Calm, orderly, safe and supportive classrooms

28 / FEATURE ➜ LEADERSHIP

The benefits of ‘a calm, orderly, safe and supportive environment’

Anticipating a classroom that needs to be ‘ calm, orderly, safe and supportive’ , as proposed by Ofsted, might make some teachers throw their hands up in horror and imagine a future of boredom and sameness, but the reality is far from that, says Miriam Walker.

‘Safe and supportive’ classrooms have always been necessary, so it is the ‘calm and orderly’ aspect of Ofsted’s phrase and the anticipation of a dumbing down of future excitement that fills some minds with dread. However, if we start to consider the meanings of the words ‘calm and orderly’ without jumping to conclusions too quickly, we may see that through embracing this clear expectation, classrooms will become environments for all pupils to enjoy.

A calm environment is one without anxiety, a place where there is an understanding of the need to just be, and where distractions are not making it hard to either focus or let go. A natural calm environment conjures up a woodland scene, a beautiful view, or perhaps a beach with the sound of gently lapping waves. It is the antithesis of a circus scene

If as adults, it is these calm environments that we seek out to clear our heads or to enable us to think through issues that need unpicking, why do we not think that creating calmness in our classrooms is necessary for children?

or fairground and yet it has often been these sorts of scenarios, with carousels of simultaneous activities, that teachers were expected to create in classrooms. If as adults, it is these calm environments that we seek out to clear our heads or to enable us to think through issues that need unpicking, why do we not think that creating calmness in our classrooms is necessary for children?

An orderly environment is one where actions and events are planned and anticipated. There is predictability in the routine and visuals that support it, helping to avoid cognitive overload when trying to remember things that are unnecessary and enabling space for more creative thought. The rules for the environment are fair and enforced, with clear sanctions so occupants can relax without ‘what if?’ anxieties.

Nothing in the phrase ‘calm and orderly’ means an avoidance of fun, or the absence of enjoyment and laughter. They can and should exist in tandem. The difference is that more children within the

‘ calm and orderly’ environment will be able to experience the positive effects from the fun, enjoyment and laughter, because they will not be clouded with

BIO

M I R I A M WAL K E R

Miriam is a senior lecturer at Winchester University specialising in the area of additional needs. Her doctorate focused on perspective, understanding and relationships between teachers and autistic pupils. She provides support for schools who want to deepen their understanding of the difference of autism.

Calm and orderly environments are supportive for children’s learning, and particularly so for children who are neurodiverse and are more likely to struggle with some aspects of many mainstream classrooms.

anxiety from unpredictability, and stress from sensory and/or cognitive overload.

Calm and orderly environments are supportive for children ’ s learning, and particularly so for children who are neurodiverse and are more likely to struggle with some aspects of many mainstream classrooms. For example, a classroom with fewer visual distractions around the white board creates a better opportunity for focus on the necessary visual content of the lesson.

Limiting work displays around the classroom walls and avoiding the festooning of every empty space with items hung from washing lines strung about the room, creates a calmer and more tranquil visual space. This in turn enables the opportunity to focus more easily without visual distraction every time the child looks up from their work to think. A quieter environment where noise level considerations are part of the work process and factored into the lesson plan creates an outcome where independent thoughts can travel further, and problems and challenges have the chance to be unravelled and worked on. It does not mean an absence of loud noise, but rather an absence of unexpected and unnecessary loud noise.

For autistic children who are particularly noise sensitive, being able to predict when something is going to be loud in the classroom gives them the opportunity to choose when to use noise-cancelling headphones rather than feeling the need to wear them all of the time.

In addition to the creation of ‘ a calm, orderly, safe and supportive environment’ , in the same document, Ofsted states that if a school is to achieve an outstanding grade on inspection, there must be ‘ structure that enables all to thrive ’ . No teacher would seek to consciously create an environment that was disturbed, disorderly, unsafe and unsupportive, and yet to autistic children, that has been the way many have described mainstream classrooms. It is accepted that there will be many hoops to jump through as education shifts over time with new initiatives that come and go. But this one I hope will remain as a foundational expectation. Working within an environment which is conducive to all children being able to achieve their maximum potential is vital. Seeking to eliminate factors that raise anxiety and minimise cognitive and sensory overload is an essential foundational teaching skill which has been under-recognised and now needs to be re-applied to our classrooms.