Design your own school...

[firsttimemothergoose]

I'm in the very exciting position of being able to have some input into a new building and have basically been told to think of what I would like in an ideal world. It sounds great but weirdly, I'm stumped for ideas. I have some ideas for classroom layout but wondered if anyone had some exciting ideas? So, if you could design your own school, what would you include?

No cloakrooms, pegs in classrooms instead, much easier for pe etc and minimises opportunity for 'fall outs'

No toilet doors

Permanent art and science room -no mess in classroom and no searching for equipment

Back lit smart boards -no shadows!

I'm in a fairly new building and the design of it drives me mad - why did no one think things through!!

Storage - every class needs a built-in cupboard full of shelves, big shelves that take topic boxes, books, equipment, that you can shut the door on. You also need additional storage rooms/big cupboards for shared equipment - science, art supplies, book supplies rather than it being piled in corners/corridors etc.

Cloakroom spaces and toilets that adequately fit the amount of children using them, with pegs/hooks designed to have space for coats and PE bags without everything ending up squashed and in a muddle on the floor.

Not much then :)

Work spaces - we need spaces away from the main classroom where interventions and small group work can take place - not a table squeezed into the corridor. Each classroom should have a smaller adjoining, but separate space big enough for 6-8 children and an adult to work in a focused, undisturbed way.

A resources room with space for a photocopier, scanner, paper storage, and additional computers/work spaces for adults doing PPA or preparing resources.

Outside shade and cover - if classrooms are shaped with alcoves into the playground, then give them a roof so children have outside shelter from rain and sunshine.

Some green outside space for growing things - raised beds etc

I love our big breakout areas in each year level. Big enough to have lots of different types of working spaces.

Enough space in the classroom for not only individual desks but some big group working desks (we call them our jelly bean desks - sort of a semi circle, adjustable height worktables that we can move around as needed).

Space for some big work/craft tables that we can leave ongoing projects laying out, and not need to pack up all of the time.

Big walk in storage closet. Built in storage cabinets under all of the boards.

Enough space for a chill out area / reading nook in each classroom.

Enough space for a teachers desk that I don't have to cram everything in, and can lay things out. Space for the teachers desk far enough away from the main desk space so I can conference with students in relative privacy while still keeping an eye on the rest of the class if necessary.

Decent sized library with room for children to look at books in a relaxed manner.

Little spaces in hallway for one-one moments with children (whether it's reading, going over maths, whatever). Separate canteen to sports hall (gets swept out after lunch, but they're not always thorough at clearing stray bits of food ready for pe apparently!).

Kitchen so can start teaching kids about food more easily / store food prep equipment / putting things in to cook etc. Outdoor space (raised bed?) for each class to grow something or their own whether it's carrots or daffodils or strawberries.....

Some equipment in the playground for the children to play on. Sun shades. Couple of places for classes to gather and maybe have a lesson outside.

Swimming pool if we're talking dream-land territory!

I work in a newly built school..each class has its own cloakrooms, but they need enough space for 30 children's stuff not 15....
A music room with little rooms off it for group work.

MFL dept need cubby hole offices for language orals so staff aren't turfed out of offices. Meeting rooms are needed to meet parents/ school counsellor/ careers interviews. South side classrooms roast in the summer and top floor need ceiling vents that open. Locker space is needed in corridors so lockers stay out of classrooms and lessons aren't disturbed.

Plug points in useful places e.g. If laptops are to be wheeled in in trolleys they need charging point that still allows flowing access around the classroom.
Ideally a built in charging unit with enough laptops for everyone in each classroom.
Staff computers in separate area.

Imaginative playgrounds like the Princess Diana Playground in London, places for making dens, making music, sparking imaginative play as well as open spaces for running, football and sports.

Wide, light filled corridors.

Childrens eating area designed to absorb sound acoustic considerations so children can chat without it becoming overwhelmingly noisy.
Consideration of special needs in the design e.g. Acoustics, privacy to attend to medical needs and toiletting space.
Special space for Y6; 'chill out' type play area where younger kids not allowed.
Playgrounds for each year group esp in Rec and Y1.
bike area (maybe marked roads and traffic lights etc) and bike storage.

Plenty of access to the classrooms, off the playground, so don't all have to queue up to use one door

Lots of workspaces - both for any staff not teaching, but also for people to be able to take small groups

Sink in the classroom

yy to having a bigger room and the pegs inside the classroom

Ideally direct access to outside space - particularly, but not exclusively for Foundation Stage - ideally with a roof of some sort so can use when raining too (or in the unlikely event of a heatwave)

If it's a long, spread out school, then a staff toilet at each end of the building

Enough parking

All built on the flat - for access for trolleys of shared equipment as well as wheelchairs

A decent changing facility with a shower - not only for childhood accidents but so staff can cycle in and grab a shower before work starts.

A decent work area away from the classroom.
Lockable storage for personal items.
Walk in storage.
Staff toilets in each area of the school.
Split DT rooms, Half workshop and half classroom (the same for Art).
Big enough classrooms for the size of class that makes walking around easy to do.
Lots of plug sockets around the room.
Areas to store children's work that is lockable.
Wide corridors so that children pass each other and line up for lessons without getting in to each others way.
Cameras in the corridors so that all areas can be seen.
Meeting rooms.
A decent room designed for internal exclusions.
wall space for displays i.e. trunking routes that don't split a good sized wall in to small areas.
Display boards that are made for the classroom.
Computer rooms where the pupils have to turn 180 degrees away from the computer screen to see the teachers board.
Decent natural lighting but done in such away so that it won't affect the white board.
anti-glare windows.
Decent controllable ventilation as well as controllable heating.
A safe area so that those that need to leave the room have a safe area away from the classroom but not the other end of the school.

Decent acoustics / noise minimisation and ventilation.