Transcript Developments in the Design of Science Accommodation

Developments in the Design
of Science Accommodation
Andy Piggott
July 2007
Design – Teaching and Learning
Does the design of a learning space affect
the quality of teaching and learning?
(In Science?)
If it does, why are science advisers /
inspectors / consultants / ITT tutors / ASTs /
lead teachers not an automatic part of the
process?
Involved?
Architects /
Designers
PFI / PPP
Headteachers
Science Teachers +
Technicians
Academies
Local Authorities
Space Guidelines –
DfES, BB98
Building Schools for the Future
Partnerships for Schools
Science Advisers / Inspectors / Consultants ??!!
Tensions -- 1
Architects …..
Science teachers are dinosaurs, wanting traditional
designs that do not reflect the modern world, let alone the
exciting, ever-changing natures of their own subject area.
They don’t even know what styles of teaching they use,
nor what is needed for these styles. We’ll ignore them.
Teachers …..
Architects are ignorant of what we do and are forever
wanting to create fancy designs that do not work. We keep
trying to tell them what we want, but they ignore us. They
have left out ………; the ….. / ….. / ….. doesn’t work; we
can’t do …….., because …….; etc; etc. What is the point?
Tensions -- 2
Pupils Face Front at all times
Teacher at the Front at all times
Laboratories need to
look good in order to
advertise the school
Science accommodation
should operate well to support
teaching and learning
Science – Teaching and Learning
Range of T&L styles, includes:
….. Practical work?
How much practical work?
Support areas for practical work?
Views on Practical Work
Architects / Local Authorities / Headteachers
Practical work takes up only 20% of time – therefore we
need only 1/5th of the number of labs.
Convenient – because finance, area guidelines, staffing and
timetables squeeze space and time allowances for science
National science guidance – QCA, ASE, Ofsted
Practical work should take place in up to 75% of science
lessons and access to practical areas is needed at any time
so that teachers can tailor T&L to pupils learning needs as
they progress.
The position of Practical Work in
Science
Work being done nationally at
STEM Higher Level Planning Group
and
DfES School Science Board
Looking at:
What is meant by practical work
How practical work enhances learning
Barriers to raising the quality of practical work
Design of Science Accommodation
…for….
• DfES – Building Bulletin 80, 2004
• CLEAPSS, Guide L14
• Laboratory Design for Teaching and
Learning project
www.ase.org.uk/ldtl/documents.html
• Labs for Learning course,
National Science Learning Centre
(+ spaces needed for experiments – later slides)
Design of Science Accommodation
…against….?
• Partnerships for Schools (Building Schools
for the Future)
Advises ‘Follow ASE / CLEAPSS’, but also
produces guidance pushing perimeter-only
services
• PPP / PFI
EiS, April 2007, article, page 20:
‘Are laboratories with peripheral benching safe and
fit for the purpose?’
Although:
LDTL images
Perimeter     can become Peninsula
‘Face the Front’
Means you can NOT
see all the pupils
Experiment – area required 1
NSLC
Experiment – area required 2
NSLC
Experiment – area required 3
NSLC
Best design happens when:
Architects, science teachers and technicians
talk together – and
- both sides are knowledgeable about
national advice on lab design – and
- whole-school leadership and management
is in accord with departmental ideas – and
- ‘Clients’ – ie the money – allows for good
standards of design and the time to make
this happen.
DSCF
(ex DfES)
Background Drivers
• Improve attainment levels in science;
• Encourage more young people to take science
at higher levels;
• Encourage more graduates to take up science
teaching.
What is project Faraday
• exemplar designs for
science labs to inspire
and encourage;
• designs for interactive
experiments;
• demonstration projects in
every Government region.
Project Faraday designs will
• inspire learners and
teachers;
• fully reflect the
requirements of the new
science curriculum;
• enable innovative and
interactive methods of
teaching science;
Project Faraday
Preliminary feedback suggests excellent joint
working with schools – with- some schools developing their ideas on T&L
very well in advance and as part of the design
– and - others learning a great deal from the
experience of working with their team of
designers.
