Design of Learning Spaces

This title introduces key issues in the design of learning spaces with case studies and guidance on refurbishment and new building projects. Learning can take place anywhere. So does the detail of the physical surroundings provided by schools matter? After many years of minimal investment in school premises, schools in the UK are in the midst of a wave of planning, building and using new schools. This includes all English secondary schools, being renewed through Building Schools for the Future (BSF), as well as schemes for English primaries and programmes of school construction in Scotland and Wales. Starting from an educational perspective, and building on work in architectural design, Pamela Woolner gives an overview of current issues in the design of learning environments, covering the physical design of spaces and how that design impacts on the organization of people in schools, their relationships and their teaching and learning. Filling the gap in understanding and knowledge between the worlds of architecture and education, this is essential reading for school leaders and all those engaged in thinking about how school design might be planned and arranged to facilitate learning and teaching. "The Future Schools Series" explores the ways in which schools' needs for the future are differing from the traditional, largely Victorian approach still adopted by the majority of British schools today. The series focuses on innovation in schools, both in terms of the school environment and pedagogical approach. A major factor in this is the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, which is the biggest single UK government investment in improving school buildings for over 50 years. The aim is to rebuild or renew every secondary school in England over a 10-15 year period. This includes significant investment in ICT to support the government's educational reform agenda. As well as improving school buildings, the aim of the agenda is to promote a step-change in the quality of provision. Schools are starting to follow a range of innovative practice in terms of their links with communities around them, as part of the Every Child Matters and extended schools agenda, their structure and organization and, not least, the organization and approach of the leadership and senior management team. Books in this series will provide either an overview of transformation with specific case studies from around the UK and worldwide, or focus more specifically on one or a small collection of schools to show examples of good practice at a local community level.

Pamela Woolner is a Research Associate at the Centre for Learning and Teaching, Newcastle University. Her recent research has focused on the history and impact on learning of school buildings, and evaluation of current initiatives relating to school environments.