Physical and Architectural Learning Environment, Vol 1. Educational Spaces 21.Open up!.

Physical
and Architectural
Learning Environment
Educational Spaces 21.
Open up!
Vol. 1. 1

This publication has been elaborated as a part of the “Educational Spaces 21. Open up!”
project implemented by the Center for Citizenship Education Foundation in
cooperation with the THINK! Knowledge Society Foundation, the Gesellschaft zur
Förderung des Hanseatic Institute for Entrepreneurship and Regional Development an
der Universität Rostock e.V. and Rektorsakademien Utveckling AB, and funded by the
European Commission as a part of the ERASMUS+ programme.
The publication was partially funded by the European Commission. This book presents the
stance of the its authors only. The European Commission and the National Agency for the
Erasmus+ Programme are not responsible for the contents hereof.
PUBLICATION FREE OF CHARGE
Series coordinator: Katarzyna Górkiewicz
Content supervisors: Alicja Pacewicz, Agata Łuczyńska, Marcin Polak, Małgorzata Polak
Content editing: Marcin Polak
Translation: Karolina Broś, Iga Kolasa, Dorota Budkiewicz, Natalia Charitonow,
Klementyna Dec
Text editing and proofreading: Karolina Broś
Graphic design and typesetting: Marta Przybył
Cover photo: Marcin Polak
License: Creative Commons Attribution CC-BY International 4.0
Warsaw 2016
ISBN 978-83-65457-19-6
2

Physical
and Architectural
Learning Environment
Educational Spaces 21.
Open up!
Vol. 1.

4
CONTENTS
5 INTRODUCTION
10 DESIGNING SCHOOL SPACE (TOGETHER)
18 IN SEARCH OF AN OPTIMUM LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
26 SCHOOL BUILDING AS A FRIENDLY, LEARNING ENABLING PLACE
28 School as a Second Home
30 The Pupils Change School Space
32 How to Change the Learning Environment in a School Aged 50+?
34 Changing the School Space Together -
the School Community Potential
36 Environment-friendly School Buildings
38 LEARNING SPACE OF THE CLASSROOM
40 You Want a Change? Start with Desks
42 Classrooms Stimulating Talent Development
44 Flexible Classroom Space
46 The Space Stimulating Co-operation of Students
48 “Quiet in class!”
50 Let Students Decide
52 A Classroom for a Particular Subject?

54 SPACE STIMULATING CO-OPERATION AMONG TEACHERS
56 Organisation of the Staff Room

5
58 Merged Classrooms and Teachers’ Co-operation
60 Creative Space for Teachers
62 SHARED SPACES - HOW TO USE THEM FOR EDUCATION?
64 The First Impression – Entering the School
66 School Corridors and Yards
68 Good Ideas for After School Classrooms
72 New Spaces for Reading
76 Stairway to Knowledge
78 STUDY CORNERS, NICHES, NOOKS AND RECESSSES AT SCHOOL
80 Micro-Spaces for Studying at School
86 A School that Remembers
88 Making Use of Rooms and Cellars
90 Informal Learning

92 AROUND THE SCHOOL
94 Science Picnics in the Schoolyard
96 Garden – Where the Learning Blooms
98 Movement-Inspiring Space
100 Art in the School Space

105 ON DESIGNING A SCHOOL – INTERVIEW WITH AN ARCHITECT
110 CONCLUSIONS
112 REFERENCES

6
INTRODUCTION
Usually when we think about educational spa-
ces, what comes to our minds is the architec-
ture of a school building. For many a modern
school is synonymous with beautiful architectu-
re. Physical space has significant influence on
the quality of education. However, even a sta-
te-of-the-art and elegant school building is not
enough to determine that a given facility offers
top-class contemporary education. As in the case
of a school abundant in education technologies,
an architecturally stylish school may, too, be a
place where the education methodology applied
is absolutely outdated and non-compliant with
the realities of the 21st century pedagogy. The
beauty of a school should lie not in its architectu-
re but rather in solutions building a rich learning
environment at school and stimulating the moti-
vation to learn among pupils in various ways.

7
Hence, the organisation of physical space and
building architecture that allows the best use of
the attending pupils’ potential still poses a chal-
lenge for the quality of education. In theory, one
could study anywhere but the question is whether
the results will be the same everywhere and in all
possible circumstances. The way technology and
the Internet are currently changing social life also
affects the manner in which educational spaces are
(re)defined and how they can be (re)organised to-
day. The place and form of coexistence with other
people in educational environment are not insignif-
icant for the entire learning process.
Throughout history, people have been learning and
gaining new skills in different situations that were
often similar or typical. One person would meet
another and learn something from them... People
would learn on the spot, where learners happened
to be. Most of the time that environment would not
include a space limited by walls or other structures.
After all, for a great part of history of human civili-
sation, there were no schools of general education
understood as a school buildings or sets of rooms
where multiple pupils would be taught at the same
time, according to a specified educational system.
This is, by all means, a relatively recent human “in-
vention”. As a consequence of the requirements
that industrial society has imposed, schools, too,
became “manufacturing plants producing gradu-
ates,” employees needed in the industry. And, un-
fortunately, in numerous cases, they still play such
a role today, in the era of information society. Is the
traditional school really a good place to learn? Will
pupils learn efficiently in every educational space?
It is doubtful.
School consists of places and people, i.e. among
other things, relationships we build. The conditions
must be right for great things to happen. We have
all probably heard about scientists and inventors
who had conceived some brilliant ideas outside
of their offices and laboratories, somewhere else,
where they would find refuge in their search for a
better atmosphere for contemplation, work and
inspiration. We should look at schools, too, from
a similar perspective – does it always have to be a
classroom where pupils are meant to learn? Per-
haps it does not. Perhaps it should be a classroom
divided or organised differently, or maybe more
open? This is no call for tearing down the walls of
a classroom or school and searching for a differ-
ent organisation of learning in space; however, we
should ponder whether that school space could be
a house for a better, richer and more stimulating
learning environment.
The issue of the organisation of learning space has
been studied by many outstanding educators. Ru-
dolf Steiner, Maria Montessori or Célestin Freinet
were advocates of adjusting the classroom to the
children rather than the other way round. “The
most important task of a teacher is to provide the
pupil with the so-called prepared environment as
personality is developed through interaction with
the surrounding environment,” claimed Maria Mon-
tessori1
.
The surrounding space influences the manner of
learning and the effectiveness of acquiring knowl-
edge. An interesting point of view was presented
in 1999 (and subsequently developed) by David
D. Thornburg, an American researcher and futur-

8
ist, the author of “Campfires in Cyberspaces”, a
renowned book in the Anglo-Saxon world2
. Thorn-
burg was inspired to deliberate about educational
space by technological development. He started
to think how a school of the future could look in
a few dozen years and what foundations it should
be based on given that it was rather certain that
we would be surrounded by new technologies
everywhere. Thornburg came to the conclusion
that even in a world swelling with technology, one
could define certain primary metaphors of space
which should coexist, so that we could learn – he
claimed that it would still contain symbolic camp-
fires (hence the book title).
Based on anthropological research (Gregory Bate-
son’s works, among others) and his deliberations
about the primary processes of learning, he pro-
posed that educational space should be organised
in a way that offers a given community of pupils the
possibility of coexistence with other people in vari-
ous educational situations. He indicated three such
situations, which were subsequently supplemented
by two further ones:
THE WATERING HOLE – a place where
diversity meets (different people with
different views). We come here to refill our bodies
with energy and minds with ideas together, to in-
spire each other with new concepts. Everyone can
be both a student and a teacher here.
THE CAVE – we retire to the cave when we
want to flee the noise and peers, when we
need to think, have some rest and be alone for a
while, to focus on ourselves and on our thoughts.
Here, we deliberate about questions, content and
relationships.
CAMPFIRE – this is where we all gather,
sit down together and listen to stories,
talk and exchange opinions and information, work
as a group on their own ideas.
SANDPIT/LABORATORY – this is a place
for doing experiments, for making at-
tempts and mistakes; a safe place where we do not
worry about disorder and mess.
MOUNTAIN TOP/STAGE – here, we share
our knowledge and information with a
number of other people, we show our potential
and strengths, and internally – we discover our
weaknesses.
Let’s take a moment to think: have we ever in
our lives been to such symbolic places... Perhaps
on the Internet? Can we find such places in our
schools?
Do we have a problem with school space? Many
people will probably say we don’t; after all, there
are plenty of wonderful, new school buildings
where one can learn all right. But is it not a mere
illusion? Perhaps all we look at is the brickwork and
what we cannot see is that education is not always
thriving inside.
This may be a bit exaggerated, however... “let’s im-
agine a typical Polish school – probably one of the
schools built under communism, around 50 years
ago – where classrooms are furnished with rows
of desks and corridors are empty, with brownish
green dado on the walls and dark grey linoleum
on the floor... Is it possible to do anything creative
in such space? Can the dirty and stinking restroom
become the Cave and the sports field, where it is
forbidden for children to play, the Watering Hole?
And then there are all those “stop running,” “don’t
argue,” and “no talking” instructions. There is no
space here for expression or co-operation either
for pupils or for the teachers. A typical teachers’
room is as poor a Watering Hole as a classroom.
And if the teachers have no place to learn, how are
pupils supposed to do that? A general concept is
popular among educators that if someone wished
to design a space most unfavourable for creativ-
ity, a typical local state school would provide a
satisfying solution... Łukasz Badowski has recently
written on the Wyborcza.pl portal3
.

INTRODUCTION
9
“The real problem which contemporary education
has yet to address is the fact that school space is
unappreciated,” maintains Professor Aleksander
Nalaskowski, from the Nicolaus Copernicus Uni-
versity in Toruń4
. “It is a challenge for educators,
as it is them who are to become content inves-
tors of school spaces and places... who ought to
have most influence on the architects, artists and
designers working on the school architecture but
also on the existing school community itself – as
we can and we should also change things that
have already been designed. The pupils also have
to participate in the entire process – school build-
ings mostly satisfy the expectations of parents and
teachers but almost totally omit pupils’ desires,”
adds professor Nalaskowski.
This guidebook can serve as a valuable source of
inspiration and ideas regarding the organisation
of physical school space which may help us make
learning environment rich in educational situations
and thus stimulate faster and more in-depth devel-
opment of the pupils attending.
Have a nice reading!
MARCIN POLAK,
Think! Foundation & Edunews.pl, Poland

10
DESIGNING SCHOOL
SPACE (TOGETHER)
As recently as a few dozen years ago building edu-
cational facilities was strictly related to industry de-
velopment. Schools were erected one after another
in order to quickly create institutions “producing”
future plant workers. By way of example, in 1959-
1972 in Poland a school building campaign was
organised on the occasion of the one-thousandth
anniversary of the establishment of the Polish
state, as a result of which 1,417 new schools were
erected5
. All of them were designed in line with one
of several standard projects (they were mostly 2
or 3-storey buildings) adjusted to local conditions
(they were constructed from prefabricated pieces of
walls and roofs prepared on the construction sites6
).
Nobody asked or consulted anyone about what the
school should look. As one of the designers, Tade-
usz Binek says: “What really mattered back then
was that the schools were to be built fast. They had
to be cheap and functional.7
”

11
Today most countries may boast developed school
infrastructure, which must be continuously extend-
ed by adding new facilities due to the current de-
mographic trends. However, the world has changed
– now, the services sector is prevailing in market
economy and identical “standard” graduates are
no longer required; quite the contrary, employees
today should vary, have diversified competencies,
talents and types of intelligence. We cannot build
schools and other educational facilities according
to the same pattern pattern used in the past any
longer. Educational spaces must support multifac-
eted children and youth development if we want
them to be successful in personal and professional
lives in the 21st century.
Designing space is a process that at a first glance
seems too complex and problematic for people not
equipped with appropriate knowledge and expe-
rience to be involved. Not to mention the children
as they have no idea about “adults’ business”. One
could not be more wrong...
Fountain of co-operation
In 2006 in Bristol, South-Western England, in a small
state primary school Luckwell, people started think-
ing about enriching the school premises with a new
object, a fountain, which could serve children’s ed-
ucation. The idea, as an educational innovation,
was enrolled on a competition held by Futurelab, a
research and development institute dealing with in-
novations in the field of education. But what kind of
fountain should it be? Where should it be installed?
Who is going to design it? What features should it
have? At the very beginning, the most important
decision was made: children from our school are to
be engaged in the project; let them speak out what
kind of fountain they want, where they want it to
stand, what they would like to do around it and how
it should help them study.
And so an educational experiment emerged,
known as Fountaineers project, in which three in-
stitutions were engaged: Luckwell Primary School,
Futurelab Institute and Stakeholder Design (a com-
pany proposing solutions designed to overcome
various limitations in public space) . The assump-
tion made at the very beginning was crucial for the
performance of the project. Although formally the
three above institutions designed the new object
on the school premises, it was the children (aged
5 to 11) who were the “owners” of the fountain and
who made the most important decisions in the
project: how it should look, what it should be used
for, how they want to interact with it, how they will
tend to it and manage it.
The timing of the experiment was not accidental –
at the time, in the United Kingdom a heated debate
was held about the government program Building
Schools for the Future, in which the government allo-
cated GBP 45 billion to building and reconstructing
schools of schools. By carrying out the Fountaineers
project the organisers wanted to draw the attention
of schools in the UK to the role and place of chil-
dren in the process of designing or reconstruction
of schools, as the actual school “owners” and its
principal users.

