Planning Learning Spaces Journal - Westminster

j f m a m j j A s o n d 2020 / WESTMINSTER

SPACES

Designing Spaces for Future Focused Schools.

University of Westminster Workshop.

for architects designers AND school leaders

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We believe the learning environment has a profound effect on the educational outcomes for all pupils. If you would like to join us to improve these environments worldwide we would love to hear from you. This magazine is a not-for-profit journal and is the official magazine for A4LE Europe. It is given free to European members and distributed to 8000 A4LE members globally in e-format. If you would like to contribute articles to the magazine or purchase additional copies please contact us.

Editor Editorial Board

Design For A4LE

Irena Barker James Clarke Murray Hudson Keith Whitlock Design Terry White

CONTACT: magazine@planninglearningspaces.com SPONSORS: Gratnells Spaceoasis KI Learniture

PHOTO & ILLUSTRATION CREDITS: All photos ©Gratnells except P8-9 Gary Spracklen/Prince of Wales School, Dorset

In this special edition Alastair Blyth and Terry White report on a one-day workshop developed to explore the gains, added value, and innovation, in the design process through working collaboratively with design professionals and schools in multidisciplinary teams.

The workshop day was designed and facilitated by Alastair Blyth, Michál Cohen and Terry White.

CONTENTS 05 DESIGN FIVE SCHOOLS IN SIX HOURS? No problem.

06 SETTING THE SCENE

Design briefs.

07 MEETING OF MINDS Five groups rise to the challenge.

08 THE PRIMARY CHALLENGE Sixty students 325 M2.

09 CURRICULUM MODEL Headteacher Gary Spracklen decides.

11-12 PRIMARY TEAM ONE Considering a manifesto for learning.

13-15 PRIMARY TEAM TWO Using a hands-on approach.

16-17 SECONDARY CHALLENGE Myways curriculum.

18-19 SECONDARY TEAM ONE Importance of transition.

21-23 SECONDARY TEAM TWO Reaching out to the local community.

24-25 SECONDARY TEAM THREE Virtual and physical worlds.

26 REFLECTIONS ON THE DAY Didn’t they do well.

27 DELEGATE LIST

©2020 The contents of this magazine are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without permission.

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Planning Learning Spaces A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS AND SCHOOL LEADERS

www.planninglearningspaces.com

le vailab a w o N mazon A m o fr t ecialis p s d n a tores book s

‘ Comprehensive but also very practical approach ‘ ANDREAS SCHLEICHER Director of the Directorate of Education and skills, OECD

‘ Any community building a new school should read this book‘ MICHAEL B. HORN Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation

‘ Builds a bridge from the simple to the extraordinary... awash in opportunity and inspiration ‘ PROFESSOR STEPHEN HEPPELL Chair in Learning Innovation at Universidad Camilo José Cela, Madrid

Laurence King Publishing 361-373 City Road London EC1V 1LR

Developing a secondary design.

Alexandra Filip - Anghelescu, Joanne Caddy, Terry White, Gary Spracklen, Lyle Christie, Michál Cohen, Alastair Blyth, Kristine Florian.

Design five schools in six hours?

No problem For a unique school design challenge, the Association for Learning Environments (UK) - A4LE(UK) got together with the University of Westminster’s School of Architecture and Cities (SA+C).

The one-day event – Designing Spaces for Future Focused Schools – brought together architects, designers, educationalists, teachers, researchers and students to design new “learning zones” in the context of an all-through school.

Five teams taking part in this event were invited to respond to an innovative “learning brief” from two serving headteachers for a primary learning zone and a secondary transition zone for the first two years of UK secondary education.

It defined the pedagogy, curriculum and organisational approach that is required for 21st century learning.

A4LE(UK) believes that better learning environments are created by bringing all the key players together at the earliest design stages.

This approach is the best way to create the variety of learning settings needed for schools to develop young people’s skills for the future. The day was facilitated by Michál Cohen, Alastair Blyth and Terry White.

Our thanks for all of those who attended the day and for the sponsorship support of SA+C, Ecophon and Gratnells for making the day happen.

Developing a primary response.

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SETTING THE SCENE “We can now measure collaboration!”, said Joanne Caddy Senior Analyst, OECD Directorate for Edon and Skills in her keynote presentation to A4LE(UK)’s workshop Designing Spaces for Future Focused Schools.

