• Project Dates: Start date: February 2014 End date: July 2014
• Project Leader: Pam Woolner
• Staff: Ulrike Thomas
• Sponsors: Newcastle Institute for Social Renewal (£830)

Background

Rickleton Primary School is currently reviewing its premises and the suitability of the buildings for learning. The headteacher is keen to involve the whole school community (teachers, pupils, support and administrative staff, governors etc.) to ensure that their views are fully represented and so that their ideas can contribute to proposed solutions.

The Research Centre for Learning and Teaching (CfLaT) facilitated a workshop in October 2013 with the staff from the school to explore how space is currently used and the possibilities for change. The intention was to help the headteacher begin a participatory process of change and development.

NISR funding enabled this participatory work with staff to continue and widened the process to include student involvement. The aim was to produce a report to support the school’s application to the local authority for funding to undertake building work.

Description of activities

Data was generated using methods developed by CfLaT, taking a visual approach, which encourage participation and collaboration through visual activities mediating discussions (including photo voice, learning walks and interviews mediated by ranking photographs, mapping, etc.).

Understandings of issues in the existing school premises were developed in light of the evidence base relating to the physical learning environment, with which CfLaT is familiar, and our research in this area.

Aims and objectives:

• to review the evidence base: what is known about these problems and what is the likely impact on learning?
• collect data from teachers, students and observations relating to current experiences of teaching and learning in this school
• to enable, through the research activities, the school users to begin to understand how the school is experienced and used.

Outcomes

The final report presented the evidence that the existing school premises are negatively affecting both teaching and learning and made recommendations for development. These included creating classrooms with partitions, to continue to allow a range of approaches, and the creation of accessible sheltered space immediately outside the classrooms facilitating movement between classes and students working together outside.

Contact

For further information contact:

Pam Woolner
Email: pamela.woolner@ncl.ac.uk 
Telephone: 0191 208 5470