12
The Fountain in Luckwell school was launched dur-
ing a festive ceremony in July 2008. But before that,
the entire school community (exactly 208 pupils and
14 teachers) had been engaged in the design process
(this was the key objective of the project). The chil-
dren played the roles of researchers, co-designers,
advisors and engineers; they worked together with
external designers and experts. The result of their
work was not supposed to be just an “ordinary”
fountain. The children, in co-operation with adults,
designed an interactive and programmable smart
fountain working based on movement, sound and
touch sensors steering the water movement in differ-
ent manners. They were able to converge an average
object often present in public space into a state-of-
the-art educational tool, which can be used during
a number of lessons.
A state primary school in Hellerup near Copenha-
gen (Denmark) was also created in dialogue with the
school community9
. The school opened in 2002 and
it is significantly different from the usual image of a
school. That school has no traditional classrooms,
it is located on three storeys with a large common
space (a major role is played by grandiose stairs lead-
ing to the upper floors), and it was organised so as to
resemble a house. 750 children aged 5 to 14 attend
that school. Usually, three groups of 25 pupils share
one space: an open space arranged in various ways, a
kitchen and a teachers’ room. Shared classes are held
in the so-called home bases, which are hexagonal
approx. 2-metre wide platforms around which pupils
gather. Group and individual activities are carried out
in countless places in the open space. One could get
the impression that it is another example of a school
designed by some creative architects and designers.
The Gentofte commune authorities were the investor.
The commune initiated and carries out a two-year
dialogue between all the stakeholders: the parents,
pupils, teachers, local authorities, architects and de-
signers. The later project was the result of that co-op-
eration and long hours of discussion. A lot of concepts
were conceived that were subsequently used in the
project – e.g. the hexagonal home bases were a solu-
tion suggested by the teachers who tested it with the
pupils . The learning environment here bears a resem-
blance to home because home is a place that is the
closest to the pupils10
of a primary school11
.
Of course, there are more examples of involving the
school community in designing educational spac-
es similar to those presented above. They can be
found in almost every country, at schools of vari-
ous sizes and providing education at different lev-
els. Both instances described above show that a
school community can be a valuable participant
in the process of designing leraning spaces. As the
example of Fountaineers suggests, the participation
of pupils and teachers may not only concern large
investments (building or reconstruction of a school)
but also some elements of school premises. We can
easily imagine various situations in the school life
where the engagement of the school community in
the design process could bring significant benefits
beyond the “construction and renovation matters”:
1. Painting elevation – perhaps it could feature a
mural devised by pupils?
2. Furnishing niches in the corridors – perhaps
pupils could design relax, integration or studying
zones there?
3. Replacement of pavement tiles on the school
premises–thenewsurfacecouldfeatureground
chessboards or tic-tac-toe grids, or hopscotch
courts, etc.
4. Painting school walls–inplaceofoneimposed
colour pupils could enliven the school interior
with paintings or relief sculptures of their own.
5. Embellishment of lawns with flower beds
and bushes – pupils could also be given an op-
portunity to design educational gardens where
they could study.
Benefits from the inclusive design
model
Designing educational spaces (as well as the public
ones) should assume broad inclusion of all stake-
holders. In particular, pupils should participate in

DESIGNINGSCHOOLSPACE(TOGETHER)
13
the process as it is them who spend long hours at
school (are they not the true “owner” of schools?).
Their participation from the very beginning ena-
bles real and responsible engagement of learners in
shaping the educational environment, which helps
them acquire important experience. Learners may be
presented with different proposals of involvement in
the design process – from consultations (minimum
involvement) to real inclusion in planning, decision
making and concept evaluation processes as well as
deciding about the final shape of a given object or
elements of school premises. The broader the inclu-
sion the better for the final result, which subsequent-
ly translates into studying results.
The Fountaineers project described above was very
thoroughly investigated and recorded12
. So, an inter-
active fountain was built, but is that all? What were
the observations? Here are the most essential con-
clusions:
• Learners and teaching. Involvement of pupils
and teachers revealed a huge potential which
had not been utilised before. Both the teachers
and children made valuable intellectual contri-
butions in the project as learners as well as ex-
perts and researchers. The tools, approaches and
educational strategies were substantially extend-
ed, whichmadelearningmorethorough,authen-
tic and significant for the children. They proved
that they are capable of undertaking huge chal-
lenges, participating in design projects, solving
problems and managing works which form part
of the learning process. Their motivation and
quality of learning improved.
• Change of behaviour and roles. Allowing the
children to speak out, make decisions and con-
trol the learning process gave the teachers the
opportunity to look at their pupils, their talents
and relationships they build with adults from a
different perspective. Traditional transmission
models in teaching were replaced with new ap-
proaches along with new roles for the teachers:
as co-designers, assistants or merely modera-
tors (facilitators) streamlining the learning pro-
cess among children. The project proved to be
a true accelerator of didactic changes at school
since teachers started transferring their own
experiences from the project to their lessons.
According to the teachers from that school, be-
ing a co-designer of the fountain turned out to
be beneficial both to the teaching staff and the
pupils. The teachers were surprised by the scale
of children’s engagement and their input in the
project. Actually it was them (children aged 5
and 11!) who managed the project and had the
largest impact on the looks and functionality of
the fountain.
• Educational innovation. Changes in the be-
haviour and roles of the teachers and pupils
encouraged the teachers to look at the curric-
ulum from a different angle and introduce a
more holistic vision of education. As a result,
after the project was completed, the teaching
staff re-evaluated the previous teaching concept
and came up with a new one focusing on the
development of versatile competencies of pu-
pils, including creativity and innovativeness. As
Sue Roberts, a teacher at Luckwell, comment-
ed “the collaborative approach to teaching and
learning in the project proved so good and ef-
fective that we decided to use that method to
a larger extent in the curriculum. (...) We will
systematically introduce a curriculum focusing
on skill development and putting the pupil in
the centre, with the fountain model as its inte-
gral element. 13
“Consequently, they abandoned
subject-based teaching and started addressing
more comprehensive topics using knowledge
from different fields and focusing on the devel-
opment of skills and competencies of the pu-
pils. In the new concept, pupils became more
responsible for their learning.
• Learning space. A natural discovery of the
project included new spaces beyond the class-
rooms where pupils could successfully learn.
The learning space grew significantly, as the
school opened to and launched broader col-
laboration with the local community. Thanks

14
to the fountain, teachers looked at the rooms
where the children were learning before from a
different perspective.
One of the experiment initiators, Sean McDougall
from Stakeholder Design summarised the Foun-
taineers project as follows: “the aim of the project
was to expand educational experiences and vari-
ous learning styles demonstrated by pupils so as
to reinforce school’s relationships with the exter-
nal world. The smart fountain enables children
as young as 5 to learn and develop such skills as
teamwork, problem solving, communication and
perseverance in pursuing their goals. By making the
decision to involve the future users of the fountain
in the design process, we proved that children are
actually capable of participating in and co-man-
aging complex projects and, at the same time, we
revealed major truths about children’s educational
needs in the 21st century.14
”
For the sake of every project regarding educational
spaces, it proves sensible to include learners in the
works at every stage of the design. This also provides
the pupils with an opportunity to acquire a series of
educational experiences, including better under-
standing of: the design process, landscape design,
project management, graphical design, ecology
and sustainable development, as well as financing.
Co-operation during the design process stimulates
the development of listening and reading skills, criti-
cal thinking and communication. On the other hand,
teachers and guardians can develop their mediation,
moderation and mentoring skills as well as the abili-
ty to give feedback15
.
Foundations of good design
What recommendations could be derived from the
experiences of the projects mentioned above? Ed-
ucational space constitutes an activity area of an
educational facility requiring a thorough approach:
a bird’s eye view on the educational institution; long-
term thinking; engagement of the entire school com-
munity and striking a consensus regarding the way
that space should look like; adjustment of the curric-
ulum; integration of educational technology with the
formal and informal process of learning; selection of
decorations and fittings, as well as determination of
interaction patterns with the external world. Our
schools need to develop a serious approach to de-
signing educational space in the spirit of collabo-
ration among multiple subjects and integration of
numerous pedagogical and social concepts. The
vision of that space should be supported by organi-
sational culture, theory of learning and participation
of the school community in creating it (as well as
shared responsibility for its final version) irrespec-
tive of whether building a new facility is concerned
or reconstruction, development or renovation of an
existing one.
If the aim of the process of building a new school or
reconstruction/modernisation of an existing one is
to boost effectiveness and improve quality of learn-
ing, some fundamental principles in the design pro-
cess should be defined as follows16
:
1. Flexibility (support)
• Multiple users and multiple potential applica-
tions.
• Diversified learning environments – physical,
virtual and mixed.
• A possibility of space arrangement and re-ar-
rangement.
2. Inclusion (adjustment)
• Access and the chance to participate for all
• Addressing local needs (i.a. the demographic
ones).
• Individualised learning.
3. Co-operation (creating opportunities)
• Team learning and team projects.
• Involvement of experts.

15
• Using local networks, partnerships and learning
communities.
4. Creativity (achievements)
• Commitment, innovativeness and learning.
• Social and ecological harmony.
• Increase of the social capital.
5. Efficiency (delivery)
• Learning faster and more thoroughly.
• Sustainable and cost-efficient tools and fittings.
• Effective management and administration.
In the process of designing educational spaces the
behaviour of the ordering party is crucial, which, in
the case of a school, is represented by public institu-
tions, e.g. local authorities.
Unfortunately, the behaviour pattern of a public
ordering party is quite standard and widespread
throughout Europe: motivated investment need –
application for funds – acquiring funds – announce-
ment of a call for bids from contractors – selection
of a contractor – project – possibly community con-
sultations – carrying out the investment – putting
the investment to use. The above pattern usually
allows for minimum or even illusive participation on
the part of stakeholders. In most cases, there is not
enough time for each of the steps as calls for bids
and tender procedures have their own demands
and time limits. This primarily concerns such invest-
ments as building a new school or reconstruction/
development of an existing one. However, it must
be stressed that an ordering party that does not
only care about the quality of school infrastructure
but also about the quality of education at that fa-
cility can and should always find a way to include
the school community in the design process. It is all
about deepening the planning process and thinking
at which stages the voice of the school community
may constitute a significant contribution in the pro-
ject. Most of the time this can be done at no cost,
within the deadlines set by the procedures if only
there is a will of co-operation among the officials.
It must be borne in mind that, in the majority of
cases, the proposed investments and solutions are
supposed to enable a given educational facility in a
particular local community to educate the youth for
many years to come. Therefore, it is worth devoting
more time and thought at the very beginning of the
project and discussing the idea, the initial concept
and then the project and the plan of its implemen-
tation.
The reality shows that designing educational space
is a huge challenge for the both designers and the
educational institutions. There is a real threat that
proposed solutions will have little to offer in terms
of modern and multifunctional educational space
beyond the visual impression. This has been con-
firmed by experiences gathered in the course of a
British government program Building Schools for
the Future, when it turned out that there were not
enough designers with sufficient knowledge in the
field of education or that the involvement of the
school staff in the design process was too scarce
for the ambitious plan of building/reconstruction
of modern schools17
. Insufficient or no participa-
tion of the school community in such a discussion
may lead to repeating solutions developed in the
industrial era (in other words, to the reproduction
Many of the schools that are being
built are unsuited to the changing
future pedagogy, curriculum and
learner expectations that we can
already anticipate. They also lack
the agility to cope with further
anticipated changes that we
cannot yet know in detail.
- Stephen Heppell18
.

16
of a school which those architects and designers at-
tended, with just a slightly more up-to-date design)
or to emergence of facilities which have a modern
and original external look but whose interiors may
prove inadequate for an educational facility or have
defects seriously hampering the school’s day-to-
day work.
That is why the first stage of work, i.e. the concep-
tual one, is so crucial. At that moment, discussion
should be initiated (even in a small group) regard-
ing the place of the school in the community, taking
into consideration a few dozen years’ perspective.
It is also the time to ask several key questions and
to find answers to them. Such a discussion should
cover in detail the vision of the school (new, re-
constructed or developed), ideally understood as
an “open school of the 21st century.” A discussion
should also be held in the case of modernisation of
existing buildings. Educational visions developed in
a broader group of people help to implement the
intended purposes and better understand the chal-
lenges that are to be faced in the future by pupils
attending a particular school. In the case of reno-
vation and less complex works, a discussion should
also precede decisions taken by the school princi-
pal. For every type of works performed at schools
we should try to remain open to the voice of the
most important users of the educational space at
school.
How can pupils be effectively included
in the design process?
Bearing in mind fruitful co-operation, particularly
with the younger pupils, it is worth taking into con-
sideration at least some of the suggestions below19
:
• Provide a wide range of resources, media and
contexts through which children can convey
their thoughts, ideas and opinions.
• Provide compelling and engaging tasks. Give
clear instructions but allow children adequate
space for their own exploration of ideas.
• Provide templates and guides to all activities.
Make the message clear and the language ap-
propriate in all channels of communication with
the design process participants.
• Allow the children to make their contribution in
the project taking into account their own styles
and individual preferences.
• Ensure a range of activities for children to work
alone, in pairs and small groups, as well as
whole-class activities.
• Thoroughly “read” children’s responses – this is
not only about what they are trying to say, but
also about the way they convey it and the things
they focus on.
• Give children meaningful activities that have a
tangible impact on the project’s success.
• Communicate to children that their views, ide-
as and thoughts are valued and central for the
project.
• Demonstrate how children’s participation im-
pacts design decisions and celebrate this.
• Engage children in reflective processes about
the learning process, problems and issues, and
value what has been learnt.
• -Celebrate achievements and communicate
and promote them as much as possible.
Space supporting education
The school is a space where one can design a most
wonderful learning environment. The school build-
ing itself and the surrounding school premises may
be designed as educational tools rather than simply
physical spaces in which children learn. The green
areas around the school may be transformed into a
botanical garden where every pupil will have an op-
portunity to make observations and measurements
or compare his or her real world observations to the
things they learn in the school building. Similarly, a
vegetable garden could be used in school educa-

17
tion as a practical tool allowing children to absorb
the educational contents much more effectively.
Actually, the physical space of the school could be
filled with dozens or even hundreds of various edu-
cational tools. By way of example, the arrangement
of lamps on the ceiling of the school corridor could
reflect one of the major constellations that can
be observed at night; walls, floors and doors may
feature different geometric shapes helping, solve
mathematical problems; a school sundial could be
used during a geography class; a selection of quotes
would support the understanding of the cultural di-
versity in the world, etc.
However, it must be remembered that learner mo-
tivation is the key end product of the entire design
process. Creating spaces facilitating effective learn-
ing requires a holistic approach, open dialogue with
all crucial stakeholders at school and, in particular,
with pupils and teachers.
MARCIN POLAK,
Think! Foundation & Edunews.pl,
Poland

18
IN SEARCH OF AN
OPTIMUM LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
For many years all over the world various
scientific studies have been carried out in or-
der to determine answer the question which
factors have a positive impact on learning
and which can inhibit this process. Resear-
chers wonder, among other things, whether a
properly organised physical school space (e.g.
room size, proper equipment) and the so cal-
led school atmosphere can boost educational
achievements.