“If we can measure collaboration, then we can look at how the learning environment supports collaborative learning,” said Joanne.

The day-long event brought together five multidisciplinary teams to respond to a design challenge – set by two headteachers – to create learning environments that help young people to develop the skills they will need in the future.

Creating learning spaces where students can collaborate well has become more important as schools see that the ability to work with others is vital in both the workplace and society.

Drawing from the OECD’s work on skills and trends shaping education, Joanne pointed to the rising demand for interpersonal skills.

Lady Frances Sorrell, Chancellor of the University of Westminster, opened the workshop, stressing the importance of involving users – particularly students in the design process.

As its co-founder, she reflected on the Sorrell Foundation’s previous work looking at “Joinedupdesignforschools”.

These comments set the scene for the groups of teachers, architects, students, policy advisors and representatives from government to start work on their workshop projects.

The design briefs for secondary and primary schools were set by Dave Strudwick, director of Way American Online School and Gary Spracklen, headteacher of Prince of Wales School, Dorchester.

The aim was to demonstrate that with a well-defined brief, effective dialogue with headteachers and multidisciplinary teams, that innovatory and cost effective future focused designs can be developed within a day”.

Collaborative design. Greg Mocke, Di Pumprey, Julie Velissaratou, Jonathan Nicholls, Ffion Ellis.

Reviewing primary team 2 design, Lene Jensby Lange, Thorbjørn Bergquist. Mark Pratt, Gary Spracklen.

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A meeting of minds The challenge was to show that with a clear learning brief, communication with headteachers and good multidisciplinary teams, innovative, cost-effective and future-focused designs can be drawn up in a single day.

Preparation was key to the success of this event, in particular the engagement of the two head teachers who developed the brief.

The composition of the design teams ensured that there were complementary educational, design and technical perspectives.

Creating large interconnected spaces demands acoustic expertise, which came from Colin Campbell of Ecophon and Emma Greenland of Anderson Consulting and other members from their acoustics teams.

The day also showed that it is the quality of time spent that matters not the amount.

Developing communities of learning.

But the event showed that this need not be the case.

To make the workshops realistic, rather than an opportunity for simply “blue skies” thinking, the designs had to fit the area constraints set out by the UK government.

Each team worked together to define the learning and teaching activities needed to support the brief and intended organisation of the two learning zones.

They also looked at what the zones would need to support a modern education.

With a well-managed process and clear goals, in just six hours it is possible to produce a design that is not a “one-size fits all” solution.

Within the time available, each team was able to develop a range of ideas which were tested against the brief and the current UK Area guidelines for mainstream schools. (Building Bulletin 103).

Too often, consultation is poorly managed and seen as a barrier to producing a design that meets a client’s needs within tight time and budgetary constraints.

As well as working on the details of their learning zones each team was able to set them in the context of the wider school campus and the broader learning agenda.

Developing detailed designs for secondary transition.

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The Primary Challenge The brief was for an infant school currently in the process of expanding to become a primary school. A phase one new build design is required for a Learning Zone for years 3 and 4. This would then lead to a second phase zone for years 5 and 6.

There are existing facilities on the site that offer space for a large hall, library and administration spaces.

The brief set out by the headteacher was explicit in that all spaces should support staff to work more collaboratively in learning teams in order to achieve the school’s vision for learning.

The design teams were asked to include features that would support and encourage learners in developing their learning skills as they progress on their primary journey.

The design for years 3 and 4 requires a suite of complementary and connected learning spaces to meet the following 21st century learning needs.

-P roblem solving -D ecision making

PRIMARY

Brief A new build design is required for 60 students in Year 3 and 60 students in Year 4.

- The design should be based on the 55m2 space requirement and not exceed 210m² in total.

- As a guide, 325m² may be used.

- Spaces should support staff to work more collaboratively in teams.

- Key features of the pedagogy, organisation and design: - children being well known and supported - the ability to draw different sized groups together - personalised learning - an enquiry and project-based approach - Any design will include a range and blend of closed, semi-open and open-connected spaces.

Furniture should be flexible and capable of subdividing, creating a wide range of “places” within “larger spaces”.

- The school has an “any device, any time” cloudfirst approach to teaching and learning.

- The outside space should be seen as an extension of any learning space design.

