How the application of environmentally sustainable design principles to new and refurbished school buildings results in healthy and productive learning environments while reducing energy costs over time

Play is a critical building block in all children’s development, offering learning, risk mitigation, movement, and key social interactions.In saying this there are several challenges we face when striving to provide engaging and unique play opportunities. This has allowed us to question if the very way children play, can be reinvented?We will explore how technology can be utilised to provide educational, active, engaging, inclusive and diverse play opportunities for children – whilst ensuring traditional values around play remain unchanged.Smart Play Technology adoption has grown exponentially over the past decade, as it offers a new, unique, and adaptable way for children to play.We will explore the past, present and future of these technologies, and how they can meaningfully contribute to the school environment.

School buildings have morphed from one-room schoolhouses with less than 10 students to complex multi-story buildings with innovative learning environments housing thousands of students. In order for innovative building design to be successful, a co-design approach to developing innovations that ‘fit’ into real learning contexts have important and measurable outcomes. Successful cooperation between academics, industry, policy, and schools, while taking into account the perspectives of those at the coalface, i.e. teachers and students, brings substantial benefits to the broader community, to schools, to teachers, but most importantly to the learning and outcomes of our students.

How the design of secondary schoolyards affects student perceptions of wellbeing. Spending time outdoors is good for us. It reduces stress, improves focus, promotes creativity and keeps us active.In high schools and colleges, the schoolyard provides students with a daily dose of green space. But do their designs empower students to reap the wellbeing benefits of time outside? Drawing on current research into the outdoor spaces of secondary schools, this presentation will provide attendees with information regarding:

• The evolving role of schoolyards in the era of covid and climate change
• The design impacts of schoolyards on the health and wellbeing of youth
• Research into adolescent perceptions and preferences of outdoor

Understanding what your school’s learning and teaching should look like is paramount in any learning space planning process.This Q&A session on designing an innovative learning space will provide practical and useful insights from working with architects and suppliers, through to understanding teaching models and how they can be applied.And let’s not forget the learners – how can student voice and choice positively impact on their learning outcomes.Join The Cathedral School’s Head of Junior School, Luke Baills, and Head of STEM, Ben Dallimore, together with Jo Turner, Furnware Sales Leader as they discuss the importance of collaboration during the consultation process.