Project Faraday
Issues the design teams were asked to look at:
• Effective spaces for science T&L, including
practical work
• Full exploitation of computer technology
• Alternative or multifunctional learning spaces
(eg lecture theatres, drama studios)
• The building itself as a teaching tool
• School grounds for support and variety
• Latest technologies from other disciplines
(eg museums)
• Interactive displays / experiments, maybe ‘built-in’
Project Faraday
The brief therefore:
- does not admit of the traditional science
department where there is 1 laboratory for each
science teacher
- assumes that something ‘jazzy’ is required to
make science more appealing to pupils (and
teachers?) than just the science itself
- insists that science moves out to link to other
areas of the school
Preliminary ideas
Lightly serviced space
Highly serviced space
Assembly space
from GovEd Consortium
Preliminary ideas
Practical and theory laboratories
from GovEd Consortium
Prep room and staff area – possibility of
combining these two?
Spaces becomes more specialised
the further away they are located
from the rest of the school
90sqm
Preliminary
ideas
Super Lab
78sqm
90sqm
shorter travel
distance; direct
access; clearer
sight lines
Vertical connection with
D&T exhibition space
provides opportunity for
long-term suspension
exhibits
Focus of the
space
Possible giant
suspended
projection screen
suspended from
ceiling
90sqm
24sqm
Folding wall between will
allow for these to be opened
up into one space
90sqm
56sqm
DEGW
Consortium
56sqm
Prep room between the
two Labs allows for easy
access into both
Locate these closest to
non-science areas, easier
access for other subjects
Science demonstration area: layout options
Preliminary
ideas
Non computerbased group
work
Non computerbased group
work
Half year demonstration
DEGW Consortium
Non computer based group
work in both spaces
Individual
computer work
(laptops and
desk tops)
Whole class
teaching and
computer-based
group work
(groups of 3
around laptops)
Mix of non- and computer-based
group work
Separate Prep and Staff Rooms
Preliminary ideas
DEGW Consortium
Zoning
Staff area adjoining
prep room improves
opportunities for
synergies between
all science staff
Direct access to
outside settings
Separate area for possible
whole class activity
work area to flow into glazed link
between the buildings
Informal individual study settings
or one-to-ones
Serviced classrooms provide
extra wet spaces for science
area and whole school; movable
wall separating both allows for
creation of one large studio
Preliminary
ideas
Extension of work area
provides more group work
opportunities
DEGW
Consortium
Highly serviced, movable bench
height tables, lab stools
Messaging and views along the
circulation path
Science work area
Preliminary
ideas
Demonstration podium
Smaller demonstration group (60 seats)
allows for further learning settings such as
laptop enabled group tables
Whole class teaching space each of the six snug seats five
people
Immersive thinking
space with
completely writable
whitewalls within
Fixed PC for
individual or
paired work
DEGW Consortium
soft seating and movable whiteboards to
enable discussions on thoughts generated
within
1. DEGW (concept designs)
2. White Design (architectural design)
3. Alligan – GovEd Communications
Allocation of Faraday teams to school
renewals:
Faraday Team
Local Authority
School
White Design
Devon
Bideford College
White Design
York
Joseph Rowntree
School
DEGW
Barnet
East Barnet
School,
DEGW
Wigan
Abraham Guest
Specialist
Alligan &
GovEd
Gloucestershire
Rednock School
Alligan &
GovEd
Plymouth
Estover
Community
Additional Demonstration Projects
refurbishments:
Region
LA
School
East
Peterborough
Kings School
West
Shropshire
Midlands
Mary Webb school &
science college
SE
Medway
Rinham Mark Grammar
SE
Reading
Kendrick School
SE
Surrey
Weydon School
NE
Northumberland
Cramlington High
School
East
Lincolnshire
Midlands
The Priory LSST
We (the DCSF) are
currently
investigating a CPD
model for teachers:
• to help schools
develop a better
educational brief
for their designers
• to help teachers
use the new
environments
effectively.