19
The correlation between learning achievements
and the physical learning space is influenced by
many variables, both tangible (i.e. the quality of air
and light, the amount of space per student, num-
ber of pupils per computer, etc.) and intangible
(the culture of the school, the culture of learning
in the classroom, belonging to a community, per-
sonal effectiveness). An optimal learning process is
also influenced by personal relationships between
teachers and pupils.
Research and the analysis of research conducted
by Australian scientists have shown no direct re-
lationship between educational space and its use
by learners and their educational achievements
(such conclusion can be drawn, inter alia, from
prof John Hatties’ meta-analysis)20
Nevertheless, a
properly organised space creates specific learning
conditions and relations that may affect individual
educational attainment depending on the combi-
nations of a variety of factors.
Which factors of the learning environment affect
student performance? Scientists agree only on a
few that are basic21
:
• acoustics / noise,
• temperature and humidity,
• air quality (indoor and outdoor),
• ventilation and air flow,
• light.
All other factors may also have some impact on the
quality of learning but here, significant differences
in opinion can be observed among the researchers.
This applies, among other things, to.:
• colors,
• aesthetics,
• classroomandlabequipment(furniture,presenta-
tiontools,computerequipment,software,etc.),
• size of the school,
• class size,
• health and safety regulations.
In light of the foregoing it may be prudent to cite the
practical approach to the educational space pre-
sented by the authors of the report “Optimal Learn-
ing Spaces Design Implications for Primary Schools”,
who analysed dozens of factors affecting the qual-
ity of the space in which primary school pupils are
taught.22
Searching for optimal solutions for the or-
ganisation of school learning spaces, they proposed
to divide the factors that affect the comfort of pupils
and the quality of learning into three groups: natu-
ralness, individualisation, level of stimulation
Naturalness – as human beings we have some ba-
sic expectations towards a given space, which re-
sult from our basic needs (air, light, security); within
this group those that are essential for the quality of
learning are:

20
• Complexity of the visual space (diversity of
the noticeable elements in our environment
that does not lead to the perception of space
as cramped and lacking order; this results from
the level of organisation (order, cohesion) of the
space, increasing the sense of transparency and
familiarity with the environment;
• Color (color perception in the environment al-
ways carries a visual, social and symbolic mean-
ing; the color of a space has a great impact on
the psychological reactions of people and their
well-being);
• Texture (refers to visible characteristics of the
materials used in a given space; it is one of the
most important elements in the design, next to
color - a proper combination of hard and soft
surfaces allows to shape the internal and exter-
nal space and give them naturalness).
The above spatial features should be combined
with practical planning solutions at the design
stage. On the one hand, they should be analysed in
relation to the key elements of the design and their
location in space: place, setting up / orientation on
the map, layout, appearance ), windows. On the
other hand, they should be adapted to the space in
question, which should be arranged according to a
specific architectural plan: room layout, circulation
/ flow of people between the rooms, location and
functions of school outdoor areas (areas outside
the building).
SCRI report authors suggest that the designers
(that is, in the broad sense, all those who under-
take actions to change the school space) pay at-
tention to all of the above factors:
1. Light:
• Location of the school - location of the school
in relation to elements of the natural landscape
(i.e. a hill or tall trees obstructing the light) and
other public infrastructure in the immediate vi-
cinity (i.e. the proximity of high-rise buildings);
• Light (exposure to daylight, which supports our
visual comfort and makes it easier to visualise
actions);
• Sound (conditions suitable for listening to ex-
pected sounds, i.e. teacher instructions, and
absorbing the unexpected (i.e. noise);
• Temperature (maintaining a balance between
warmth and coolness to ensure optimal learn-
ing conditions);
• Air quality (fresh air supply, dehumidification,
removal of odours and pollutants).
Individualisation – every brain develops differently,
therefore not everyone learns in the same way; from
this group the following were extracted:
• Selecting the optimal learning space (based
on personality traits and the perception of phys-
ical space, a thought process during which an
assessment of the size, shape and height of dif-
ferent spaces and their suitability to perform a
given task is made);
• Space flexibility (the design of a space that
allows you to adapt it to the changing condi-
tions and tasks by reducing or increasing the
personalisation that allows for the execution of
different tasks within reasonable time and cost);
• Connection(enablingtheconnectionofdifferent
learning spaces in the framework of one learning
environment, in particular the organisation of
routes between school buildings and other ele-
ments of infrastructure and their immersion in
local communities to benefit pupils. This should
also concern the connection to the virtual space
- a factor ensuring that targets are achieved and
that the principle of inclusiveness is applied.
Level of stimulation – the space should not dis-
tract us, however, it may stimulate our behaviours,
and thereby learning; in this group attention was
given to three subgroups:

INSEARCHOFANOPTIMUMLEARNINGENVIRONMENT
21
for a minimum of 2-3 hours a day (pay atten-
tion to external objects obstructing the light).
The main educational spaces should be ori-
ented towards the South-East or the South-
West.
• Layout - an inadequate arrangement of the
planned educational spaces inside the build-
ing can lead to overheating (greenhouse effect)
or under-heating (non-optimal use of natural
sunlight) the premises. Sometimes design
failures may be caused by wrongly planned
interior walls. The project should also ensure
a proper circulation of warm air masses inside
the building.
• Windows - the larger the window, the more
natural light enters the room, but it also in-
creases heat loss. Also the design of the win-
dow itself is of significance (one-, two-, or
three-layer) and it should be adapted to each
room both in terms of climatic conditions and
geographical orientation (different ranges of
sunlight exposure).
4. Air quality:
• Orientation – classrooms should be oriented
in relation to the natural air movements in a way
that allows the access of fresh air in classrooms.
Note that you do not only need to focus on the
external emissions of odours/contaminated air
but also setting the location of, e.g. the cafete-
ria in relation to the classrooms (they should
be leeward so the food smells don‘t roam the
school, but are removed instead in a natural
way by the air movements)
• Windows - when choosing the windows we
should make sure that they are formed by
several modules so as to allow to increase/
decrease ventilation in the classroom depend-
ing on the weather conditions outside and the
needs associated with fresh air (i.e. it is worth
to plan smaller modules in the top part of the
window in high wind conditions). The design of
• Orientation - natural light should distribute
optimally in the classrooms, by way of direct or
diffuse light;
• Windows - should be large (even from the floor
to ceiling) to ensure optimal light exposure in
classrooms (and heat in colder climate zones);
at the same time you need to pay attention to
the need of shading of the areas if we plan to
use educational technology; we should also pay
attention to the greenhouse effect (too much
sunlight together with poor ventilation and air
conditioning increases the temperature and
makes it difficult to focus).
2. Sound:
• School location - it is important to create a
buffer zone of noise sources in the area, such
as a busy street (row of trees, school play-
grounds). Classrooms should have such a lo-
cation on the project that pupils are not dis-
tracted by outside noise.
• Layout - it is also important to minimise the
noise inside the building. The layout of the
rooms should be designed so that, for example,
open educational spaces, common grounds,
(i.e. the cafeteria) are covered by structures or
noise absorbing elements (i.e. corridors or re-
strooms may be such a buffer zone).
• Rooms - ensuring proper acoustics in the class-
rooms should lead to the application of sound
proofing elements on the floors (or their parts)
against, e. g. high heels clanking sounds, or the
collapse of heavy objects. One can reflect on
bringing carpets back to the classroom, as well
as using sliding elements (i.e. screens), which
will help to divide the classroom into separate
individual work zones.
3. Temperature:
• Orientation - sunlight should naturally heat
school buildings, especially the classrooms,

22
the building should enable free use of windows
to regulate the temperature inside (they should
be opened easily).
• Mechanical ventilation - although this has
not been mentioned in the SCRI report, in is
worth remembering the benefits of mechan-
ical ventilation in schools. For example, in
the so-called passive construction methods
in which the window can not be opened, air
circulation is usually provided by means of
mechanical ventilation with heat recovery
(we describe such a project at length later in
the book). In this way, 70-80% of the inside air
is replaced in the building every hour, which
means that the pupils and teachers are con-
stantly provided with fresh and clean air in
the classrooms23
.
5. Choice:
• Rooms – space-space diversity in the class-
room allows pupils to better adapt to the
space in accordance with individual prefer-
ences (i.e. some small children are not capa-
ble of sitting for long at tables but they will
manage perfectly to study on the carpet). The
space should be interesting and engaging
for pupils but at the same time give them a
sense of comfort. On the one hand this con-
cerns possible settings of the same classroom
but on the other also the design of zones in
the classroom tailored to the needs of pupils
(for example, an individual work corner or a
conversation corner, or a corner for observing
what is happening outside).
6. Flexibility:
• Rooms – the space should be flexible enough
to allow to conduct diversified classes. When
creating your design it is worth paying attention
to the size of the school premises but also to
their character - whether it would be composed
of open spaces, half-open spaces or closed
spaces (as traditional classrooms), covered
(enclosed by walls) or transparent (at least one
inside wall made out of glass), etc. The room
should be large enough to be able to organise
different activity zones within it (i.e. work as a
whole class, in small groups, in pairs, individu-
ally). The decision on the nature of the learn-
ing space in the classroom should derive from
the educational philosophy of the educational
entity. Account must also be taken of the class
size – it is not uncommon for the class to count
over 30 pupils and then the principle of flexi-
bility is usually very limited. It would be ideal if
the classroom desks and chairs were foldable
(but safe) - then you are able to adapt the space
to the precise needs of the group. It is also im-
portant to consider the geometric shape of the
classrooms – they are usually rectangular or
square. If you want to increase the flexibility of
the space in the classroom you can consider de-
signing L-shaped. This way we create a cul-de-
sac, which can be used for innovative forms of
activities, for example. The pupils can sit there
on the carpet and tuffets. Such a space is rela-
tively easy to organise - we can accommodate
benches for common work, a space for working
in groups, and a space for innovative/design
projects.
7. Connections:
• Location – when choosing a location for the
new school it is good to take into account the
adjoining social and cultural institutions. They
will form an extension of the school’s educa-
tional space (socio-cultural space), for example:
botanical garden, cinema, theatre, museum,
gallery, historical monuments. But if there is
no such space it would be good to design the
school buildings in a way that there is room on
the school grounds for organising additional
areas for learning outside the building, for ex-
ample: vegetable garden, flower bed / botani-
cal garden, pond or even a fountain (which can
be designed by the pupils). Note that the space
outside the building should also contain ele-
ments that enable social interaction between

23
the pupils, for example: benches, gazebos, lawn.
A good design of the school’s wifi network is an-
other topic. The pupils should be able to access
the virtual learning space from any place (also
near the building).
• Flow of people – the key to a smooth function-
ing of the school as an educational institution
lies in well designed routes inside the building
as well as the connections between buildings
and other elements of school infrastructure,
which will be used by the pupils and teachers
on their way to classes / breaks. Projects which
do not take this element into consideration
can lead to security issues, but also to many
students arriving late to class. They should
also include areas where pupils can meet, talk,
learn informally (with a place to rest). New ar-
chitectural projects can include a focal point
for the school, where a large number of pupils,
teachers and parents will be able to gather at
the same time (square, atrium or at least a wide
corridor). Communication routes should also be
well marked. What works well here is, for exam-
ple, the use of different floor colors to denote
the so-called rapid transition routes, or for the
color of the walls to indicate the different areas
of the school (i.e. areas for pupils of different
ages, which enforces their identity, but also the
orientation in space).
8. Complexity:
• Appereance – the school should be a place
where pupils want to come. Do not be sur-
prised that they do not want to come to a
school that was designed on the basis of a
prison design, with small classes and a narrow
corridor, where you cannot hide. Even the ex-
ternal appearance of the building should be
welcoming. Unfortunately, most schools in Eu-
rope resemble Prussian barracks, representing
a major challenge for the designers. How to de-
sign the architecture of the building to make it
fully functional within, but also intriguing and
attractive to the eyes of the pupils? Sometimes
it is enough to include an original facade in the
design (i.e. lay a mosaic) or paint, for example:
a mural, but it would be even better to access
the school through a nice and user-friendly
courtyard that can be representative for the
school (and a place of social interaction). In-
side the building the situation is similar - the
space should be pleasant to be in - even if the
architecture and functionality of the building
makes it impossible to make every area equal-
ly nice and friendly, let’s try designing areas
that fill pupils and teachers with energy.
9. Color:
• Appearance – colors attract attention, have a
significant effect on the emotions and psyche.
Color can also serve different functions stim-
ulating the brain inside and outside the build-
ing. Outside, it attracts the attention of pupils
and affects their attitude and perception of the
school. Inside - it affects concentration and it
can distract or support the learning process.
Color can also be adapted to climatic condi-
tions, for example: in cold climates vivid colors
will stand out more during the cloudy, rainy or
snowy days and will make the landscape a little
more vivid.
• Rooms – colors stimulate the brain in differ-
ent ways. They can distract and evoke emo-
tions – therefore the colors of rooms have
an influence on the learning environment.
The school space is a great place to exper-
iment with different colors of walls and ceil-
ings. The classrooms should have soft colors
(though you could imagine a fragment of a
wall or ceiling in a specific zone of the class-
room in a color that has to stimulate activ-
ity). Color preferences change with age. Re-
search conducted on 10,000 students aged
5 to 19 years has produced a list of colors
preferred by pupils in different age groups.
Heinrich noted, however, that the preferred
colors themselves are not very suitable for
painting over large surfaces and should be

24
applied just to elements of the design and in
combination with other, softer colors. Nev-
ertheless, because color has significance in
the rooms, we may try to differentiate the
walls, floor and ceiling, to break the monot-
ony and visually stimulate pupils. It is worth
noting that different color combinations in
the classroom can cause different feelings
in different pupils and produce different, not
always positive, emotions. Therefore the se-
lection of the colors in the rooms is crucial
and should be preceded by an analysis of
the studies and perhaps also consultations
with the pupils of a given age. There are no
restrictions as using different colors in differ-
ent areas of the school (i.e. library, cafeteria,
atrium, hallways, etc.) It is also good to or-
ganise a competition among the pupils for
an art project for some of the corridor walls
(the execution itself can be entrusted to the
artists), because then they will start feeling
like hosts of the school or a given area.
• Flow of people – colors also reinforce the
organisation of the people movement in the
school (they work in a way similar to bike lanes
painted a different color - they set the fast cir-
culation lane that can be used on the way to
class).
• 10. Texture
• Outdoor areas - the quality of the school
space depends largely on the areas around the
school building and how they are organised
(benches, gazebos, paths, sports fields, lawns,
gardens, trees, pond, etc.). Especially in warm
weather it allows to spend time outdoors,
which is very important for the development,
especially in younger pupils (the design should
also include elements of outdoor areas that
can be used in bad weather). In the school sur-
roundings it is not only the organisation and
aesthetics of the area that are important, but
also what kind of design elements were used in
AGE PREFERRED UNACCEPTABLE
5-8 Red, orange, yellow, purple Black, white, grey, dark brown
9-10 Red, orange, teal Grey, dark brown, black, pastel green
13-14 Blue, ultramarine blue, orange White, black, grey, olive, purple, lilac

25
When designing a new school building or intro-
ducing changes in the existing school space in
order to create the best conditions to enhance
learning we should bear in mind the above factors.
MARCIN POLAK,
Think! Foundation & Edunews.pl,
Poland
the organisation of this space. For example, is
the running track made out of pebble or tartan,
were natural (e.g. wood) or artificial elements
used? Were generally speaking, the more nat-
ural elements the better we feel in the school’s
surroundings and we will come back to it with
a better attitude. It is recommended to use
natural vegetation and water - it allows to
show the natural cycle of nature and has a
positive effect on the learning process and the
development of cognitive skills.
Photo: Primary School no. 143 in Warsaw, Poland

Physical and Architectural Learning Environment, Vol 1. Educational Spaces 21.Open up!.