- E ffective risk taking -C reativity -A ctive participation -T eam working -R esponsible actions - S kills for digital learning

©Gary Spracklen. Linking internal and external problem solving in the primary brief.

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PRIMARY

PRIMARY CURRICULUM MODEL #InspiredToLearn Curriculum BUILDING LEARNING POWERS

Resilience / Resourcefulness / Reflectiveness / Reciprocacy Literacy Reading

Maths Maths

Writing Phonics Spelling Punctuation Grammar

Science

Science Computer Science

Culture

History Geography Religious Education French (MFL) Music

Design

Art Design Technology

Health PSHE PE

CITIZENSHIP CAPABILITIES

Caring / Considerate / Courteous / Communicative / Confident / Conscientious / Co-Operative

Collaborative Learning Eco-Schools

Dazzle Me Opportunities

Home Learning POW Passport

Food Farming ©Gary Spracklen

©Gary Spracklen. Connecting to an active learning landscape.

Do you want your own copy of this magazine?

IF YOU’RE A MEMBER OF A4LE If you’re a member of A4LE Europe, you’ll get a print copy of this magazine as part of your membership.

If you’re a member of A4LE in another region then you’ll receive an e-journal version of this magazine free of charge.

If you’d like a print version, it’s available for the reduced rate of £30 a year.

IF YOU’RE NOT A MEMBER OF A4LE Subscriptions are available from £30 a year for three editions, published during the Spring, Summer and Autumn school terms.

Europe £30 Rest of the World £45 Send us an email with your name and address and we’ll do the rest! magazine@planninglearningspaces.com

You can join A4LE EUROPE for the standard membership of £95.00 the magazine and benifits below are include: •P lanning Learning Spaces magazine, three times a year.

•L og in access to the A4LE International and the A4LE European website.

•F ree entrance to the annual A4LE Lecture.

•R educed attendance costs for all A4LE UK, European and International events and the program of activities for 2020.

We have a Lead Membership Category of £190.00 per year with a range of additional benefits for members.

Details of all our events for 2020 in UK and Europe are listed on our website; www.a4le.co.uk/membership.

Please contact Terry White for more information on membership and how schools can be part of A4LE as associate members through partnership working.

Email: terry.white@a4le.co.uk.

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PRIMARY

The Primary Challenge TEAM ONE The first team, led by Jonathan Nicholls of Hayhurst & Co architects, developed a “manifesto for learning” as the basis for their design solution.

This included: 1. Enabling Environments: spaces that allow a collaborative teaching approach for staff and pupils.

2. Supportive Spaces: a variety of spaces that can be used in a flexible way to support different learning practices.

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a group teaching space, cloakrooms, classroom stores, circulation space, outside space and WCs. A plan evolved through these discussions that removed the typical division of these spaces and identified an open-plan teaching space across a whole year-base. The space has multiple informal spaces for breakout and group teaching opportunities. The internal configuration of the space provides a sense of separation between the open spaces as well as good teacher surveillance. Contributions by Ecophon, on the best acoustic considerations allowed the design development to consider in detail how the openplan teaching space configurations could function well for a variety of uses and without disruption.

3. Enjoyable Spaces: spaces that pupils and staff enjoy.

4. Learning Landscapes: external environments that appeal to all pupils and provide a good backdrop for learning.

During discussions, the group’s design moved away from the often typical division of spaces into cellular units, creating more open-plan areas.

The team tested their design by checking if their new spaces were suitable for presentation, group, individual and team teaching – following the principles of the OECD School User Survey of 2018 Improving Learning Spaces Together.

These tests showed that singular cellular classrooms do not need to be the norm in primary schools.

The development of this design responded to a scenariobased process of testing the spatial relationships for typical 2FE teaching spaces – a pair of classrooms,

Developing adjacent learning spaces.

Peer review for primary team 1, Mark Clarke, Alastair Blyth, Julie Velissaratou.

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The Primary Challenge TEAM ONE

Primary team one design sketches.

The space that was designed, provides a variety of types of space of differing sizes; the formal room to accommodate groups of pupils at tables, the large 60 pupil group at an amphitheatre-style seat, the practical space with a sink, multiple break-out spaces with good connections to the outside that can accommodate different numbers of learners on bean-bags or sofas and intimate spaces where one to one focused learning with a teacher can take place, well acoustically separated from the other spaces. This ‘future learning environment’ convincingly achieves our manifesto’s aims and fits within the BB’103 floor areas that were defined in the design brief.

