Learning Spaces

The furniture debate

On a special feature on school furniture, Sean McDougall argues that we need a radical overhaul of how we design school furniture and argues that sitting comfortably really can make the difference to the way we learn in schools.

Sean McDougall argues that sitting comfortably really can make the difference to the way we learn in schools.

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      string(1247) "same size trays.n  Strength and stability of the furnitureThe best way to ensure this is to buyfurniture which has been manufactured tothe furniture standards BS 4875 and 5873.n  ErgonomicsThe wrong choice of chair could result inback pain. Remember that the height of achair should relate to the height of a table.n  Creative use of furnitureCan furniture be used as space dividers orwork areas?n  Multi-functional furnitureSpecialised furniture can have limited useand therefore tie up floor space.n  Maintenance Are there components which would bedifficult or expensive to repair or replace?n  A range of furnitureSpaces can be interchangeable and flexiblein their use of furniture.n  Find all BESA suppliers in our freeBESAbook: The UK Education and TrainingProducts and Suppliers Directory. Call 0207537 4997 for your free copy.n  Look for the BESA logo on advertisingand in catalogues to be sure that you aredealing with reputable suppliers.n  Visit www.besa.org.uk – the one-stopsource of the latest product and supplierinformation for furniture.n  For furniture, visit the BETT Show, 10-13January 2007, Olympia – London and TheEducation Show, 22–24 March 2007, NEC– Birmingham."
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Learning Spaces

The furniture debate

22 Sep 2009

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      string(371) "... andwalking. Many do not crawl.Teachers report similar difficulties – as well as that they:Are poor at PE– difficulty with ball skills, climbing ontoand off furniture, remembering rules and followinginstructions, slow to get changed and difficulty withhopping, running and skippingAre naughty or disruptive in class – “acts the fool” anddoes not ..."
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      string(5599) "grasp the motor skills theyneed when they are given opportunities and compensatoryresources.So there doesn’t seem to be a single cause of DCD. Kirby& Drew concluded that DCD has a neurological basis that canbe exacerbated by environmental influences (2003).What are the signs and symptoms ofDCD?No two children with DCD are alike. However, many showsimilar difficulties. Parents report that their children:Frequently fall over or knock into things – Children withDCD never appear to look where they are going and getknocked over in the playgroundHave poor handwriting – both style and speedAre unhappy at school – they show lack of academicprogress and dislike PEAre poorly co-ordinated – they have poor ball skills, don’tjoin in family games and can’t ride a bikeAre messy eaters – they eat with their fingers, havedifficulty cutting food, and drop food off their plateHave poor stamina – they appear to tire easily outsideand are exhausted at the end of the dayHave difficulty with dressing – they are slow with buttons,laces and putting clothes on in the correct sequenceHave difficulty remembering instructions – they strugglewith copying and taking dictationHave poor concentration – they are easily distracted andcan’t stay on taskHave poor self organisational skills – they have messyrooms, forget their homework and textbooks, forget theirchores and can’t plan what items they need for specificactivities (eg, they don’t pack trunks for swimming)Were late in reaching milestones like standing andwalking. Many do not crawl.Teachers report similar difficulties – as well as that they:Are poor at PE– difficulty with ball skills, climbing ontoand off furniture, remembering rules and followinginstructions, slow to get changed and difficulty withhopping, running and skippingAre naughty or disruptive in class – “acts the fool” anddoes not appear to listen to instructions or follow themStruggle with ‘fine motor skills’ – difficulty using scissors,nnnnnnnnnnnnnnwww.teachingtimes.com n Vol 1.2Disabilities/Conditions Every Child Journal45rulers and compassesAre unable to sit still – they move around the classroomor fidgetStruggle with social skills – they have difficulty makingfriends with own peer group and often prefer either adultor younger company. They don’t appear to understandturn taking and sharing, often interrupt conversationsand take things literally. They become emotional andexcitable easily.As children with DCD enter secondary school, their difficultiesoften continue if appropriate help has not been sought.Although PE continues to be a struggle, it is organisationalskills that really cause a problem.Handing assignments in on time, moving from class toclass with the correct books and equipment and completingtasks in a set time (especially in exams) is very difficult forchildren with DCD. In addition, social skills often continueto be poor and there are continued difficulties with low selfesteem.Studies have shown that children with DCD do not growout of their clumsiness and that their problems continue intoadolescence and adulthood.Identifying those with DCD early is, therefore, paramount.There has been much literature and debate on assessingand treating young children. People are getting better atpicking up on the signs – many parents report that they knewtheir children had difficulties by the age of three (DyspraxiaFoundation, 1997).Professionals are wary of giving a diagnosis to very youngchildren – as they may just be late developers or show lack ofexperience. But children treated from the age of four makesignificant improvement. Identification before age six orseven is vital – when the child begins to compare themselveswith others and loses confidence.How do you diagnose DCD?Identification of DCD requires a comprehensive assessmentwith an assessment of the child’s motor skills. It shouldinclude standardised assessments to allow comparison of thechild’s abilities with his peers, questionnaires for the parents,school and child and a clinical observational assessment.‘The Movement ABC – 2’ (Henderson & Sugden) is one ofthe most frequently used standardised tests. It was designedto identify movement problems and provides quantitativeand qualitative data about a child’s performance at age-appropriate tasks within three subsections: manual dexterity,ball skills, and static and dynamic balance. Therapists alsocarry out assessments to analyse movements.As this condition has educational and medicalimplications, a number of professionals need to beinvolved in diagnosis. This could include physiotherapists,occupational therapists, speech and language therapists,educational psychologists and paediatricians.Physiotherapists focus on posture and gross motor skillsnnas well as strength, flexibility and endurance. Many alsoconsider fine motor skills and hand function. The key areasassessed are core stability (relating to shoulder and pelvicstability and active trunk flexion and extension), eye/handand eye/foot co-ordination, motor planning, midline crossing(using the left hand on the right side of the body, or viceverca), spatial awareness, organisation skills, short termmemory and stamina. Key areas of difficulty are identified anda treatment plan is devised.John: a case studyEight-year-old John was referred to physiotherapy byan educational psychologist. There was no past relevantmedical history and he had reached his motor milestones atappropriate times. But the main areas of concern were:Parental concerns School concernsn"
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Special Needs