SCHOOL BUILDING
AS A FRIENDLY,
LEARNING
ENABLING PLACE

28
SCHOOL AS A SECOND HOME
Pupils spend spend a few dozen hours a week at school. The school is
often their second home. Does the space surrounding them provide
comfortable enough development conditions? Do they actually feel
good and safe in the school?
MARCIN POLAK, EWA RADANOWICZ
School Complex in Rodowo Małe, Poland
From the outside it does not make a great impres-
sion but a lot of people entering the school in Ro-
dowo Małe have the impression that they are com-
ing in to a big, warm home, a place where pupils,
parents and teachers take pleasure in entering. This
impression is not the result of the corridor deco-
rations but of a comprehensive redesigning of the
concept of the school space by the management,
teachers and pupils, as well as of an approach that
has recently brought the school the title of “School
with power”, awarded by the International Organi-
sation for Social Innovators Ashoka. There are old
sofas and armchairs everywhere. They encourage
meetings and discussions. The walls are decorated
with shelves filled by different objects and artistic
projects. Each nook and cranny has its own mood
and carries a message for those who visit.
Where did everything start? When the current
school principal brought a few old suitcases for
storing various works and teaching aids. This
“junk” was not well received by the former princi-
pal, who ordered to remove them, but their owner
was firm in her stand. When she herself became
principal the school started to be gradually filled
with more souvenirs, renovated furniture, old-fash-
ioned pottery and handicrafts. School teachers,
parents, pupils - everyone gradually joined the
work on the space and everyone felt a little like
the host of this place. First, they involved teach-
ers, who together with the management came up
with educational events. In each one of them it
was necessary to take into account the arrange-
ment of rooms and spaces in school. The pupils
were involved in the work through participation
in the restoration of equipment that appeared in
the school. And so every old object or piece of fur-
niture was cleaned, painted,and decorated by the
school community.
Thanks to the joint efforts the corridors turned
into different, magical places: a street, a theatre, a
sports Olympus, a place of family walks. One of the
most interesting places was a colonial store where
we got to know oriental scents and flavours. We
talked about spices brought to the school from dif-
ferent parts of the world. The furniture is painted in
African motifs - you can sit at a table, talk, eat, drink
tea. School corridors lead to many surprising places
- we can visit an old kitchen (where pupils learn to
prepare meals), a rural pharmacy with homemade
drugs or a miniature zoo. There is also a forum with
meetings with interesting people, as well as the so-
called barn, where larger gatherings are held like
music sessions, poetry reciting or book reading. The
cellars are used to exhibit elementary school and
high school pupil’s art projects. Pupils can place
their works, photos and creative projects on boards.
Parents and all school friends know that the school
collects various items, so we are always receiving a
lot of souvenirs. Today, this collection consists of a
few hundred objects adorning the school corridors
and crannies. What is interesting, although many
of them are very fragile, somehow in this dynamic
school space things don’t get destroyed. Maybe it is
because at home also no one destroys their deco-
rations and souvenirs?

SCHOOLBUILDINGASAFRIENDLY,LEARNINGENABLINGPLACE
29
The school space can be
organised as the space
at home - in the end
pupils spend there a lot
of time. The emphasis is
on the aesthetics of the
rooms and the comfort
of pupils.
On the picture: activities
with children in an old
kitchen in the School
Complex in Rodowo
Małe.
Photo: School Complex
in Radowo Małe, Poland
Space arrangement has a significant influence on pu-
pils. Most of them definitely like their school. Here
they feel important and safe. They acquire an aes-
thetic taste and establish relationships with other
people. They take responsibility for what surrounds
them. The quality of the space in which pupils spend
time also affects the education process - children will
learn more e.g. about theatre, when the lesson takes
place in the space reserved for theatrical activities,
about the world and travels, when it’s the place itself
that tells the story; about nutrition, when the class
takes place in an old kitchen. Even reading to chil-
dren when the teacher is sitting in a rocking chair,
and they are sitting on a soft carpet, has a deeper
meaning and value.
Good advice
Do not be afraid to think of the school as a sec-
ond home. We all need to learn to take responsi-
bility for what surrounds us and the school is a
good place for such a lesson. Changes at school
are planned together with other teachers and
parents. The power of good changes lies in the
strength of the team and the community that
makes a school. Therefore we shouldn’t neces-
sarily look for inspiration in others. The solu-
tions that have worked in other schools do not
need to fit ours. Usually anything that is ours,
that arises from our thoughts works better and
is better tailored to the needs of our environ-
ment.
It is worth surrounding yourself with objects
that will serve a purpose. Let us try and give
them meaning
and see to it that everyone gets it. The school
space should be adapted to a common view
of the world, culture and needs. Do not worry
when something goes wrong. Taking up com-
mon endeavours at school is a big success itself.
TIME:
to create a good atmosphere in the
school is a project that will take
years. Our school is in this conti-
nuous process since 1994
FUNDS:
low-cost project or resources
from EU grants and funds
RESPONSIBILITY:
school principal as the leader
of change, teachers

30
We wanted the pupils to have a place in school
where they would feel at home and feel responsible
for it. How can this be achieved? Instead of pushing
the pupils to fit in the school’s spatial constraints
we decided that we would offer them space for
themselves to organise. We wanted to give them
a place that would suit their needs and for which
they would be responsible.
We are a typical Polish school. The only thing that
makes us different is that some of our pupils follow
an art school curriculum. Till 2-3 p.m. they have
lessons in general subjects and after that time they
stay for art curriculum lessons. Sometimes they fin-
ish school at 6-7 p.m. It was this group in particular
that insisted on having a space in the school which
would be something between a school and a home,
and that would belong to them. They wanted it not
to look like a traditional classroom. We decided to
make use of a room which, when I started working
at the school many years ago, was a storage room
for all kinds of objects. It was used for storing ea-
sels, carpet remnants collected for years, ladders,
teachers parked their bicycles there during class
time, in other words there was everything.
The space consisted of two rooms. A larger one,
transitive, which one can access from the school
auditorium (a place open and available for pupils
during breaks as it was an extension of the corridor,
except for school celebrations). And an adjacent
smaller room. The artists-pupils came out with a
proposal to adapt this space for their own needs.
The school’s atmosphere (Individual Curriculum
High School) fosters such ideas. After obtaining the
Principal’s consent they started cleaning. It start-
ed with a sofa, a cupboard and an electric kettle.
Later, they added other equipment. With time, the
school was able to get funds from the Ministry of
Culture. Then computers, specialised designing
and animation programs, digital cameras, lenses,
lighting, graphics tablets and other equipment was
purchased. Each year in the school there is a group
of students interested in photography that do not
necessarily participate in the art school program.
This space was gradually completed with new ele-
ments. For example, the adjacent room was turned
into a darkroom with a second computer.
What is important is that this space belongs to
the pupils. It was because of their interests that
the rooms have adopted the character of a pho-
tographic studio. The place serves students for
informal (after-school) individual or group work.
They come here to do their projects, finish home-
work, use the two computers, process the pho-
tos, create videos.
There are pupils that are bound to this place, who
come only for tea or to talk with their peers. Others
use the table to design and make large-format and
other types of art projects. Regular painting classes
THE PUPILS CHANGE SCHOOL SPACE
Pupils spend several hours a day for at least ten years locked in the
school. A comparison to jail is probably justified in this case. Let’s
take a look at our school’s buildings. Narrow corridors, closed doors,
the “guard” at the door, classrooms resembling prison cells. Even to
go to the toilet the consent of the teacher is required. How can we
ensure that pupils feel at home in such a space?
ANNA GRODEK, PIOTR KOZAK
Maria Skłodowska-Curie School in Sopot, Poland

31
are held in the other room as it has access to sun-
light. Some pupils, however, prefer to finish their
works at lower light, but behind closed doors. Stu-
dents have free access to the rooms. They collect
the key and pass it to one another, as long as there
is someone who wants to use the space.
The rooms are not subject to anyteacher-guardian su-
pervision. It is there exclusively for its users. None of
the equipment is not kept under key, yet nothing was
lost. Pupils clean the rooms. Why was it important for
me to observe the life of this place? I started believing
that there is no better way to teach responsibility than
by treating pupils as responsible persons
Good advice
At this stage it is worth choosing the elements
of the space that can be prepared by the pu-
pils themselves. In our case it was the shelv-
ing made of fruit boxes. There’s always some-
thing that can be brought from home. One
of the teachers brought a couch. Students
brought an electric kettle and a wardrobe.
If we give the students a room in use, let’s set
general rules, but leave the organisational
details in the students’ hands (especially if
we are dealing with high school students who
are almost adults).
Pupils feel un-
comfortable in
the school space.
We would like to
make them feel like
home. What simple
measures can we
take to make it
happen?
Photo: Anna Grodek
TIME:
the preparation of the premises does
not take a lot of time. But then the spa-
ce is constantly changing. Each genera-
tion adapts the room to their needs.
FUNDS:
small or medium investment
RESPONSIBILITY:
students, parents, teachers,
principal

32
The Theodor Bolduan Secondary School Complex
is located in a typical building from the 1970’s in the
biggest housing estate in Wejherowo, the Kaszubsk-
ie estate. Both the estate and the school were built
at the same time, in 1978. The educational centre
and the surroundings are similar: a few storey blocks
decorated with pastel colour stains.
This school complex is unusual as it includes a pre-
school, a primary school and a high school. The di-
vision of space in a way allows younger and elder
pupils to learn and grow, but is a challenge, espe-
cially since space is limited. The facility, originally
designed to accommodate a maximum number of
960 pupils is now attended by 1060. This number
falls short in comparison with the 1780 pupils in the
school year 1984/85, when classes lasted from 7.30
until 19.00, but still it is hard to fit all.
The school not only organises compulsory classes.
In the complex in Wejherowo there is always some-
thing going on: there are a lot of extracurricular ac-
tivities and clubs, a vocal group; we also managed to
find space for computer rooms, for meeting with the
school counsellor and catching up. The pupils are
very active, they carry out ambitious projects - you
can read about them in the school blogs or visit the
Szkoła z Klasą programme platform. One can have
the impression that all the things that happen in the
school have no way of fitting there.
Kids feel like at home in the Wejherowo school. This
is the visitors’ first impression. The school is their
place, they move freely through the space - they
visit the (always open!) principal’s office, they play
jump rope during the breaks, read books on win-
dow sills in the cafeteria outside lunch hours. No
one drives them off, nobody reprimands them and
no one suggests that there are places at school were
they might not be welcome. In the part hosting the
primary school, classroom names were invented by
the pupils.
School management and teachers are always
looking for new places that could be available for
children to study and play. Every storage room,
back-office, nook and corner and other hidden
school spaces are discovered, slowly taken over
and adapted to the needs of the pupils. During my
visit to the school my guides were the eight year old
Mateusz and his class educator Weronika Adams-
ka. We visited, among other things, the room where
the compensatory classes were taught. In the small
room there was a table and a few chairs. The room
was hidden behind a few turning corridors. It would
have been hard to get there without guides.
HOW TO CHANGE THE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT IN A SCHOOL BUILT AGED 50+?
Schools built 50 years ago are not easy to upgrade. They are buildings
constructed in another era, with other social and economic needs in
mind. They were truly designed as “graduate production plants”. These
buildings are usually relatively large and unfriendly buildings, and ba-
rely accommodate all the pupils, acking space for activities other than
traditional classes. How to face such a challenge and fit all the pupils
in a reduced space while providing them with a good atmosphere and
learning conditions?
MARTA PUCIŁOWSKA
Secondary School Complex no. 2 in Wejherowo, Poland

33
Upgrades to the old-fashioned facility are imple-
mented step by step. When the funds for larger
works are lacking, small improvements are made
and, as the teachers say, because of them the school
looks like a different kettle of fish, with some parts
new. But they also mean that the management does
not give up in the battle to make the space more
modern and to respond to the needs of the school
community. You can see this clearly in the basement
which, as usual in this kind of buildings, hosts the
cloakrooms. Here all pupils meet. High school stu-
dents leave their things and go towards their wing,
to the left, while the stairs on the right side lead up
to the primary school part. Elders can already enjoy
their new, blue lockers, younger pupils still use the
pits, which are not really much different from those
we know from our own childhood. The plans include
rebuilding the changing rooms for primary school
pupils as the next improvement, as soon as there
will be funds.
Good advice
Even if the school’s issue is not having enough
space, it is worth trying to find it, and then
leaving these new “recovered” places in the
hands of the students. They should feel that
at school they are not intruders, that they are
at home, then even the architectural imper-
fections will no longer be a problem that you
can’t overcome. You can start from the sim-
plest changes that will improve the daily oper-
ation of the school and it’s atmosphere. One of
the easiest ways is a painting and decorating
the hallways and classrooms. In this case, to
work together, you can successfully engage
both pupils and their parents.
TIME:
modifications in schools from the
1970’s are a continuous process. You
need to make changes that respond
to arising pupils’ needs.
FUNDS:
a small or average investment
RESPONSIBILITY:
students, parents, teachers,
principal
How to give students space? You can do it gradually, by searching
for nooks and crannies with no specific purpose. The photo
presents a conversation space created in the corridor of Primary
School no. 143 in Warsaw. Photo: PS no. 143, Warsaw, Poland