PRIMARY

Team one design cross section.

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Team one internal view.

The Primary Challenge TEAM TWO The second primary team was led by educational design consultant Lene Jensby Lange of Autens in Denmark and architect Mark Clarke of the Chadwick Dryer Clarke Studio.

They started using a physical model as a response to the design brief, using Autens’ learning Space Design Lab. The design that emerged provides a variety of different learning opportunities; the formal room to accommodate groups of pupils at tables, the amphitheatre-style space to accommodate 60 pupil groups, the practical space with a sink, multiple break-out spaces with connections to the outside, informal spaces that can accommodate different numbers of learners on bean-bags and sofas and acoustically separated intimate spaces where one to one focused learning with a teacher can take place. This “future learning environment “convincingly achieves our manifesto aims and fits within the BB 103 floor areas that were defined in the design brief.

Observing this team in action, it was clear how starting with a “hands on” modelling approach established a common language that people could use to discuss ideas without knowledge of jargon.

This method proved to be very inclusive, and it would be a good starting point for engaging teachers and students in school design.

A hands on approach Using Autens Learning Space Design Lab, (Autens, Learning LabTM Design Process.)

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PRIMARY

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The design process was key to the development of the learning zone as the spaces were swiftly and intuitively modelled using 1:20 scale furniture, foamboard perspex and other materials to generate learning activities and spaces. This process promoted interesting discussions amongst the team about how the brief suggested a more open relationship between class and year groups. The learning spaces began to be structured not by how the learners were grouped but instead by the learning activity and function.

In this way the design developed from the “inside out� and created a landscape of connected learning spaces with active making spaces and areas for physical activity and movement. Individual and group gathering spaces were established along with quieter spaces for individual study and one to one support. This graduation of activity formed the key design concept, but also central to the design was a fluid relationship with a series of outdoor areas that enhanced the internal functions of the total learning zone. The central area space allowed all the learners to come together when needed.

This process promoted interesting discussions amongst the team

Top picture: Developing the approach from the inside out (the Autens Learning Lab.) Middle picture: Plan of the learning zones for primary team two. Bottom picture: Primary design team two final design.

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SECONDARY

The Secondary Challenge: A Smooth Transition The aim is to develop a learning zone for Years 7 and 8 (the first two years of secondary education in the UK) that creates a more stable transition from primary education to secondary.

- 180 students per year group with six groups of 30.

The day is split into three parts to provide extended opportunities to deepen learning. Sessions would be around an hour and a half.

- A t any one time, there will be 60 students attending sessions in each of the following three groups: English and Humanities, STEM, and Arts or Specialist Subjects alongside MFL.

- T he approach uses a “flipped classroom”, where students’ classroom learning activities allow them to apply what they have learnt, with the teacher acting as a “guide on the side” rather than lecturing from the front.

- S pecial needs: small rooms are required to support pre-teaching, meetings, small group work, decompressing from sensory overload etc.

- The space allowance is 4.6m2 per student. This amounts to a gross area of approximately 820m2 but it does not allow for any staff accommodation which may be needed in the learning zone.

- The design must recognise that these three areas can be connected through a project-based approach to the curriculum.

Rationale:

Concept sketch, primary-secondary transition.

Learning needs a context and a purpose. If we are doing something authentically, with a real audience and purpose and edge, our motivation is different. The school will use a balance of a project-based approach with clear assessments of applied competencies. A recognition that the why you learn something and how you learn, is as important as what you learn. This has never been more important if we are to prepare young people for such a rapidly changing world and to ensure their success is not merely in the exam system but for the remainder of their life. In a sense this is a primary school on steroids and requires a new pedagogy which the space both scaffolds and provokes.

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SECONDARY

Curriculum Inspired by MyWays.

A Next Generation Learning Framework on key themes.

Content Knowledge Range of content but with a strong interdisciplinary approach related to real world learning with emphasis on project based approaches.

Wayfinding Abilities Identifies how you support your personal learning journey and how you set your own goals at each stage of development.

Year 7 and 8 Learning Zone:

Habits of Success Developing the behaviours that ensure you take responsibility as a learner.

Creative Knowhow Critical thinking and collaborative problem solving for an information rich and ever changing world.