A guide to dyspraxia

16 Dec 2009

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      string(538) "This report by the Policy Commission investigates the changing nature of education and how educators can meet the challenges of the future. The report determines the impact of change resulting from current policies and the resources demanded by such change. As such, this report is an 'audit of change' within the school system. The ultimate aim of the Commission is to assess the scope and effects of change within schools and to raise awareness of the resources needs to accommodate change.

Folder: Leadership Briefings Issue 3.10 (34)"
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      string(5074) "specialist technician in every school. Particular concerns were expressed about the back pain problems which we are storing up for our current student generation, primarily through inappropriate sizes and ergonomics of furniture in our schools.· The liberation of learning from an institution, along with the focus on the whole child as fostered by Every Child Matters and the Children’s Plan, raised issues for some about the need to equalise access to learning. Supported technology offers a real opportunity to young people, parents and their communities to participate together inside and outside a school- based learning environment. For this to work, respondents highlighted the need for school cultures to be characterised by a deep belief in the value of collaborative approaches to learning that embrace parents, carers and community.· The ability of school leadership to balance the demands of this raft of policies and manage change is critical. A specific recommendation was to expand leadership training to cover resource management.ActionIssue 1: The purpose of education and assessing achievementThe Commission recommends:1. That this issue is so fundamental that any ‘quick fix’ approach to its resolution will fail. 2. A far-reaching review of the purpose of education, that proposes options and innovative opportunities and goes beyond the ‘expert group’ referred to in the DCSF’s proposals of 14 October. 3. That this review should be accompanied by a substantial consultation with all stakeholders. Its conclusions will affect not only assessment, but also the curriculum, teacher training and professional development, and the resources that education requires to deliver the resulting model.Issue 2: The initial and continuous development of the teaching professionThe Commission recommends:1. That a debate be started, perhaps led by the GTC, with the TDA and teacher professional associations as important stakeholders, to redefine what the modern professional teacher should be able to do. The conclusions should feed a modernisation of initial teacher training and a reassessment of teacher CPD.2. Accepting that more must be done to support teachers’ development in the context of their schools’ needs. 3. Establishing the career-enhancing development which would be a personal commitment.Issue 3: Are they sitting comfortably?The Commission recommends that:1. BESA gives priority to providing data to support a revised design output specification for furniture and equipment.2. PfS uses this data to redefine budgets within BSF for furniture and equipment and promotes the expectation that purchases of new chair and table furniture will be to the standard EN1729 and that furniture considerations reflect the objectives of transformation and flexibility.3. DCSF considers similar guidance for the whole schools sector in ways similar to its Standard Specifications, Layouts and Dimensions series.4. A debate is conducted on the subject of future investment in adjustable furniture to address flexible learning spaces, and the extending range of child sizes in each age cohort, to encourage an understanding within schools of the importance of ergonomics in creating good school environments.Issue 4: Good resources: second only to good teachersThe Commission recommends that:1. Initial teacher training must include a greater emphasis on techniques to address modern product assessment, including sustainability issues.2. The NPQH syllabus needs expanding to ensure that leaders are open to an understanding of innovative resources and approaches to achieving best value.3. Being up to date with an understanding of the resources that can support teaching in any given subject area should be an aspect of continuous professional development. Facilitating teacher visits to events such as BETT and the Education Show would support the CPD need in this area. Some professions, e.g. nursing, even use such events to accredit professional development over time.4. Schools should take more advantage of training provided by the educational supplies industry.Issue 5: Maximising the benefits of ICTThe Commission recommends that:1. As the DCSF’s relevant agency, Becta should lead the development of such standards. In particular Becta can bring the dimension of understanding international standards development to ensure the widest compatibility and competitiveness. 2. This leadership should be in partnership with industry so that there is joint ownership of the outcomes. 3. Becta needs broader support to take this lead and a developed relationship with industry to achieve the mutual confidence to act swiftly.4. DCSF and its Information Standards Board should charge Becta with this initiative and BESA in turn will commit to drawing industry into necessary developmental processes.NotesAuthorRaspal Chima, Imaginative MindsDate CreatedNovember 2008Enquiries to:raspal.chima@yahoo.co.uk (Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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Leadership