34
The school in Newcastle was built in the 1970s, as
the so-called open educational space, used with
much success in hybrid methods of teaching. How-
ever, later on the space proved to be insufficient and
led to limitations in learning, e.g. due to the limited
surface of separate “class bays”. This is why the en-
tire school was refurbished and re-opened in August
2008. But the goal of the introduced changes was not
just expanding didactic surfaces. The interior was to
be remodelled as well, in order to better suit teach-
ing methods applied in the school. It was not only
about the architecture. The main thing on our minds
was teaching.
During the renovation works everything was rebuilt,
from top to bottom. The school was equipped with
modern equipment, furniture and computers. The
area surrounding the school was rearranged as well,
and a row of roofed spaces was built to allow stu-
dents to learn outside. An open-air gym was built, as
well as a vegetable and flower garden.
The renovation resulted in larger classroom surfaces,
additional spaces for music and theatre classes, and
a separate gymnasium which had previously been a
part of the main hall. Interiors retained their open-
space plan. Each educational space is separated by
low rows of shelves and screens used as partitions,
thus creating “classroom bays”. In the centre of the
plan there is a common space, used by all classes in
a variety of ways.
The most important changes were introduced in
the way of teaching. The form of open and half-
open spaces facilitates interactions between stu-
dents of various ages and cultural backgrounds.
The school carries out individual and group classes.
Maths and language teachers use their own “class-
room bays”. For the remaining subjects, the class is
divided into smaller groups of students, engaged in
activities that involve both the “classroom bay” and
the common space.
Only seemingly does this lead to chaos. Everything
is organised with one principle in mind: “let’s allow
the children to think!”. Various methods of inquiry
are allowed. It suffices to give the students the free-
dom to think and access to the tools which ena-
ble achieving their goals. In this respect, the space
should support students in their quest, and not
constitute an obstacle.
What did this change give us? Now students can im-
prove their group work and problem solving skills.
They can also listen to others and take into account
other points of view. The open space of the school
becomes popular among the teachers who can work
together and learn from one another.
CHANGING THE SCHOOL SPACE
TOGETHER – THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY
POTENTIAL
What constitutes a visible problem as well as a challenge in schools
is students’ insufficient ability to cooperate. Modelling the educa-
tional space of the school is a good moment to stimulate coopera-
tion among them. The school space could also be changed in a way
which supports the learning process, both individual and in groups.
AGNIESZKA CZACHOWSKA
Canning Street Primary School in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

35
Good advice
Firstly, do not be afraid to engage students and
teachers in planning and modifying the school
space. Allow them to influence the future shape
of the school. Let us remember that people
who know the most about the school are those
who learn (or teach) in it. Secondly, if we have
changed something in the space, it was not in
order to remain sitting still. The environment
should be designed in such a way that standing
up from the desk is easy – students should be
free to move around the classroom or the open
space. We should also create as much space for
collaboration as possible..
TIME:
comprehensive refurbishment
of the school took 4 years
FUNDS:
high cost – construction invest-
ment and equipment replacement
RESPONSIBILITY:
local authorities, school princi-
pal, students and parents.
The Newcastle space
is open and flexible.
In this way, it can be
adapted to various
forms of activity.
Photo: Agnieszka
Czachowska

36
The school in Budzów is an example of a successful
investment in a small, sustainable and low-mainte-
nance school building for the inhabitants of the rural
commune of Stoszowice. In this case, the technolo-
gy of passive construction was used to minimise the
loss of heat and maximise heat gain. The school in
Budzów is an energy-efficient building of the latest
generation. It does not use traditional heating meth-
ods, such as coal or gas-powered heating popular in
Poland. It uses heat generated by its users and devic-
es working inside (heat pumps). Alongside economic
benefits (low maintenance cost), ecological aspects
(reduced CO2 emissions) were also taken into consid-
eration in the design process.
The building was positioned on the plot of land in
such a way as to maximise the use of solar energy.
The distinctive feature of this school is the use of
ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY SCHOOL BUILDINGS
If we want the school to effectively foster environment-friendly at-
titudes, we should make the school building itself as sustainable as
possible. An environment-friendly building will naturally encourage
teachers and students to take up various green initiatives and stimu-
late appropriate attitudes.
MARCIN POLAK
Primary School in Budzów, Poland

37
the so-called brise-soleils, which disperse the light
shining on the windows or the glass facade to pre-
vent the building from excessive heating up. Anoth-
er very important device is the heating pump with
a ground-coupled heat exchanger, which provides
heating for the building in winter and cooling in
spring and in the summer. In a passive building, win-
dows are not opened and air circulation is provided
via a mechanical ventilation heat recovery system.
Each hour, 70-80% of the air inside the building is re-
placed so students and teachers breathe clean and
fresh air in classrooms all the time. Measurements
and scientific research carried out so far indicate
that the micro-climate in the school is very good,
and such organisation of air circulation works in fa-
vour of the students (they get sick less and they are
not sleepy during classes).
The architectural project took into account the need
for a functional layout of the rooms. The ground
floor is for function and social rooms: cloakrooms,
cafeteria, after school room, administration, staff
room, small gymnasium, speech therapist’s office
and bathrooms. On the first floor, there are six class-
rooms as well as bathrooms. It is a rural commune
school attended by a small number of children,
but it now provides for all educational needs of the
commune (which has also one external branch of
the school). The building has been adapted for the
needs of persons with disabilities.
The building’s sustainability also influenced the
character of school activities. From the very begin-
ning of its operations, the school organised environ-
mentally-conscious educational activities. Students
plant their trees, regularly participate in “clean up
the world” initiatives (Earth Day) and organise elec-
tronic waste collections in the commune. The school
obtained the certificate of a Local Centre for Ecologi-
cal Activity, and was awarded a Green Flag certificate
in 2014. These initiatives often go beyond the frame-
work of school teaching activities, and reinforce the
school’s position in the Budzów community, build-
ing new bonds and cooperation with NGOs, cultural
organisations and local authorities.
Good advice
When local authorities (commune or district)
plan to build a new school, it would be ben-
eficial to convince them to invest in a more
modern, sustainable school building. The
cost of the investment will be slightly higher
(10% or more by approx) than in the case of a
traditional construction, but the cost of main-
tenance will be lower. The quality of air inside
the school is of no small importance – a feature
disregarded by most schools. It would be ad-
visable to benefit from Budzów’s experience
and gather arguments in favour of such an en-
vironment-friendly investment.
TIME:
up to 2 years (tender
proceedings and
investment)
FUNDS:
high cost, a large investment
for the authorities responsi-
ble for running the school
RESPONSIBILITY:
authorities running the school,
architect, necessarily the principal
and teachers of the future school
Passive construction of school
buildings can mean a reduction
of maintenance costs for the
communes, as it dramatically lo-
wers expenses related to heating
and electricity consumption in
the school.
In the picture: Primary School
building in Budzów, Poland.
Brise-soleils (“sun breakers”)
deflect sunlight shining on the
windows.
Photo: Marcin Polak

LEARNING
SPACE OF THE
CLASSROOM

40
Rich learning environment of the classroom means
a flexible space, with equipment which can be con-
figured in a variety of ways in order to stimulate di-
verse modes of student work: individual, in pairs,
in groups, or as an entire class. And despite the
phrasing, we do not mean costly equipment, such
as new educational technologies (although these
should also be available to students and teachers),
but the most basic items: desks and chairs.
To start off, it should be clarified that rearranging
desks in a classroom is not a universal remedy for
all predicaments concerning the quality of teach-
ing. It is a change which must be combined with
the modification of the way lessons are conducted.
For instance, if we sit the students at group tables,
but the teacher continues to use the frontal style of
teaching, nothing will change. The situation could
even deteriorate, because students in groups will
be bored and it will be easier for them to talk to
one another about things unrelated to the lesson;
a similar danger awaits if we remove desks from
the classroom altogether. The rearrangement of
desks in the classroom must therefore be a delib-
erate choice on the part of the teacher, which stems
from their didactic preparation and a plan for a par-
ticular lesson. Although we are discussing desks, by
extension, we also mean the teaching mode – these
two issues are interconnected. We devote more at-
tention to this topic in chapter ...
In the Primary School in Ostojów, teachers are en-
couraged by the principal to use various teaching
styles. Each teacher has the opportunity to organ-
ise their classroom in the most suitable way for
their students and their needs. There is no stand-
ard recipe, and at the same time, the arrangement
says a lot about the way the teacher wants to con-
duct lessons. Sometimes the arrangement of desk s
changes within the hour. It all depends on whether
we want the students to be able to communicate
with one another, or to work on their own. Arrange-
ments in a circle, a half-circle or a horse-shoe are
conducive to a friendly atmosphere which results
from easy eye-contact between students (in class-
es where e.g. discussions dominate, and we try to
engage all members of the class team equally).
The arrangement of desks in small groups is most
beneficial for the groups’ focus on a task, and for
communication within the group.
YOU WANT CHANGE? START WITH DESKS
The arrangement of classroom desks in rows, all facing forward, is conve-
nient usually only for teachers who have a clear view of the class and just
“impart” their knowledge to students (or so they believe). The arrange-
ment of desks in the classroom determines the mode of interaction be-
tween the students and their teacher or their classmates. Such interactions
enable us to learn from one another. So if we want to improve the quality of
teaching, we should try and adapt the desk arrangement in the classroom
to the nature of activities. There are many possible layouts, but it would be
best to test which configuration is the most conducive to learning. If there
is really not much we can change and improve in the physical learning spa-
ce of our school building, we should at least try to introduce changes in our
classrooms and give our students the opportunity to learn better.
MONIKA WOJTECZEK, MARCIN POLAK
Public Primary School in Ostojów, Poland

LEARNINGSPACEINTHECLASSROOM
41
In many schools, at the end of the day the mainte-
nance staff arranges desks back into neat rows. It
does not happen in this school – instructions were
issued to leave the arrangement chosen by teach-
ers and students.
In several classrooms, apart from desks there are
also armchairs. Their presence in the school aims
at the promotion of reading. If the teacher reads to
the students (or one of the students reads to their
classmates), they sit down comfortably in one of the
armchairs and the listeners sit down close by. Thus,
a reading from a book turns into a pleasurable ritual.
Good advice
It is very important to make sure that the desk
arrangement is not a distraction for students,
and they do not need to look around to find
the teacher. Group arrangement suitable for
teamwork is beneficial when work in groups is
planned and the students do not need constant
eye contact with the teacher. By supervising
each team, the teacher becomes an observer
who monitors their work, and his or her activity
is increased.
Let us also remember that the desk affects the
awareness of the roles each student has within
the class team. In the early grades, the student
sitting in the front of the class feels favoured,
and the one sitting in the last row may feel infe-
rior, “forgotten” in the back. This is why we usu-
ally arrange desks in a half-circle, a horse-shoe,
or an L shape, to have equal eye contact and
physical access to each student.
TIME:
several hours or days
FUNDS:
no cost
RESPONSIBILITY:
teacher, principal
Improving the quality of teaching starts
with the classroom, in which the arran-
gement of desks should be best adapted
to the nature and purpose of a particu-
lar class. We should allow the teacher
and students to consciously shape the
learning space.
Photo: Marcin Polak

42
If there is anything really true to be said about ed-
ucation, it is certainly that every school is different,
because in each school children are different. So
there cannot be a single curriculum or one-fits-all
solution perfect for all the schools. Each curriculum
has to be adjusted to local conditions, needs and
interests of the students. Even in the most challeng-
ing social environment, it is better to inspire than
force them to learn.
The starting point for the change in the Radowo
Małe school was a simple observation: students
learn the most through play and various “learning
situations”. Sums can be learned at a school desk,
but also while playing or shopping. Language skills
can be improved by dictation, but also when trav-
elling the world. The challenge was to organise all
those things in a school building.
Can students travel the world during one lesson, and
make stained glass during another? Why not? In our
school, classrooms are less and less traditional-look-
ing. In their place, we have thematic classrooms, e.g.
a kitchen classroom, a travelling classroom or a the-
atre classroom. And these are no ordinary rooms. It
would be a mistake to assume that the kitchen class-
room can be used only for learning how to cook.
These rooms serve as a place where each student
can be immersed in the world of science. What does
that mean? For instance, that maths can be learned
also in the kitchen while preparing your favourite
dish or baking number-shaped cookies. Geography
can be learned while travelling around the imaginary
world in a thematic classroom, and Polish – while
playing out scenes on stage. Thus it is possible not
only to develop several competences simultaneous-
ly, but also to learn to work together.
CLASSROOMS STIMULATING TALENT DEVELOPMENT
From the outside, the building can be easily described as a typical
Polish school. However, right after crossing the threshold we can see
that although this is a publicly run institution, it differs significantly
from other schools. Not only due to the beautifully arranged interior
with hundreds of items on display, handicraft and antique furniture
(the result of student projects as well as teachers’ and principal’s en-
thusiasm for collecting interesting objects). In a way, also students
are different, because this school stimulates their diverse hobbies.
For instance, during breaks they walk on stilts or play ‘keeping shop’.
What makes the school in Radowo so different from others is not col-
ourful decorations and trinkets, but the idea for the school, in which
the space plays a very important role.
PIOTR KOZAK
School Complex in Radowo Małe, Poland

43
In order to create various thematic classrooms,
we have transformed not only didactic rooms, but
even former utility rooms in the basement or tool
storerooms. We wanted the children to be able to
try everything. Thanks to the dedication of the arts
teacher, they can bake pots in the pottery class. In
the bookbinding room, they can make their own
paper. But, most importantly, they can touch and
feel everything on their own. Thus they become
emotionally involved in learning, and it makes the
process itself much smoother.
Good advice
We cannot stay still. Our school is constantly
changing and this is how we should approach
the organisation of the school space. The
process of creating subsequent classrooms
is still ongoing and spread over the years to
come. Teachers bring in obsolete furniture.
Parents donate cupboards, cabinets and
armchairs they do not need. Only seemingly
does this lead to chaos. It is important that
all these elements contribute to the image
of a friendly, welcoming learning space. We
should not be asking what to do with the
space. Instead, we should ask what and how
we want to teach in the school. Let’s give
free rein to teachers and students. Let them
realise their passions. In this way we will stop
seeing unused spaces, and start seeing op-
portunities for development.
In the previous decades
all classrooms in the
school were almost
identical, even if they
were used for teaching
different subjects. This
needs to end. Let’s
create classrooms
which are connected to
real-life situations.
Photo: School Complex
in Radowo Małe.
TIME:
we introduce changes gradually, but
continuously, moving forward in
small steps
FUNDS:
it is possible to do it at no cost,
preferably with the help and
involvement of the parents.
RESPONSIBILITY:
principal, teachers, parents and
students

