What is shaping current school design?

Nice as it would be to redecorate and change the look and feel of school classrooms, offices and staff rooms from year to year, cost and practicality are the leading factors when it comes to interior design in schools.

Most schools, and certainly state schools, don’t have endless budgets, so ascertaining how each space is used and how it has evolved over recent years is a strong starting point. While private schools may not face the same budgetary pressures from a reduction in central government funding perspective, they still consider largely the same set of influencing factors when redeveloping their school buildings.

The increasing presence of technology and practical learning has reduced allocated zones within school buildings and increased the need for learning space flexibility.

How does rapidly evolving technology fit in with school design plans?

Senior schools and larger primary schools generally run their IT suite(s) to full capacity, helping to prepare pupils for a life in the technology-fuelled world of work. However, many smaller primary schools have one room that functions as a library, IT suite and music room, yet the space fails to deliver on any one element particularly well.

With the reduction in price and increase in the power of tablets, most primary schools have at least one set of tablets that can move freely around the school between classrooms, helping children to utilise online learning resources while still in their primary learning space. Not only does this free up space previously required by larger PCs, teachers are able to easily incorporate technology into their everyday teaching.

Strength of wifi, secure storage and flexible furnishings are therefore critical elements of classroom design in our project plans at Voke Interiors, in addition to the ever present technology such as an interactive whiteboard and teacher’s laptop.

The knock-on effects on classroom design.

In many cases, the old ‘I teach, you listen’ approach no longer applies. Classrooms aren’t simply arranged with desks in rows and the teacher’s space barricaded at the front where no pupil dare to stray. Quite the opposite, the classroom is a space where multiple learning types happen, from group discussion work, to practical experiments, to individual focus on handwriting practice or reading, and more. As such, furniture needs to be easily movable, with a fluid design that can be easily adapted to multiple uses.

For the majority of schools not fortunate enough to be blessed with lots of free space and a seemingly endless budget, clever classroom design with flexible furnishings is key to efficient use of resources. Voke Interiors and our suppliers are focused on the multi-use element of furniture as well as the need for it to be good value and deliver longevity.

Is the school library at risk?

There is more than anecdotal evidence to suggest school libraries do not necessarily retain the focus of previous generations, given the availability of so many learning resources online and the increasing pressure on school budgets. The number of school librarians has declined in recent years and no nationwide school library strategy yet exists, however Scotland introduced the first School Libraries Policy late in 2018 with the aim of making libraries ‘the hub and epicentre’ of schools.

For primary schools, where a love of reading can be fostered from an early age, they’re as important as ever. Limiting excessive screen time and encouraging children to enjoy a good story can improve social, emotional and academic development. Often the library becomes a multi-use room where music or IT shares the space, where in reality each plays a pivotal role in the development of young children and is deserving of more emphasis than each individual subject gets. Retaining dedicated libraries within schools is critical given the decline in public library availability, however it’s often a low priority when it comes to budgeting, so reliance on parental support has become commonplace.

Developing cost-effective library spaces for children is a passion for Voke Interiors. With comfortable seating, attractive flooring and practical storage, a welcoming space can be made for children to enjoy the love of books and reading.  

Staff rooms: bottom of the pile for budgets?

Sadly, this is often the case. The staff room is largely hidden from public view, but it doesn’t need to be the dreariest part of the school. Motivated staff make for motivated pupils – additionally, schools have a duty of care for staff well-being so should provide a calming and uplifting space for their quiet time away from the children. Let’s face it, teachers are mighty people for inspiring and teaching often large classes of excitable and noisy children.

Coloured paint costs no more than white paint, so considering the colour scheme for a staff room is an easy win – green is often seen as the calmest of colours thanks to its presence in nature, but warm blues, greys and pinks can also contribute strongly to a restorative space. Pantone’s colour of the year for 2019 is ‘Living Coral’ – although the jury is still out on how suitable this bold pink is for a staff room.

Morale boosting pinboards to share praise is another inexpensive addition to staff rooms. Facilitate the sharing of positive words from pupils, staff and parents to celebrate those who continue to do a good job in a difficult profession. Making the staff room a positive space isn’t all about furniture, however if budget allows, then new furniture is an appreciated investment we can also help with at Voke Interiors, as we cater for all budget levels and styles.

Flexible spaces for learning

As teaching evolves, traditional content learning has been trumped by the mastery of skills and incorporation of technology, often needing an approach that doesn’t involve sitting at a desk. As such, flexible classrooms and teaching spaces become increasingly important. At Voke Interiors, our experience in helping schools to redesign and develop their interiors, both teaching and non-teaching spaces, gives us an excellent grounding in how 21st century schools function.