As followers of our blogs will know, one of our passions is refurbishing outdoor education centres and bringing them back to life for generations of children (and teachers) to enjoy. However, upon their return, children need to feel equally inspired in their learning spaces at school.
To ensure the continuation of flexible and collaborative learning, traditional classroom settings could be doing more to encourage the same learning style as is experienced in outdoor learning.
In fact Ofsted say, ‘learning outside the classroom is an essential element of a broad and balanced curriculum and we are urging schools to make explicit reference to it in their self-evaluation and other evidence presented during the inspection visit.’
And taking inspiration from architects that design homes with beautiful indoor/outdoor connections, Houzz say, ‘Forging a strong connection between indoors and outdoors can make your home feel more expansive and light filled, and can encourage flow between indoor and outdoor rooms. You would be hard pressed to find another design change that has a greater impact on the way you experience everyday life at home.’
If it’s so great at home, why can’t we apply the same principles to schools?
The idea would be to make the classroom reflect the inspired collaborative learning that takes place on Active Learning Centre, or PGL trips. Flow and collaboration are the key objectives.
School refurbishment needn’t be large and expensive. Flexibility is key to creating inspiring learning spaces, allowing teachers and students to find the space that they work in best. Small changes can be made to the furniture and the layout of the classroom, but we’re a commercial refurbishment company and we want schools to think about taking the outside wall down and replacing it with a moveable glass wall!
Easier access to outside, more natural light and additional spaces for personalised learning as needed will all have the effect of creating a flow between outside and in, which in turn creates a more natural flow of energy reflected in the mindset of teachers and pupils.
The impact of nature on learning is widely understood to be highly beneficial. The idea of allowing children to work outside at school may be contemporary at the moment, but making classroom walls moveable, installing larger windows and roof lights, and creating sheltered spaces outside are great ways to bring outdoor education, indoors.
As a refurb company, we would urge schools to think about in what ways they can bring the outside in (or the inside out), and whether they can create more collaborative learning spaces at school, when planning a refurbishment project. We believe that the modern way of living by blending the indoor space with outdoors could be brilliant for classrooms too!
We’d be happy to discuss ideas and look at feasibility with you. Let’s hold onto that joy of learning for as long as possible.
