THE Walled Garden pre-prep school will welcome its first pupils this September.

Set in idyllic surroundings in the heart of Cranborne Chase, The Walled Garden will provide young children with the perfect start to their education.

The school is housed in a self-contained, specialist-designed building within the old Victorian gardens of Sandroyd School. This provides a natural, safe and yet stimulating environment, which is close enough to the prep school to enjoy the use of facilities such as the gym, swimming pool, sports fields and pony riding.

There are four light, airy classrooms which will be full of the latest books, schemes, games and educational equipment.

New head teacher Pippa Shon and her team are busy setting up an exciting and rigorous curriculum, focussing on basic skills of literacy and numeracy, yet also offering a range of opportunities in music, art, sport and drama.

"'Our aim is to encourage the development of the individual through exploration and structured learning in a calm, caring environment," says Pippa.