44
Primary School no. 3 in Suchedniów used to be just
like all the others. A traditional class layout, desks
in neat rows. Potted plants on window sills. Such
a space has obvious advantages: it is perfect for
keeping wall ferns...
It would be a cliché to state that classrooms
should be adapted to students’ individual needs.
Not all the students managed to adapt to the re-
quired strict discipline and the results of those
unadapted were worse than those of their class-
mates. It was not just the issue of those students,
but also the issue of the way they had been
taught. The way in which the classroom space
is organised affects the teaching style. A lectur-
er-teacher standing in the centre of the room,
trying to establish discipline – not all students
readily accept this style of teaching.
We have wanted to do something with the class-
room space for a long time. Usually it would end as
it always does: with replacing desks and repainting
the walls. That time we decided to approach the
issue professionally. Above all, we wanted to differ-
entiate the classroom space in order to make room
both for individual and team work. The first step
was to throw out potted ferns...
We decided that the “transformed” classroom
would have two distinct educational zones. The
first zone was to be a microcosm created for the
students, a space with various nooks and crannies,
inspiring to inquire, and allowing for individual
learning at any time. The second zone was sup-
posed to be open, calm, stimulate concentration
and be easy to freely rearrange (team learning).
A child-sized opening was made in the partition
separating the two zones. The second opening
between the two zones had proportions suita-
ble for an adult. It is a symbolic connection be-
tween the children’s world and the adult world.
The smaller room, designated as a students’
zone, seamlessly connects with the larger one.
Both zones are constructed from different ma-
terials. The smaller was entirely laid with ply-
wood, creating an interior which gives the sense
of security, supporting better concentration. The
abundance of the created micro-spaces enabled
each student to find their own place for learning.
Moreover, holes of varying sizes were drilled in
plywood panelling at different heights, adapted
to children’s heights. Books were stacked in the
recesses of the walls. As a result, students are
surrounded with literature and have direct and
unlimited access to it.
FLEXIBLE CLASSROOM SPACE
The customisation of teaching, which we so often seek in our
school practice, is closely related to the flexibility of the teaching
space. It should be versatile enough to allow conducting diver-
se lessons with students and stimulate diverse activities during
the lesson. It is not necessary to demolish any walls to make the
classroom space more flexible. We provide details and solutions
which will make the classroom better adapted to the individual
needs of the students.
MACIEJ SIUDA
Primary School no. 3 in Suchedniów, Poland

45
Plywood partially goes beyond the room, into the
corridor. The lighting was replaced with elongat-
ed lamps fitted in the ceiling, whose placement
ensures uniform lighting for the entire large class-
room, which enables to arrange desks in any de-
sired way. In addition, point lights in the form of
hanging bulbs were installed in the smaller room,
to allow lighting for more closed spaces and cre-
ate better conditions for reading and learning.
As a result of the renovation, the way of thinking
about the school and meeting students’ needs has
changed. Students were given space which until
then had been controlled exclusively by teachers.
Trust in students has increased.
Good advice
We should remember that what happens be-
fore the refurbishment of the classroom starts
is much more important than the construc-
tion works. If possible, we should use the ar-
chitect’s help. But we should also remember
that the architect is only the executor of the
idea which should be developed together by
the principal, teachers and students (par-
ents). Such a classroom will better stimulate
the development of each student’s individ-
ual personality, as well as its application in
group work.
TIME:
about 2 months were needed for renovation and
redecoration in the summer; this was preceded
by designing changes (about 1.5 months)
FUNDS:
investment costs depend on the type of changes
we want to introduce
RESPONSIBILITY:
school principal, teacher, designer/architect
Even in an ordinary classroom in a public school it is possi-
ble to design solutions which will increase the flexibility of
the teaching space and enable students to learn in a diver-
se educational environment. The important thing is a well
thought-out plan for the changes, consulted with future
users of the room.
Photo: Maciej Siuda

46
Educational projects in the school space can be
carried out in regular classrooms and online.
Here we will focus only on the physical aspect of
the space. The project method requires working
in different configurations – usually in teams of
several students responsible for particular tasks.
The room where students meet and collaborate
on a project should therefore enable them to
work in groups and access various tools useful
in planning (Wi-Fi network, flipcharts, boards,
tables, etc.).
The principal of Middle School no. 24 in Wrocław
decided to invest in creating one room arranged
in a different way than traditional classrooms and
devoted especially to project work. The school
implemented an innovative idea. They introduced
the idea of “project Fridays” – each Friday various
classes hold activities related to projects invented
and carried out by students.
The new classroom was designed in coopera-
tion with IKEA, which worked with the school on
equipping the room. The projector displays pres-
entations on one wall, while the wall opposite
was used to hang two giant (floor to ceiling) dry-
erase boards (black and white) for making notes
and mental maps. This is where students can
brainstorm, draw up the project schedule, etc.
Workstations were also taken into account. Stu-
dents can sit at desks arranged in a horseshoe
and in the middle of the room – they can relatively
easily talk to one another, consult and create var-
ious configurations for the group work. Beanbags
purchased for the room can be moved around.
If necessary, tables can also be rearranged. Any
extra aids and flipcharts can be stacked against
the back wall. Students were provided with Wi-Fi
access in order to use online resources in their
project work. Not everything could be purchased
at once (limited financial means), but the class-
room is being gradually equipped with new ele-
ments. As a result, a very interesting and versatile
learning environment was created and students
enjoy using it.
THE SPACE STIMULATING CO-OPERATION
OF STUDENTS
Students and teachers in schools implement projects of their own
and participate in those organised by NGOs, schools and other
entities. The basic benefit resulting from projects is gaining more
knowledge on a particular subject, and expanding particular skil-
ls (usually projects involve practical tasks in which we apply the
acquired knowledge). The essence of the projects is always stu-
dents’ cooperation within a team. This can theoretically happen in
any place in the school as well as online, but it would be good to
provide a place in the school where students could meet, discuss
and plan collaborative project activities.
MARCIN POLAK, MARZANNA WOLSKA
Middle School no. 24 in Wrocław, Poland

47
Good advice
The project classroom is an active learning
space – it’s not just about the pretty interior
design. If we want to create a student-friendly
space which stimulates their cooperation, then
from the very beginning we need to pay atten-
tion to the premises of the group work (mobili-
ty, “soft zone”), learning styles (visual learning
is dominant, so a decent visualisation of the
work is required, alongside an appropriately
interesting colour scheme for the walls), quality
of the equipment, IT infrastructure (we work
using the WebQuest method, so fast Internet
is essential). Creating a project room is a good
incentive to launch thinking about the learning
space in the school. Setting out to work, we
asked the students to help with designing the
room and we invited them to collaborate on the
realisation of the project – and this is the ap-
proach we strongly recommend.
The space which
supports project
work should be
more flexible than
the traditional te-
aching classroom,
and contain tools
which stimulate co-
operation between
students.
Photo: Marcin Polak

48
Working with formative assessment has proved to
be the key to success in our schools. The problem
for many teachers lies in the demands placed on
their time by written formative feedback, time that
it is far from certain is well invested. Many pupils
have a tendency to primarily look at the results in
the form of points or grades instead of reviewing
written formative feedback intended to advance
the learning process. During recent years research-
ers such as Williams and Hattie have changed
the way in which we relate to formative feedback
and to a great extent provided us with strategies
for formative teaching. Feedback then becomes
an integral part of the lesson plan and it is by no
means necessary for it to take written form. This in
itself creates demands on both the design of les-
sons and the environment in which teaching takes
place. Many of the key strategies used by Williams
for learning assessment require a flexible environ-
ment that encourages communication. The teach-
er needs to be able to activate pupils as a learn-
ing resource for one another, through activities
that create discussion and stimulate pupils to ask
questions. The majority of classrooms in ordinary
schools are not designed for this type of teaching.
“In a traditionally furnished classroom I have only
one alternative and that is to silence the pupils, qui-
et in the classroom becomes the watchword,” says
Linnea Sahlin, 4th grade teacher at Slättgårdsskolan
just outside Stockholm.
The traditional classroom is built around one-way
communication modelled on the church’s raised
pulpit. This is a format that does not favour a form-
ative approach. By breaking free of this structure
the teacher is freed from their static position in
front of the whiteboard and it becomes natural
to move around the room among the pupils. Ex-
amples from schools such as Fjällenskolan have
shown that at first this can lead to difficulties for
teachers in finding their new role, but that in the
long-term both teachers and pupils find that it be-
comes more common to enter into dialogue linked
to the lesson.
Within the environment Linnea has created for her
pupils at Slättgårdsskolan there are a variety of dif-
ferent possibilities for organising lessons to ensure
that communication remains a central component
throughout the teaching process. At the round tables
designed for group discussion, it is easy for Linnea to
glide between the different groups and catch what-
ever is happening. The digital tools also offer the
opportunity to record discussions. Meaning that she
doesn’t need to be physically present everywhere at
once.
In the specially constructed tiered seating with room
for 60 pupils, Linnea is able to begin a task by using
the projector to allow pupils to do a quiz or answer
a questionnaire in order to take stock of their pri-
or knowledge and highlight the goals of their work.
Based on this she will then adapt how she organis-
es the lesson. Some pupils may need to sit near her
in the more secluded area with sofas and cushions
in order to receive more frequent feedback. Those
pupils who have already grasped the material and
are ready to begin the task sit at the separate study
places beside the window while a group who have
“QUIET IN CLASS!”
We need to improve formative assessment and communication in
the classroom. What are the critical factors and are there any smart
steps we can take in order to move forward?
FRIDA MONSÉN (RAU)

49
shown that they face a similar challenge in taking on
the task can sit together at one of the group tables
outside, where they can discuss how they can find a
way to move forward.
Digital learning environments, such as GAFE (Goog-
le Apps for Education) or O365 (Office365) can also
complement the physical learning environment in
paving the way for formative feedback. This gives
teachers and pupils more freedom by allowing the
teacher to exercise a presence even when physically
far removed, yet still able to ensure that work is pro-
gressing. The teacher can choose whether they wish
to interact and provide direct feedback or wait until
the pupil requests their input.
With a school environment that is conducive to dis-
cussion, a shared digital learning environment in
which everyone feels secure and smart organisation
of teaching based on pupils’ needs, we have all of
the necessary prerequisites for successful formative
assessment.
References:
D. Williams, Embedded Formative Assessment -
practical strategies and tools for K-12 teachers (2011)
J. Hattie, Visible Learning (2008)
A.M. Hipkiss, Klassrummets semiotiska resurser:
en språkdidaktisk studie av skolämnena hem- och
konsumentkunskap, biologi och kemi (Semiotic Re-
sources in the Classroom: An academic language
study of Swedish secondary school subjects Home
and Consumer Studies, Biology and Chemistry) –
(doctoral thesis) Umeå University (2014)
J. Williams and F. Siracusa, Collaborative Learning
Spaces: Classrooms That Connect to the World (ar-
ticle) Edutopia
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/collabora-
tive-learning-spaces-connect-to-world-jennif-
er-williams-fran-siracusa
School with Class 2.0 resources. Photo: Jolanta Mleczak

50
Students are rarely asked the serious question – do
they like the classroom where they spend most of
their day? At most, they are allowed to decide on
wall decorations or other details. If we are serious
about the idea of school self-government, we should
think whether students can really say that the class-
room is “their own space”. Can they really express
their needs there?
In our middle school we decided to give sophomore
students the ability to co-decide about their class-
room. We wanted it to be a place where they can
learn comfortably and we wanted the conditions to
be better adapted to their needs. But first, they had
to identify these needs themselves, and then discuss
them with teachers and put them into practice. The
students were very enthusiastic about the perspec-
tive of change. They identified four areas for possible
modification: walls and decorations; desk arrange-
ment and classroom equipment; multimedia tools;
and principles for working in the classroom.
After removing everything from the classroom, for
several hours students discussed and negotiated the
scope of changes. Finally they proposed: repainting
all the walls, carpeting the entire room, replacing
all shelf racks with hanging cabinets (in order to in-
crease the available floor surface in a relatively small
room), changing the placement of the whiteboards,
adding cork bulletin boards, removing school desks
(to work just on the floor and window sills), and buy-
ing bean bags to sit on. They also requested Wi-Fi
access and permission to bring and use their laptops
and tablets in class (they had not been allowed to
before). The changes were consulted with the class
tutor, so that the new place could fulfil the primary
educational functions, and the atmosphere of work
would not be replaced with a café atmosphere.
Students and their class tutor took a week to repaint
the entire classroom, the school installed the carpet
and rearranged the furniture according the student
project.Studentsdecidedtoworksittingonthecarpet
(they introduced a no-shoes policy). The result of this
initialphaseofchangeswasastrongintegrationofthe
group,satisfactionfromtheeffectsofthecollaborative
workandthefeelingofsharedresponsibilityforaclass-
room(e.g.oneoftheruleswascommittingstudentsto
caringfortheorderandcleanlinessoftheroomontheir
own, and tidying it up after classes).
However, it was more difficult for teachers to adjust
to this change. They were under the impression that
lessons fall apart – the problem was caused by exces-
sively relaxed positions students preferred. But the
greatest challenge was the lack of ability to quickly
adapt to project-based teaching instead of the tradi-
tional/frontal teaching style. It created some negative
emotions and teachers’ frustration. On the part of the
students, the looser atmosphere made those less
LET STUDENTS DECIDE
We should try to involve young people more in the school life, sup-
port student self-government and help to shape their responsibility
for themselves, others and the shared space. Let us begin with places
closest to them. We should see to the integration of students with
the classroom where they spend the majority of the school day. How
to include students in co-deciding about the classroom space? What
can we gain from it?
MICHAŁ KANIEWSKI
Wanda Błeńska Non-public Middle School in Kowale, Poland

51
motivated feel released entirely from the obligation
to work and concentrate only on socialising.
But the changes did not stop there. Quite quickly the
students noticed that the lack of desks is detrimen-
tal, and it affects their working comfort (and causes
back pain). After only a week first students decided
to bring in their single desks. After some time, the
rest followed. Currently each student has their own
desk in the classroom, but their arrangement is sup-
posed to leave as much free space as possible in the
middle of the room and by the walls, for the collab-
orative work on the floor (if they want to work to-
gether). Now the students decide themselves how to
place desks to achieve an arrangement which is the
best for them. Thanks to the carpet, moving desks
around does not make any noise.
What benefits of the changes have been noticed?
Students admit that now they come to the school
more willingly, they feel more responsible for their
classroom (they are in charge of the order and de-
cor). The group has become integrated, their rela-
tionship with teachers has improved as well (more
of a partnership) – the experiment turned out to
be a lesson in cooperation and working together
to discover solutions that are satisfactory for both
sides. The change has also affected the teaching
process – teachers were forced to give up the meth-
ods and teaching styles they were used to, and look
for new solutions. Even if the change disrupted the
learning process for a time, they gained the oppor-
tunity to discover new methods. Another important
aspect is the fact that now students feel much more
like collaborators and co-creators of the teaching
process and they try to determine educational
goals together.
Good advice
Every teacher can introduce such a change in
their class. But they should develop the mode
of working which is best suited for a particular
subject. It must have a clearly stated purpose to
which everyone in the class must agree (which
needs to be often invoked). The most important
thing is to give yourselves time for the change
to take effect: students, parents and teachers –
everyone needs to get used to it. We should not
be afraid of such an experiment – the benefits
are clear and the change can have a positive
influence on the learning process.
We want to incre-
ase the students’
commitment to
the functioning
of our school. We
are focused on
the spirit of inte-
gration between
the students and
the classroom
as a place where
they spend most
of their day. How
can we involve
students in co-de-
ciding about the
physical aspects
of the classroom
space?
Photo: Michał
Kaniewski.
TIME:
several weeks plus additional time
to get used to changes and ongoing
adjustments
FUNDS:
approx. PLN 6,000. In each case
the cost depends on the plan-
ned scope of changes.
RESPONSIBILITY:
school principal, class tutor,
students

