18 June 2008
Parents and carers are being urged to look carefully at a school’s buildings when choosing where to send their children in a new information pack being published by an education charity.
A ‘Family guide to school environments’ is being launched at the start of National School Environments Week, which runs from 23 – 27 June. It’s packed full of advice and tips for adults and children on what to look out for in a school, from safety and security through to classroom design and furniture, ICT, outside spaces and school toilets.
Ty Goddard, director of the British Council for School Environments (BCSE), which is publishing the new guide, said:
“Teachers and parents are the key to our children doing well at school. But all the research shows that the buildings they learn in also have an impact – and we ignore that our peril.
“The reality is that children who are taught in light, airy classrooms with decent furniture and access to good outside spaces and decent loos learn better, and are happier, at school.
“The new pack highlights some of the main things families should be thinking about when it comes to school buildings, and also has some ideas about what to do if your current school buildings could use some improvement; teachers and other school staff often welcome new ideas and ways of doing things.”
Copies of the ‘Family guide to school environments’, and more information on National School Environments Week, can be downloaded from the BCSE’s website at www.bcse.uk.net.