BESA Policy Commission 2008

8 Nov 2008

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      string(365) "... outrather than from the outside in61June/July 2008    Managing Schools TodaySustainable schools   The Learning EnvironmEntUnprecedented investment in new and refurbishedschools across the country has focused debate onhow we teach and learn in the 21st century. Theusual way of designing a new school is from the ‘outsidein’. Led by an architect ..."
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      string(5616) "60The Learning EnvironmEnt   Sustainable schoolsManaging Schools Today    June/July 2008Design from theinside outThe way to ensure that a school meets the needs of its users,says Lawrence Brenchley, is to design it from the inside outrather than from the outside in61June/July 2008    Managing Schools TodaySustainable schools   The Learning EnvironmEntUnprecedented investment in new and refurbishedschools across the country has focused debate onhow we teach and learn in the 21st century. Theusual way of designing a new school is from the ‘outsidein’. Led by an architect, a school must be designed to acertain size and number of floors and must meet stringentregulatory, technical, financial and planning requirementsto be approved. Understandably, hopes for the new schoolwill be high. 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This approach has two keyconsiderations:n	size, interconnectivity and flexibility of teaching andlearning spacen	selection of the furniture and equipment that will go inthe space to assist with teaching the current and futurecurriculum.Government funding limits and Building Bulletin guidelinesfor new schools require groups of up 30 children to betaught in a general classroom of around 60 square metres.The accommodation schedules (from which funding limitsare determined) necessitate that a given size of schoolwill require a certain number of science laboratoriesand design technology workshops in order to meet thecurriculum requirements. So how is it possible to meetthese requirements, teach the curriculum and give enoughflexibility to allow different approaches to teaching andlearning?Increasingly, we see schools adopt different teachingand learning styles. These include project-based learningin ‘plazas’, adopting new ways to teach science (as shownby Project Faraday, below) and open access and ‘breakout’areas. Such styles are intended to engage pupils who wouldotherwise fail torespond to traditionalteaching methods, and the challengeis how to design and incorporatethese areas in ways that arepractical and affordable and willwork alongside the traditional classrooms.With Alsop Architects we designed a project-basedlearning plaza called New Line Learning at OldboroughManor School, in Maidstone, Kent. We built the plaza byconverting an old sports hall of around 150 square metresand incorporating whole class seating units, teachers’resource bays, storage units and island and perimetertables with full ICT accessibility. Designed for 90 pupils,the concept is similar to a primary school where pupilswill spend the majority of their time in the plaza withassociated lockers and an indoor shoe policy. Pupils go toother areas of the school if they need practical science orresistant materials, but otherwise would have all lessonsin the plaza.All the furniture and equipment in the space is looseand moveable, which allows the school to configurethe space to suit the teaching and learning needs ofthe group. There is some bespoke furniture, includingfour-tier 120-degree seating units which hold up to 30pupils. These are  constructed using a steel frame, linedwith MDF, covered in fabric or leather and, despite aweight of 750kg, are mounted on wheels so they canbe moved around the plaza. All three seating units canbe combined to create an ‘in the round’ lecture theatrefor all the pupils.The plaza can host a range of activities includinglightweight DT, theoretical science and ICT. This meansthat if it is included as part of a new school, fewer DT andscience rooms are required compared to the standardaccommodation schedule. 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Leadership

Design from the inside out

14 Jul 2008