Making Learning Personal We all Need‌

The aim is to develop a learning zone for Year 7 and ACHIEVEMENT 8 that creates a more stable transition from primary education to secondary. The organsation of learning CONNECTION SECURITY builds on the success of learners being better known and spending more time with a team of staff who can fully understand the many aspects of their educational, MEANING social and emotional needs as they progress through FUN secondary education. This means that staff are accountable as a team for the overall progress and ATTENTION achievement of all of the students they are working with. They will have direct responsibility for groups of PRIVACY learners but as a team they are collectively accountable COMMUNITY and are stewards of the shared learning spaces. This will CONTROL have implications for the work and preparation areas for STATUS teams of staff in relation to these spaces.

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SECONDARY

The secondary Challenge

This team was led by Tom Lyons of GSS Architecture national practice. They recognized the importance placed in the brief of building upon the positive and creative experiences of primary learning and ensuring that a transition learning zone was developed to support and enhance progression in the early years of secondary education. They looked in detail at the intended curriculum experience and the personal skills and qualities that the design of the spaces would enhance and facilitate.

TEAM ONE

- A transition space for students - The importance of hierarchy of space and place - Collaboration for learners and staff - Sense of personal learning space and ownership - Adaptable learning spaces - Connections between learning spaces - Linked generic and specialist spaces Developing the secondary team one brief. Zoe Amold, Siv Marit Staverm. Emma Greenland, Katherine Stewart ,Tom Lyons.

SECONDARY

Individual core learning spaces were arranged around a larger central studio space allowing the creation of a full range of group sizes and activities. The core spaces have in turn have a range of smaller spaces reaching off them to allow a variety of learning activities. These rooms are linked to the the outside space. The design has created a dynamic learning zone for this age group to deliver a wide-ranging curriculum experience allowing large group direction, assembly, dining with the ability to “move� to core or individual spaces and access

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more specialist spaces as needed. The zone allows the students to identify with their own space while being connected to the mainstream secondary buildings and facilities. The team spent time exploring an integrated approach to acoustics, light, ventilation and landscaping to ensure the design could function effectively. It was noted that it would be important to ensure that the appropriate range of agile and versatile furniture and fittings were considered as an upfront and integrated part of the design solution.

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SECONDARY

The SECONDARY Challenge TEAM TWO Ian Taylor of the London Feilden Clegg Bradley Studio led a team which developed the idea that a key part of developing the design brief was the way in which the campus connected and reached out into the local community.

In considering the learning needs defined in the brief for the year 7 and 8 students they developed the concept of a learning journey. Recognizing the strength of the primary experience shared across the wider design teams they developed effective transition spaces but also the need to progress to a more future focused school and community learning experience.

Developing the concept design. Sara Hutchinson, Jennifer Singer, Denice John, Colin Campbell, Ian Taylor.

The school master plan reaches out into the town centre and surrounding landscape. It was envisaged that a range of new learning and teaching activities would take place in these external spaces.

This was a response to the learning brief for years 7 and 8 to introduce real world connections across subject areas and start to provide a clearer understanding of the subject choices and career paths that students might wish to take later.

Physically connecting the school to the community is important. A route through the school leads you out of the building across an open landscape and over a river bridge into the town and community.

The learning space for years 7 and 8 is distinctly defined to meet the learning and support needs of the students but has appropriate adjacencies as well as ease of access to other areas on the campus.

Developing the learning zone into the community.

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SECONDARY

The SECONDARY Challenge TEAM TWO Year 7 and 8 learning zones The learning brief required spaces to be organized in groups of 60 by teachers but having a space for 120 which might be timetabled as 60/60 and would provide agility and options for different year groups across years to work together.

The design the team developed allowed for each learning zone to be made up of spaces for 60 students that could be split into two separate working areas.

Some of these spaces for 60 were arranged to be adjacent and have the potential to open up into the desired spaces for 120 around a shared communal courtyard. Staff areas are located centrally in each cluster supervising internal and external circulation in the zone, and easily accessible to teachers from adjacent areas to encourage interaction.

Internal and external courtyard plans.

The agility of space was seen as very important and the design allowed for the creation of smaller group areas for support and intervention activities.

