Primary School. Teachers- would your Ideal staff room look like?

[ButteredRadishes]

A few parents are looking to refurbish a staff room for some primary school teachers. As it's a bit tatty feels a bit unloved. Obviously the school don't have money for this and perhaps shouldn't spend money on this. But some parents are willing to give time, money and items.

Naturally we will consult the school and the head teacher. However, in anticipation, what do you think staff would like?

Currently they have mismatched desks clearly leftovers from classrooms. A few scrappy chairs at these desks. No other work surface or sitting area.
They do have a nice well-appointed kitchen though.
There's no artwork on the walls or anything, but they do have a notice board which seems to be used for weekly notices.

What are your thoughts and suggestions?

Decent office chairs.

An instant hot water tap would be useful. As would a small dishwasher.

Other than that, I wouldn't notice.
Who gets time to sit in the staffroom ?

Hot water tap would be top of my list and after that honestly focus on practical over pretty is my advice.

Artwork is a nice idea but honestly it's not important or necessary.

Lots of microwaves and teaspoons. And chocolate Friday.

I’m writing my dissertation on this! But for nurses. As we currently don’t have a staff room. We have breaks in a store cupboard!

Kettle, fridge microwave. Sink and a sofa would be our choice.

boiling water machine most helpful. Comfy chairs. We don’t want work spaces in our staff room, jotters and laptops are banned.

Well, where do you have briefings/meetings/ eat lunch?

No, but it all adds to the space being nice. Nicer than bare walls I should think?

Like I said it honestly doesn't make any difference. I'm a supply teacher and have been in hundreds of staff rooms and artwork, flowers, decorative bits etc is just window dressing which I pay little notice to. Most staff who use the staff room need stuff to help maximise their time hence the suggestions of hot water taps, microwaves, dishwashers etc.

I cannot emphasise enough that to most it doesn't matter how pretty the room is what matters is if I have to wait 5 minutes for the kettle to boil or 10 minutes because there's only one microwave and a queue.

I've been in one school where pre-school briefings are in the staff room and one where they are in the hall (makes more sense, geographically).

Lunch is on the go, in the classroom.

Staff meetings - depends. Can be in the staffroom but often in a classroom so can use interactive whiteboard, and have a surface to lean on if need be. Training days more likely to be in the hall.

Staff room in my current school is great. We have plenty of comfy seating and a big coffee table in the middle of the room, as well as a couple of desks with computers in the far corner so people can check emails etc.

There's also a kitchen area with full size dishwasher, two microwaves, a wall mounted hot water boiler which are all an absolute godsend. We have a big fridge freezer, we keep ice lollys in the freezer in summer and its lovely when it's baking in school. Also cupboards and drawers full of mugs, drinking glasses, plates, bowls and cutlery so you don't have to bring stuff from home.

There is a big noticeboard on the wall, which is useful and we use it a lot, but I agree with others that I couldn't care less about artwork. Comfortable seating and time-saving kitchen devices are what's needed.

@ButteredRadishes Briefings and meetings are often in the hall/classroom. Most teachers will eat whilst being on duty/running a club/ getting the classroom ready for the afternoon/ dealing with any issue that arises.

Fair enough.

So nobody wants a nice staff room, they're happy with crappy chairs and stuff?

I'm just a bit confused.

I think it’s a lovely idea. Instant hot water tap, coffee pod machine. Nice work chairs

Staff rooms don’t get used these days, other than to heat up your lunch in a microwave or boil a kettle…years ago it was a place to have a laugh with colleagues to keep you sane but in the last few schools I’ve taught in no one has time to stop for lunch and people mostly eat on the go in the classroom whilst marking/setting up for the next lesson.
Meetings nearly always in a classroom so the interactive whiteboard can be used.

I think as others have said, a hot water tap is lovely. Comfy chairs. And plants. Someone put some plants in ours and it honestly lifted it so much. Stuff like spider plants that are impossible to kill and thrive on neglect are perfect though, nothing that needs too much input 😄 lots of teaspoons. Also just the arrangement of furniture can make a big difference. We arranged our chairs around a little coffee type table in sociable groupings, rather than lined up along the wall like you're in a bus stop, and that made a big difference to the overall feel in there. Similarly maybe something nice on the walls or a nice rug just makes it all feel less like just an extension of your classroom and a bit more cosy and welcoming. I think it's a really lovely gesture @ButteredRadishes I would be so grateful for parents like you!

I wish I could say yes because you're trying to be thoughtful but no it really isn't a priority or something that would make much difference to my day. Most teachers don't get to sit and eat lunch in the staff room and if they do they won't be in there for long, so how the room looks just isn't important.

Personally and I'm not trying to diminish what you want to do but if given the choice of parents volunteering some time I'd much rather use that time for them to listen to readers or reorganise the art cupboard or something with more tangible benefits.

There’s a difference between crappy and uncomplicated.
I think a dishwasher, maybe even two, sensible cupboard space for mugs/plates, decent sized bins, some notice boards, that are functional and comfortable seating to accommodate the needs of the room (can you seat all staff with the right chairs? Do you need to be able to do so? Or can you only seat half the staff, but have more comfortable sofas because they have meetings elsewhere?).

what you don’t want is clutter that collects dust!!
schools and their walls are often so packed full of displays, a bit of blank wall might be a welcome rest!! You don’t need metres and metres of blank wall, but think about how stuff is positioned and don’t feel compelled to fill gaps for the sake of it.

staff rooms are notoriously a bit unloved and can be a dumping ground. So design it to function easily.

Instant hot water for rushed teas, microwave, plain bowls (large) some decent cutlery and storage space. How kind that you are doing this. Have you had a chat with the staff? xx

Eh? Loads of people have given you nice ideas. Don’t be childish.

I think it’s great but I would spend any money you have on decent desks and office chairs. Having somewhere to work is nice during PPA time. and also not having to balance your lunch or laptop on your knees.

a hot water tap would be awesome but are the school willing to take on any running costs and complete the necessary health and safety?

two microwaves are useful at lunchtime.

I really wouldn’t worry about artwork. Paint the whole room a nice calming neutral colour.

some book shelves and copies of current education books so it can be like a library where people read and return as we were told to read books in staff meetings for CPD but no money to buy the book!

also. If you can get teaspoons that can’t go past the staffroom door, that would be great. Like those trolleys that stop working if you go past a certain point. There’s never enough teaspoons

boiling hot water taps breakdown a lot and never that hot, speedy kettles are handy.

padded soft chairs for sitting on to relax, bright light table and padded chairs to sit around for meeting or laying out work (size depending on room size).
microwave, mugs / mugs with lids, teaspoons, forks, med - large indoor plant. If funds allow a small dishwasher (or large if the space as larger ones tend to be cheaper).
most teachers don’t spend that much time in them, but when they do a comfy seat is really appreciated.

Eat lunch on the go … teacher don’t really get a lunch break

I think you're being a bit obtuse. People are saying that useful, functional and time-saving items are more important to them than the room looking pretty. Sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear but people have made some very sensible suggestions, and you did ask.