52
There are as many ideas for classroom arrangement,
as there are schools. It is of course worth the effort
to make the classroom aesthetic for the students,
so they can simply enjoy spending time in its space.
However, we should note that information society in
which we live daily distracts us with the overflowing
of visual stimuli. So maybe a classroom should be
organised in a way which maintains a sort of min-
imalism with regard to decorations, so as not to
distract students even more. “The most beautiful
decoration in the classroom should be the student,”
says Joanna Piasta-Siechowicz, the principal of the
Primary School in Ostojów (Poland).
Good examples of this approach can be found in
classrooms of the Comprehensive Secondary School
Complex in Wodzisław Śląski, where the only and
thus dominant decoration is what has been placed
on the walls. In this case, the idea and its aesthetic
execution are important, but the most essential is
the broader concept of didactic spaces, which the
school principal Anna Białek has been implementing
for several years. For instance, the Polish language
classroom is decorated with an image of a linden
tree, the symbol of the eminent Polish poet and
one of the most important writers of the European
Renaissance, Jan Kochanowski. The wall opposite
features the image of the Kochanowski Manor, an
important motif in his poetry.
A similar approach was applied in the foreign lan-
guages classroom. In this case, a photography
wallpaper was used, together with suitable quotes
selected for the silhouettes of young people dis-
played on the wall. They are excerpts from the Eu-
ropean Union Hymn in various languages: Polish,
English, German and French. There are already
twelve classrooms which “break the monotony” of
the school, and each is equipped with technolo-
gies that support learning. They were not created
all at once, but rather one by one, and each time
the works started with a thorough renovation (in-
cluding the replacement of the electrical installa-
tion, plastering the walls and new floor), and only
then were the walls decorated. Usually these works
would take about a year.
A CLASSROOM FOR A SPECIFIC SUBJECT ?
A large majority of European schools was built several decades ago,
according to similar construction concepts. Their common featu-
re are classrooms with closed doors, accessed from long corridors.
Schools often try to make classrooms for particular subjects more di-
stinctive, following their educational purpose. The interior decor is a
special way to encourage students to participate in the work.
MARCIN POLAK, IZA WYPPICH
Comprehensive Secondary School Complex in Wodzisław Śląski, Poland
Comprehensive Secondary School Complex no. 1 in Ruda Śląska, Poland
Each classroom co-
uld be designed to
have various types
of educational spa-
ces. How to organi-
se classrooms for
variety of purposes
(e.g. some for lear-
ning maths, some
for languages,
geography, science
etc.)

53
A slightly different approach was applied in the Com-
prehensive Secondary School Complex no. 1 in Ruda
Śląska. In this case, each teacher is in charge of their
classroom and has complete freedom in its arrange-
ment. Changes in this school started with the theatre
classroom, which held the school theatre and music
workshop called “U Starzika” – it was the result of the
teacher’sfascinationforthecultureofSilesiaandanout-
comeoftheproject“Insearchoftheregionaltreasures.”
After that success, a classroom arranged like a café
appeared – the outcome of a collaboration between
the teachers of French and social studies. The next
project was the gallery on the second floor – the
arrangement of the corridor space. It was the idea
of the Polish language and arts teacher to create a
space for students to regularly display their art. In
each case, the most important was always the teach-
er’s initiative, then the idea, brainstorming and de-
signing the concept by students and the teacher.
Half of the twenty classrooms, as well as the corridor,
have already been rearranged.
Classrooms in this school are in 90% the result of
the collaboration between students and teachers.
Sometimes parents were involved as well (e.g. the
theatre classroom), and the assistance of the main-
tenance staff was invaluable, especially with heavy
lifting. In many cases, classrooms (e.g. the regional
one) were equipped thanks to the collection of items
donated by students’ and teachers’ families.
As a result, it was possible to create spaces dedi-
cated to particular people and subjects. Working
in them is much more enjoyable, and the atmos-
phere is more pleasant. Students like to stay in
those classrooms for breaks in between their les-
sons. The larger their involvement in the creation
of a classroom, the more willing they are to use it.
The important thing is also the fact that classrooms
are not being vandalised, as students tend to care
for them.
Good advice
The rearrangement of a classroom or a corridor
is one of the simplest ways to improve an edu-
cational space in the school. Aesthetic aspects
come into the foreground here, but experience
indicates that students prefer spaces which
they co-created. Although generally teach-
ers have relative freedom in arranging their
classrooms, we should always try to include
students in the work, as they will be the ones
spending a lot of time in it. It would be good to
discuss the idea with them and jointly look for
a concept which the majority likes. We can also
include parents in the refurbishment works.
It would be good if the individual character of
the classroom went along with the change of
teaching methods and giving up the traditional
mode of transmitting knowledge.
The character of
the Polish language
classroom is em-
phasised by ele-
ments inspired by
Jan Kochanowski
and his writings.
Photo: Marta Flor-
kiewicz-Borkowska
TIME:
1 month for renovation
and rearrangement of
the classroom
FUNDS:
a low cost project. Part of the funds was
provided by the school, part by the pa-
rents. One of the classrooms was refurbi-
shed thanks to the EU funds.
RESPONSIBILITY:
teachers, students, parents

SPACE STIMULATING
CO-OPERATION
AMONG TEACHERS

56
How can we start building the atmosphere of coop-
eration at school? It seems that it would be good
to start precisely from the staff room and the rela-
tionships fostered inside. The concept of the staff
rooms in the Danish Orestad College in Copenha-
gen makes a very good impression. It is a public
high school where teachers were allocated two
rooms. The first one is used for work – there are
computer workstations, shelves, cabinets, all de-
vices necessary for teachers’ work (copy machines,
printers, scanners), office supplies, etc. A large part
of teaching tasks in this school is executed through
e-learning (students upload their work to the
school platform, where teachers grade it). Assign-
ing a separate space for teachers to work was the
logical consequence of this type of teaching. This
room is not for talking, it is a place for individual
work where teachers have the best work conditions
to perform their tasks. (Photo 1). Right next door
there is another room, intended as a meeting place.
This is where teachers are provided with a large
space for conversations, staff meetings and sub-
ject team meetings. It is a well-lit, spacious room
with comfortable armchairs, as well as a conference
table for working meetings. As most rooms in the
school, also these two have glass walls which ena-
ble to see what teachers are doing inside. Although
the door to the work room is usually closed, the
door to the meeting room is open and the room
can be entered (Photo 2). In this school teachers
generally have quite comfortable conditions for
collaboration, as the architectural design took into
account also numerous open and half-open spaces
which can be used for meeting and talking.
ORGANISATION OF THE STAFF ROOM
There is a staff room in the majority of schools. It is a special spa-
ce within the school that teachers create mainly with their work in
mind. At the same time it is an indicator of relationships within the
school – if it is “off limits” for students (the door is locked with a
key or a code), it is difficult to imagine that there is good coopera-
tion between teachers and students in this school. In the space of a
modern school, the organisation of the staff room should above all
emphasise the dimension of cooperation and good communication.
Everywhere – among the staff, as well as in teacher-student and te-
acher-parent relationships.
MARCIN POLAK
Orestad College in Copenhagen, Denmark
Primary School no. 58 in Poznań, Poland
The staff room serves a double
function – on the one hand it is
a place of rest, conversation,
and meetings for teachers, but
on the other hand it should also
be a space where teachers have
comfortable conditions for both
individual and group work. This
is why in the Orestad College in
Copenhagen there are two staff
rooms. Photo: Marcin Polak

The staff room in Primary School no. 58 in Poznań
Photo: Anna Cieślarczyk
SPACESTIMULATINGCOOPERATIONAMONGTEACHERS
57
Usually, however, schools do not have as much
space available as the Orestad College and they
can devote only one room for the staff. It is good
if it is sufficiently large to become a meeting place.
In Middle School no. 24 in Wrocław there is a cross-
shaped table in the middle of the staff room, which
has space for 20 teachers to work at the same time.
There are also two computer workstations and
there is still enough space left in the room. Avail-
able space in Primary School no. 58 in Poznań did
not allow for the organisation of a collaborative
space – the staff room resembles rather a cosy café
where we meet our friends to talk in a comfortable
environment.
There are also schools where staff rooms were
eliminated altogether (e.g. Middle School in Nowy
Tomyśl). They were replaced by the so-called back-
rooms for subject teams and communication and
cooperation was moved online and happens in real
time (each teacher has a laptop or a tablet, and ac-
cess to all documents and communication tools).
More on this subject in...
We should also remember that for many schools
the problem is the lack of rooms where teachers’
collaborative space could be organised. When the
number of children attending the school exceeds
the capacity of the current physical building, the
staff room is usually turned into a classroom. Not
only does it make the organisation and planning of
the school activities harder, but staff collaboration
as well.
Good advice
If we really want to think about the school
as a certain community of teachers, parents
and students, then the staff room should be
an open space of relaxation, meetings and
exchange between teachers, but also teachers
and parents (in the positive sense, it is also
a “watering place”). In a school where an
e-register has been introduced, “unauthorised
access” to the register and other confidential
school documents is no longer an issue. We
can therefore try to open the staff room and
give up the idea of an enclave, an off-limits
zone. In this change, an important role will be
played by the principals and leaders of teach-
ing teams. They will be essential in deciding
whether the more open concept of the staff
room is adequate as the place for meeting,
inspiration and collaboration. We certainly en-
courage you to think over the function of this
room in the school and its rearrangement.
TIME:
several hours or days
FUNDS:
depending on the condition of the room,
possible renovation or investment, e.g. in
functional furniture.
RESPONSIBILITY:
mainly the principal and the
teaching staff

58
Slättgårdsskolan looks like any other school. A red
brick building in the suburbs of Stockholm is not
distinctive in any way. It has narrow corridors with
lockers along the walls and traditionally arranged
classrooms with rows of desks. Most teachers sim-
ply accept this state of affairs and adapt some-
how, but not Linnea Sahlin. She is only 25 and
she has just graduated from a teacher’s training
school.
“Right after I entered the class, I was anxious.
Everything looked old, neglected. I also don’t par-
ticularly like the traditional arrangement of desks.
It looks like students come to look at the teacher
and listen to their words. And what about discus-
sions or other teaching methods?”, she wonders.
The first task the teacher took on was cleaning up
the room and rearranging the furniture. She moved
the desks in groups, brought in mats and pieces of
fabric. It looked better, but there was a concern.
Linnea Sahlin knew that in the following year the
number of students in the class was supposed to
increase from 36 to 60. For many, it seemed impos-
sible to reconcile with the conditions in the school,
but the teacher had an idea.
“If we removed the walls between classrooms and
thus created various teaching spaces which inter-
sect in the shared common space, more teachers
and larger classes could use the same space. The
positive side effect would be creating the oppor-
tunity for cooperation among teachers. Moreover,
students would have more diverse spaces at their
disposal. Certainly not everyone will be happy with
the traditional class layout,” she argued.
As a result, the teacher was given free rein in de-
signing the changes. She was supposed to create
an open space with a cohesive environment which
stimulates learning and could be transformed by
shifting walls. In one place, multi-level rows of seats
were installed, in accordance with the rules of cre-
ating a “campfire” and “show off” learning spac-
es. This allows for organising screenings, holding
lectures and making presentations together. Apart
from that, round tables were installed for holding
discussions and group work. More isolated spaces
were secured for assimilating knowledge and a re-
laxation zone was created with a sofa, cushions and
bookshelves on the sides.
The new look of the room practically forced teach-
ers to collaborate. This, in turn, translated into the
necessity of introducing changes in the lesson
timetable as well as planning educational activ-
ities together. Since then, no teacher can work
on their own. All must adapt to the new idea for
the “class”. The goal was to ensure a diverse envi-
ronment for students and guarantee that nobody
MERGED CLASSROOMS AND TEACHERS’
CO-OPERATION
In most cases classrooms should be considered small or very small if
over 20 students stay in them regularly. There are usually not enough
common spaces. Classrooms are separated by walls and each teacher
shuts themselves off in their own space for the lesson. How can we
give the teachers the opportunity to collaborate?
FRIDA MONSÉN
Slättgårdsskolan in Stockholm, Sweden

59
would be forced into one particular teaching style
which is supposed to fulfil the needs of all the in-
terested parties.
The beginning of such a change will certainly not
be easy. “When we collaborate and try to work
out how to use the new space together, we can
see positive results at once. Students have more
adults to ask for help, and each day spent in
school becomes less fragmented. Various activi-
ties can be combined without haste, which pro-
vides the sense of calm. However, it is difficult to
find the time for planning activities together and
sometimes we need to meet on weekends to do
that,” says Linnea Sahlin.
The principal was enormously impressed by these
efforts. But not all the teachers reacted positively
to the introduced changes: “Of course, we need
to fight the traditional concept of school which
exists both in the heads of students and their par-
ents. Some people think that we went mad, that it
makes no sense to let 60 students run around the
classroom at the same time. They do not listen to
the teachers explaining that this makes them work
better. Their minds are already made up. However,
I am sure that this is the right way. Everything will
turn out fine, once we blaze the trail. I believe that
classrooms should offer as wide an array of experi-
ences as possible,” she says with a smile.
Good advice
One of the greatest challenges for the school
is demography. If the number of students in
classes decreases, there are usually no prob-
lems with the physical space of the school.
The situation becomes more difficult if num-
ber is increasing. After all, classrooms cannot
be simply “inflated” when more students
come in. Removing walls between adjacent
classrooms is a decision that requires cour-
age. It changes the concept of didactic ac-
tivities and such modifications require time,
determination and new structures. We could
not just demolish a wall but leave the work
organisation unchanged. This is not the point.
It is necessary to elaborate a transparent
plan for actions and opportunities offered by
combined classrooms. Such a change is an
opportunity to design new places within the
classroom space to stimulate various edu-
cational activities. The new space should be
thoroughly discussed with its users. In this
way both students and teachers will have no
doubts as to how to use it.
Evangelische Schule Berlin Zentrum jest szkołą,
z której wyłonił się ruch “budzących się szkół”.
Jednym z głównych powodów stojących za pow-
staniem tej szkoły w 2007 roku była obserwacja,
Teachers in my school do not want to collaborate.
How to arrange a space to stimulate them to work
together?
Photo: School with Class 2.0 resources
TIME:
one school semester
FUNDS:
necessary cost of construction works, but
also varied learning equipment for the
new space
RESPONSIBILITY:
principal, teachers, external
contractor