As the design developed, the team tested the adaptability of their year 7 and 8 spaces to meet the range of learning activities that were envisaged. The spaces had the capacity for independent and quiet focused work, collaboration, guided group activities, applied learning, presentation, social spaces, bringing groups together and the ability to move inside and outside as part of the learning experience.

Time was spent developing the quality of the interior design of the learning environments and the importance of drawing on the expertise of the team in the appropriate use of acoustic treatment in the year 7 and 8 zone.

The design allows for good sight lines and collaborative working

Modelling the courtyard learning structures.

Modelling the spaces Each of the spaces for 60 students is designed to be arranged facing an external learning space with walls that can open up to allow seamless level movement across it. In good weather it was envisaged that this external space worked alongside the internal space. The innovation being the development of an up and over window wall that when up protects some of the courtyard from rain while still enabling good levels of daylight to enter.

The courtyard spaces will vary in character including variations of green planting, or views out to the landscape beyond with appropriate external equipment.

The edges of the designed spaces would be detailed with a variety of spaces, alcoves and window seats making internal and external connections.

The layouts of the internal spaces are designed with acoustic options and storage options to allow a range of activities. The design allows for good sight lines and collaborative working for students and staff to work together to develop more targeted and personal learning approaches.

The scale and space allocations developed within this scheme were within the specifications set out in the current UK specifications of 4.6m2 per student.

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Secondary team three peer review, Alexandra Filip-Anghelescu, Colin Campbell, Maria Ustinova, Lene Jensby Lange, Kristine Florian, Fabian Klein, Joanne Caddy, Lyle Christie.

The SECONDARY Challenge TEAM THREE The team led by Lyle Christie from Scottish architects Reiach and Hall imagined a future where learning has become shared between the virtual and physical worlds.

Virtual learning is, for the most part, delivered through online devices, using AI. Avatar teachers deliver one to one tailored teaching and learning.

The growing sophistication of AI effectively means the standard curriculum is a thing of the past and students’ learning is precisely tailored to their stage and ability.

Physical learning spaces are for everything that is not possible online – actually combining chemicals and seeing them froth out of a test tube, making a cake, or taking part in a team sport, for example.

Most importantly the school becomes the place where young people learn the social skills that are critical for work-place collaboration. School therefore becomes the hub for communal and community activity.

The team took this community and social idea and made it the generator of the whole building. They imagined a new kind of school where learning is not segregated into closed cell classrooms. Through a building with an open design, students are encouraged to mix outside the rigid structure of the “year group” or registration class.

A forum – or gathering place - for the school and the wider community is placed at the heart of the plan. From this space every room can be seen and accessed. There is a blurring of the edges between what is school space and what is community space.

Opening onto the forum on the ground floor is the school kitchen, making communal dining a central way to drive community spirit throughout the whole school.

The class spaces are all open sided and open plan, with a range of curtains and moveable partitions. This allows them to operate as a collective studio or individual classes, depending on the specific needs and preferences of the learners.

Developing the concept designs for team three.

SECONDARY

Developing the detail of the learning zones.

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Reflections on the Day Our event proves that clarity from the start gets great results.

Creating good future focused learning environments calls for all stakeholders to be involved.

For this workshop, educationalists, teachers, architects, design professionals, researchers and students responded to two clearly-defined learning briefs for learning zones in an all-through primary and secondary school.

The clarity of what the headteachers were asking for created effective and meaningful dialogue with the teams. This created innovative designs that were within the current cost and area requirements for UK schools.

The strength of this way of working allowed the design teams to both meet and exceed what was a distinctive brief.

Each of the briefs - which were drawn up by two headteachers - set out the pedagogy, intended curriculum and organisational approach of the school.

An important message from the workshop was that a one-size-fits all approach will not meet the learning and teaching needs for future-orientated schools.

Each headteacher was available throughout the day to answer questions and give feedback to the multidisciplinary teams as they worked on their design.

The process needs to take account of context but spaces need to be designed from the “inside out” through collaborative working.

Schools Having a Say Going in search of what works.

Although students and teachers have an important role to play in the design of better learning spaces, they often feel unheard.

At the event, Alastair Blyth and Julie Velissaratou (both consultants to the OECD) explained how the organisation’s School User Survey aims to help schools improve their learning spaces by enabling students and teachers to say what works and what doesn’t.

User Survey across a sample of schools in the Russian Federation.

