbly equipped teaching rooms and provide a generous space in which pupils enjoy their musical learning and perform regular concerts. A Dance, Yoga & Drama Studio with a top-quality mirrored space for physical expression. This, too, encourages creativity and experimentation, and a Green Screen technology wall gives the potential to link up with specialist coaches and world-class professionals, and to dance and perform with other groups. |
Overall, The Nicol Centre enables Aberdour to deliver a comprehensive range of creative themes which encourage discovery and imagination.
STEAM Learning
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Maths
STEAM knowledge provides our pupils with the problem-solving skills necessary to be innovative and creative thinkers.
Building, designing and testing solutions allows pupils to work as young scientists and engineers whilst improving technological, scientific and mathematical skills. They acquire knowledge through active participation.
At Aberdour, through integrated STEAM learning and individual exploration, our pupils develop a range of problem solving skills that will benefit them throughout their academic and working lives.