CPD
Programme & Key Milestones
• Summer 2007 – designs
proposals
• Autumn 2007 - An
inspirational publication
showing the exemplar
designs
• Autumn 2007 - Inform our
capital programmes
• From 2008 - Seven school
refurbishments
• From 2009 - Six whole
school-renewals
Advantages of team work
“We’re tremendously excited and overwhelmed by what
you’ve shown us. But we want to take it further. At present
the labs are too traditional. Some thoughts…
• There is no need for a demo area for teacher in the lab,
we will demo in the Work Area, the labs are for students to
work. If we need to show something we can always use a
students desk.
• The teacher needs a small area for personal
belongings/laptop dock.
• The teacher area should be in a corner.
• All benching to be removed from side and back.
• We really don’t want the benches in rows facing the front,
the teacher won’t be there!”
DEGW Consortium
Teaching & Learning organisation drives the
brief for the types of spaces you need
Centricity
High Teacher
Medium Learner
High Learner
Model
Traditional
Project
Based
Personalised
Student
Grouping
25-30
3-7
75-100
Teacher Org
Solo
Small Teams
Large Teams
Student Org
Classes
Team Space
Home Base
Time Structure
45-60 mins
1 hr to 0.5 day
0.5-1 day
Learning locations
Learning
on site
Physical core,
virtual anywhere
Anywhere,
any time
High number of separate
teaching spaces
DEGW Consortium
High number of
learning settings
Flexibility
Maximum teacher flexibility:
1 teacher, 1 group of pupils, 1 lab with all facilities
Large number of labs – with duplication of facilities
Easiest to timetable
Teachers can be independent of each other – can
make support of weak teachers difficult
Flexibility
Maximum space flexibility:
Different spaces for different learning needs – less labs
Range of different facilities – possibly wider range
Different sized groups of pupils – mass audiences, down
to individual learning
Needs whole-school support to timetable and manage
Teachers must work in teams – weak members can be
trained / or be a drag on others
Flexibility -- Other
Adaptable spaces
Services around perimeter only, or disconnectable so that everything
can be cleared away and the space used for other purposes
Lab with disconnectable bollards /
gallery for storing bollards under
King Charles I High School
Dr Nigel Collins
Use as lecture theatre
Flexibility -- Other
Easy change over time
Keep services out of the way
Make walls non-load bearing
Install cheap quality furniture
leading to……
Review use after five years and
refit for another purpose, or
refit to develop in light of Curriculum, T&L or ICT advances
Does rather assume that finance will be forthcoming every 5 years!
Architects help with ….
(and are constrained by …..)
• Building Regulations 2007
• Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 CDM
(Be aware …. teacher = ‘Designer’ – has Duties)
• Disability Discrimination Act DDA
• Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999
• Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment
Method
BREEAM
Teacher support …….
Knowledge and experience of Teaching and Learning
How this is affected by design of accommodation
Background in / from ……
• Science Accommodation in Secondary Schools, DfES BB80,
2004
• Designing an Planning Laboratories, CLEAPSS L14, 2000
• Laboratory Design for Teaching and Learning project
www.ase.org.uk/ldlt
introductions, further guidance, case studies + software
• Labs for Learning course, NAT25, NSLC
next course - 10th-12th December 2007
www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk
Future developments ?
• Project
Faraday – publication of designs and website
• CPD programme – working from Project Faraday
• Labs for Learning – advisers / consultants invited
• Labs for Learning – possible course(s) for architects
• LDTL website – continuing update
• Practical work – report from SSB / STEM HL Group
• Research into space needed for different experiments
• What constitutes GOOD science accommodation