Jennifer Singer, design advisor from the Department for Education, discussed the government’s work measuring the quality of school buildings and how to improve the user experience. Providing better evidence of what works is paramount, she said.

They also outlined the OECD’s work collecting case study examples of schools that have transformed their learning environments.

The OECD is looking for examples of transformations in learning environments, and is inviting schools, teachers, designers, policy makers and others to share their experiences:

Maria Ustinova, an education consultant with the World Bank, also presented the results of the OECD School

www.oecd.org/education/effective-learningenvironments/

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Delegate List Alastair Blyth

Principal Lecturer, School of Architecture + Cities, UoW

Lady Sorrell

Chancellor of the University of Westminster

Alexandra FilipAnghelescu

BA Interior Architecture, School of Architecture + Cities

Lene Jensby Lange

Founder Autens

Lyle Chrystie

Director Reiach and Hall Architects

Amy Collins

Photographer, Gratnells

Maria Ustinova

Educational Consultant, World Bank

Benson Lau

Reader in Architecture and Environmental Design, School of Architecture + Cities

Mark Clarke

Director Chadwick Dryer Clarke Studio

Colin Campbell

Global Concept Developer for Educational Environments, Ecophon

Mark Pratt

Design Advisor, Department of Education

MichĂĄl Cohen

Daria Sekacheva

Chief of Innovative Projects Branch. Russian Federation.

Director Walters and Cohen Architects

Murray Hudson

Managing Director Gratnells

Dave Strudwick

Director of Way, American Online School

Olga Mironyuk

Deniece John

BSc Environmental Design, School of Architecture + Cities

Chief of Department of Methodology and Project Management. Russian Federation.

Di Pumphrey

Teacher Trainer

Olga Nevretdinova

Emma Greenland

Principal Consultant, Head of Schools and Education Sector, Anderson Acoustics

Deputy Director of Methodology and Project Activities Department.

Russian Federation.

Olga Soldatova

Emma McGill

BA Interior Architecture, School of Architecture + Cities

Chief of Department of Educational Programs for Children and Youth. Russian Federation.

Prof. Alexi Marmot

Fabian Klein

Walters and Cohen Architects

Director Bartlett Global Centre for Learning Environments

Ffion Ellis

BA Interior Architecture, School of Architecture + Cities

Gary Spracklen

Head Teacher Prince of Wales School, Dorchester

Greg Mocke

of School, Architecture + Prof. Harry Charrington Head Cities, UoW Roger Allen

Aura Films and Planning Learning Spaces

Project Specification Manager, Ecophon

Ro Spankie

Course Leader, Interior Architecture, School of Architecture + Cities, UoW

Hau Ming Tse

Research Fellow, Department of Education, University of Oxford

Sara Hutchinson

Pedagogical Consultant, Autens

Ian Taylor

Managing Partner FCB

Seda Eldek

BA Interior Architecture, School of Architecture + Cities

Jennifer Partick

Ecophon

Siv Marit Stavem

Norconsult AS

Jennifer Singer

Design Advisor, Department of Education

Steven Dorrington

Aura Films and Planning Learning Spaces

Joanne Caddy

Senior Policy Analyst, OECD

Terry White

Chair of A4LE UK, EdunovaSpace

Researcher, FCB Studio

Thorbjørn Bergquist

Autens

Jonathan Nicholls

Hayhurst, Hayhurst and Co Architects

Tom Lyons

Senior Partner GSS Architecture

Julie Velissaratou

Consultant to the OECD

Tristan Syrett

Aura Films and Planning Learning Spaces

Katherine Stewart

BA Interior Architecture, School of Architecture + Cities

Will Mclean

Principal Lecturer, School of Architecture + Cities

BA Interior Architecture, School of Architecture + Cities

Will Wareing

Girls Day School Trust

Kristine Florian

Joe Jack Williams

Everything in its place

Not just decorating classroom spaces, but designing them to improve learning Gratnells is privileged to be part of a global movement that is shaping the learning environment.

Working with academics, educationalists, teachers and architects our vision is to create better spaces for children to learn and teachers to teach.

Our work has gone far beyond the concept stage.

Supported now by empirical evidence, the views of renowned experts and professional bodies, Gratnells Learning Rooms is an idea whose time has come.

W: www.learning-rooms.com T: 01279 401550 E: mail@learning-rooms.com

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