Creating environments that help children learn means understanding what helps children focus, and how classroom design can help them feel motivated, responsible and emotionally secure.
Research from the University of Salford (2015) informs our approach to classroom design, providing a framework for assessing the impact of a classroom on learning. This study observed that a strong classroom design can improve primary school outcomes by 16% over the school year.
How do surroundings impact learning?
The way a school looks from the inside has a big impact on children’s school experience. There is the visual impact of colour, light and layout. Acoustics also play a role, in that it must be easy to hear teachers and children speak, without creating unpleasant echoes and reverberations. Air quality and temperature also have a sensory impact that can either help or hinder learning.
Working with SEND sensory advice in mind helps create accessible spaces for all pupils:
- Organised and flexible layouts
- Visual interest
- Dampened acoustics
Design Principles for Education
School building interior design principles can be grouped into Stimulation, Individuality and Naturalness (SIN), with naturalness accounting for 50% of the overall impact on learning. Education settings that prioritise these principles are spaces which foster net positive outcomes. The benefits are seen by both teachers and pupils.
Closer to Nature
It’s no surprise that natural environments are beneficial for young people – the connection between the outdoors and brain activity is well-researched. While outdoor education isn’t available to most schools, a well-designed interior can bring the benefits indoors. Links to nature have profound benefits on attitude to learning and behaviour, due to children’s greater mental plasticity than adults.
Natural Light
Natural daylight in a classroom is key to outcomes for children. Large windows or skylights can allow more light to reach the front of the room, helping with alertness and well-being during lessons. Letting the light in should include ways to block it, such as blinds and shading, to manage autumn days when the sun is low, and glass coatings to avoid unwanted heat gain.
Adequate artificial lighting is also important to prevent eyestrain on cloudy days.
Temperature
Research shows that slightly cooler classrooms improve testing speed in primary-aged children. Keeping classrooms at around 21 degrees prevents sluggishness and keeps kids alert. However, a classroom that is too cold can be distractingly uncomfortable, so controls should be accessible to teachers to respond to the needs of their class.
Ventilation
Air quality in classrooms doesn’t just impact health. When classrooms are humid or stuffy, or air quality is poor, children are less alert and less able to process new information or recall previous learning. Research shows that ventilation improves testing speed as much as temperature. Consider how windows open, air circulation between classrooms and corridors and whether extraction systems may help.
Balanced Stimulation
Learning spaces should be exciting and vibrant enough to stimulate children, but not so vibrant as to create overstimulation. Particularly in primary schools, adding structured visual interest and sensory adaptations can engage children in learning and keep their attention.
Complexity
Classrooms should be visually coherent and well-structured, rather than random. This ensures any stimulation invites children’s attention towards learning rather than creating distractions.
Choose matching furnishings and make key areas visually interesting. Designs should keep sightlines clear, both for learning and behaviour management.
Colour
Choose block colours to create the right environment for learning. In primary schools, we often use bright, exciting colour palettes, creating zones within a classroom or adding decorative touches.
In secondary schools, colour is still important. Consider how yellow, red and orange can increase creativity and engagement, while green, blue and purple have a calming effect. Coloured flooring and furniture are practical ways to inject some vibrancy into a space.
Acoustics
Noise is often a huge problem in classrooms, particularly if there are echoes that make it difficult to understand the teacher, sound from other classrooms or ambient noise such as heating and cooling.
Soft furnishings, such as curtains, cushions and quality carpet tiles, can dampen noise and make it easier for children to hear teachers and assistants. If noise from adjacent rooms is a problem, it is possible to attach soundproofed panels to walls, ceiling tiles and flooring.
Individuality
Each school and academy trust has its own culture, and this can be reflected in the built environment. School renovation services are often called in when spaces are no longer fit for purpose, and new designs should not offer one-size-fits-all solutions.
Flexibility
Teachers should be able to alter classrooms and other spaces for different activities, transitional periods between age groups, and new pedagogical approaches. Movable furniture can support group work and individual study, reduce distractions and improve participation.
Ownership
When children feel their classroom is special to them, they are more comfortable in the space. Particularly in primary settings, a good classroom should be easily identified from other rooms, with special features for each age group.
Personalisation options, such as display boards and individual storage, can help children develop a sense of ownership and responsibility for the place.
Connection
Build a connected environment throughout the educational setting, whether it’s a sixth-form college or a nursery school. Shared areas play a large part in school life. Include display boards to share students’ work with the wider school, to encourage wider participation and aspiration.
Corridors should be logically organised and spacious enough for children to move between lessons without bottlenecks. School refurbishment can add doorways, skylights and partitions to create more comfortable connections.
Design for Education
The most successful learning environments facilitate both teachers and pupils, not just for productivity but for motivation and wellbeing. Schools can refresh older buildings for functionality and incorporate the latest educational research to create natural, stimulating and individual environments that help get the best outcomes for all students.
Discuss educational environments with school refurbishment experts to find a quote that works for you. We understand that school budgets are always complex, so we provide an itemised quote that is easy to adjust. Contact us on 0121 474 5136 to book a site visit.