60
Evangelische Schule Berlin Zentrum is where the
“school awakening” movement emerged. One
of the main reasons behind the creation of the
school in 2007 was the observation that students
may perhaps pass exams and climb up the ed-
ucation ladder, but they do not acquire enough
practical life skills. A standardised teaching curric-
ulum does not enable capturing the wide variety
of students’ needs and interests. This is why they
put emphasis on interdisciplinary projects and
developing student’s responsibility for the learn-
ing process. One of the premises of the school is
the fact that it should undergo constant changes,
reacting to the changing world.
After several years, students stopped fitting in the
main school building. The Berlin school received
second, neighbouring building from the city,
which was partly allocated for classrooms, but an
entire floor was rebuilt to create an open space for
collaboration between students, teachers and fre-
quent visitors from other schools and educational
organisations.
The creative space takes up approximately the sur-
face of several classrooms. It is designed as an open
space. All of its parts are separated by boards, tables,
and racks of shelves, which makes work in smaller
teams possible. Architectural “niches” were planned
as well. Sometimes successful collaboration requires
focus and temporary isolation from the rest of the
world.
The space is mobile. Most of its elements – espe-
cially places to sit – can be easily moved around,
and thus rearranged according to current needs. It
is important to secure free and easy communica-
tion. Consequently, the maximum number of avail-
able open spaces was created while avoiding archi-
tectural barriers in moving in between the “niches”.
Therefore, despite working in groups, the effort and
the result of the work is collaborative. Each teacher
has an insight into the work of other groups, which
enables free exchange of information and creative
problem-solving.
The interior decor is minimalist. This allows to
manage the space freely. Post-its can be placed
on white walls for brainstorming. The results of the
work can be also drawn up on flipcharts and slid-
ing boards. Office supplies are stacked on mobile
stands which makes them easily accessible for all
users. There are also large tables for drawing and
planning. Depending on the needs, tables can be
moved around and joined. The most important
thing is to make the space adapt to the user, not
the other way round. And one more remark: teach-
ers’ creativity flows more freely when they are lib-
erated from their chairs, and taken out of the class-
room space. This place is simply better for talking,
CREATIVE SPACE FOR TEACHERS
It often happens that the school lacks a place where teachers could
sit down in a larger group, but not at school desks. Sometimes the
staff room could become such a place, but it usually is not. How to
enhance the cooperation and release creativity of our teachers? Can
physical space help us with that?
PIOTR KOZAK
Evangelische Schule Berlin Zentrum in Berlin, Germany

61
sharing ideas and coming up with innovative ap-
proaches to education.
The place can hold both brainstorming on the
subject of school development, and house ongo-
ing work on teachers’ own educational materials.
In several rooms, original textbooks and materi-
also are created which can help the students and
encourage them to advance their knowledge on
their own.
Good advice
Such a creative corner should exist in every
school. Very often all available rooms in the
school are intended for teaching purposes.
Hardly any school can allocate large spaces for
any other purpose. But usually it is possible
to find a small room which for various reasons
cannot be used as a classroom. We could start
with such a room and try to use it and create a
place for teachers to collaborate, work, meet
and discuss.
Teachers need a
place in the school
where they can
talk, but also do
some creative
problem-solving in
a group or work on
teaching materials.
Neither the staff
room, nor classro-
oms are suited for
such work.
Photo: Marcin
Polak
TIME:
from several months up to
one year, depending on the
scope of necessary work
FUNDS:
investment (refurbishment, renova-
tion or reconstruction of the space)
RESPONSIBILITY:
school principal, authorities
responsible for running the
school, teachers

SHARED SCHOOL
SPACE – HOW TO
USE THEM FOR
EDUCATION?

64
The school entrance is the place of the first con-
tact with the educational institution and will say a
lot about its organisational structure. It is a place
where we should easily get information about the
institution and assistance if we need it. Crossing the
threshold can transport us to a particular (for some,
even enchanted) world; childhood memories come
back. We start to look around and after a while the
first impression about the school is made. It can be
of importance for the parents who are looking for
a good school for their child. What we encounter
just inside the door should not be left to chance,
but should constitute an element of a deeper com-
munication strategy.
Thinking about that first impression the school
makes, we should also think about the way which
leads to its entrance. We could say that older public
schools have a bigger problem with the entrance.
They were built in another time, all according to the
same designs. The entrance used to be unimportant
– it was just supposed to be functional. It usually in-
volved smaller or larger front stairs.
Middle School no. 24 in Wrocław, one of Janusz Ko-
rczak association schools, greets visitors with a spa-
cious hall leading to the rest of the school building.
The characteristic element of this space is the enor-
mous wind rose on the floor, which is symbolic for the
school and the education it provides. It is also a good
place for organising exhibitions and presentations of
students’ works and results of various projects – and
upon entering we know straight away that something
is certainly happening in this school. Only after cross-
ing the wind rose we can descend to the cloakrooms
or go towards school corridors.
A very interesting and unique entrance to the school
was co-created by the students of the awakening
school – Evangelische Schule Berlin Zentrum. The
THE FIRST IMPRESSION – ENTERING THE SCHOOL
Most schools, especially in larger cities are entered through... the ba-
sement, since in most of these buildings cloakrooms are located under
ground. What is the first impression of a person entering the school? Is
it a huge organisational challenge for the school to have a welcoming
main entrance (for visitors) and an entrance to cloakrooms (for stu-
dents)? The image of the school nowadays depends mainly on the opi-
nion expressed by the parents and students online, but when we want
to get to know the school better, we must visit it ourselves. The main
entrance to the school is its calling card, and says a lot about it.
MARCIN POLAK
Primary School in Książenice, Poland
The first impression is important when crossing the school
threshold. The wind rose welcomes the visitors in Middle
School no. 24 in Wrocław. Photo: Marcin Polak

SHAREDSCHOOLSPACE–HOWTOUSEITFOREDUCATION?
65
older part of one of the oldest German schools
is housed in a school building which used to be
mass-constructed in the former GDR and other so-
cialist countries. It is not a public school, and there-
fore it is more difficult to secure funds for renova-
tions and decorations. This is why many works were
performed on a volunteer basis – classrooms, corri-
dors and staircases were renovated by parents and
students at their own expense. The arrangement of
the entrance to the school should be left to students
who decided to emphasise the unique character of
the school which stands for freedom, expression and
creativity. Certainly not everyone will like it...
Newer school buildings have less problems with
the entrance. In these cases the entrance is already
a part of the well-planned architectural project in
which much attention is given to shaping good re-
lationships with its visitors – usually parents and
guardians.
A good example of a well-planned main entrance
is the Primary School in Książenice. First of all, the
space in front of the school is well taken care of. An
oak tree dubbed Fryderyk was planted here, and a
bench was installed around it, for the visitors to sit
down and wait for the children to come out. The
square has also become a meeting place and ven-
ue for school and local events. A simple entrance
invites to come in. After crossing the threshold, we
find ourselves on a large playground, from where
we can continue in various directions. There is no
need to go down to the cloakroom, because lock-
ers and cloakrooms are situated on the same level,
next to the entrance.
Good advice
Let’s make a thought experiment: let’s think
about what a visitor, who has never been in
our school before, should see upon entering
our school. What does the entrance zone look
like, what information can they find here,
what information about the school does this
place communicate? Since schools are so dif-
ferent (they have different ideas of concern-
ing work) answers to this question will never
be the same. But when considering a compre-
hensive vision of the school, it would be cer-
tainly advisable to ponder over the question
of the entrance. We should also try to involve
the student council – perhaps they will pro-
pose some interesting ideas?
We should remember that in the contem-
porary world, the school in a way competes
with the modern shopping mall, home, or the
leisure centre, so when we design or mod-
ernise the school, we should try to make the
entry enjoyable. We should attempt to place
complete information about where we are
right next to the entrance, and if the school
is affluent enough, also multimedia screens
(TVs) with information about current school
events and activities planned for the day or
the week.
TIME:
changes that improve the appearan-
ce of the entrance can be implemen-
ted quickly
FUNDS:
the costs depend on the scope of
renovation or construction works
RESPONSIBILITY:
the principal, teachers, stu-
dents’ council
Left: Upon entering the Evangelische
Schule Berlin Zentrum in Berlin managed
by Margret Rasfeld, we know straightaway
that it is a particularly original place. Pho-
to: Marcin Polak
Right: The school in Książenice not only
invites us to come in, but also to rest in
front of the entrance. In many years, there
will be a huge oak tree growing right here,
which will provide shade for parents pic-
king up their children. Photo: Marcin Polak

66
It used to be a typical school corridor. A long com-
munication route linking rows of classes. A place
which can only be associated with rules like “no
running” (outside of PE classes) and “no sitting on
window sills”. That’s it. The subject of corridors was
rarely discussed in staff meetings. After all, there are
usually many more pressing issues to discuss than
the question of “communication routes”.
The corridor is a “grey zone”. It is not a classroom,
which would be cared for by a teacher. But it is also
not an outside space. It lies between the school
and the not-school. It is a mistake. Students spend
a lot of time in the corridors, this is where they so-
cialise and learn. Very often it is also where they do
their homework and where stressed students make
last-minute revisions before tests. We should then
reclaim corridors for education.
The first thing that we did was to share the respon-
sibility for the corridor with the students. It is not
enough to hang information posters and repaint
walls. If we wanted the corridor space to be “ours”,
we had to mean and include also students. It is im-
portant that students feel that this space belongs
also to them, that they are its co-creators.
Various elements of the corridor decorations were to
a certain extent created independently. For instance,
one of the teachers did not like corridor lamps. When
she mentioned it during a design class, students
picked up the idea and decided to design and then
manufacture new lampshades themselves. They
were made of plastic bottles, paper, staples and
string. They might not look store-bought, but the
important thing is that they are ours. A mural featur-
ing a balloon with OLPI sign was the answer to the
school event organised around the theme of “air”.
A mural featuring silhouettes was the initiative of a
group of students whose likenesses-images were put
up on the wall. All murals were designed and painted
by students.
The result was the improvement in the aesthetics of
the school space, as well as integration of students
who work together, and practicing design and paint-
ing skills. Yet in our case, the most important out-
come was the sense that together we are creating
our space.
SCHOOL CORRIDORS AND YARDS
Corridors constitute important elements of the school building. They
are usually empty spaces, simply begging to be put to better use. Do
these places also serve education? How can we include them in the
life of the school?
Maria Skłodowska-Curie School Complex no. 1 in Sopot, Poland
We would like to make our students feel co-creators
and co-hosts of the school. How to do it?

67
Good advice
It is important for teachers to pay attention to
students’ remarks about the school space. Also
teachers themselves should show initiative, in-
volve a group of students in the work in order
to show the rest that arranging the space to-
gether is possible. Someone has to be the first
to break the stalemate. Changes in the space
should, at least partially, be made as a part of
Students can sur-
prise us on many
occasions. For this
to happen, we have
to let them act on
their own. This
is how the Sopot
school corridor
looks like.
Photo: Anna Grodek
regular didactic activities. The ceiling could
be decorated with constellations of stars, and
geometry can be learned with a protractor
painted on the floor in the maths classroom.
It would be good to involve a teacher and par-
ents or a selected person from outside of the
school, with a good artistic sense. A budget al-
lotted for such activities would be very helpful.
We could also try to get some outside funding,
and involve e.g. the PTO.
TIME:
from several hours to
several weeks
FUNDS:
modest funds necessary to purchase paint,
brushes, various construction supplies, cab-
les, lightbulbs, etc.
RESPONSIBILITY:
teachers, students

68
Several years ago, the school in Ostojów decided
to put into practice Prof. Howard Gardner’s theory
of multiple intelligences, and stimulate various tal-
ents of the students. As a result, there is not one,
but many after-school classrooms in the school,
and each aims at a different aspect of student’s de-
velopment. Educational tasks taken up by the after
school teachers are based on this theory, and thus
they serve the task of modifying after-school work
with children and enrich the offer of existing models.
Students declare the will to participate in activities
themselves, according to their interests and needs.
They make ultimate use of their potential and learn
in a way which suits them best. And thus, apart from
a traditional, large after-school classroom, intended
mainly for the youngest children, we have also sev-
eral smaller thematic rooms.
Music room. Here students can develop their mu-
sical talents through playing instruments (guitar,
keyboard, flute, glockenspiel), exercises involving
percussive instruments, a klanza sheet or boom-
whackers, choreography activities with elements
of theatre with the use of theatrical props and pup-
pets, listening to classical music, or singing. Students
spend their time on creating their own dance or
rhythm routines and choreographies for the school
theatre. For them, dancing in this space is a way to
express their feelings, or to relax. Music permeating
this room enables active listening in a position cho-
sen by the child (carpet, mattress, armchair, bean-
bags). It is noteworthy that the music room is where
students with similar preferences, but of varying
ages (from kindergarten to grade 6), meet to share
their experiences and play with music, using their
imagination and intelligence.
GOOD IDEAS FOR AFTER SCHOOL CLASSROOMS
Primary school pupils spend many hours in after-school program-
mes, sometimes even more than in regular classes. After-school
programmes are filled beyond their capacity, very noisy and child-
ren can barely stand staying there. Reorganisation of after-school
classrooms, even if the conditions at the school are not good, is as
important as the improvement of the teaching quality. The problem
with the lack of sufficient space is typical for many schools, but in
such a case we should think about using smaller rooms for creating
smaller thematic after-class rooms, intended for stimulating parti-
cular activities.
MARCIN POLAK
Non-public Primary School “Little School” in Konin Żagański, Poland

69
Arts room. Students can develop their painting and
theatrical talents here. Their creative imagination is
stimulated through drawing, painting, modelling,
casting, sculpting, weaving and sewing.The arts af-
ter-school classroom creates decorations and spatial
forms for school events, which boost the image of
the school. Around Easter and Christmas students
prepare decorations and postcards for the holiday
fair. They participate in arts competitions at school,
outside of school and in national competitions.
Reading and leisure room. This is the place for
children who like tales, poems, radio plays and sto-
ries. There is a collection of radio plays which chil-
dren can access on the condition that they respect
silence silence and fellow students’ right to relax.
This is also the place when one can read books, relax
in a hammock, or listen to music in silence.
Analytics and logic room. Here students can de-
velop their skills in logical thinking with the use of
numerous fun educational aids, and playing various
games (chess, checkers). They use blocks to create
various constructions and buildings inspired by the
world of fairy tales. This is the place for students who
work in groups to create games for others, design
labyrinths, and create fantastic origami and other
folded paper crafts. Recently, the room became the
home for coding – students are learning to code in
Scratch.
Sensory room. Children use the devices collected in
this room to create sensory stories, pantomime, ki-
netic charades, search for hidden objects, play hare
and hounds, construct and run obstacle courses.
Nature room. It is the home of school animals
(hamsters, stick insects, rabbits) and plants in the
care of children. Sometimes students’ pets “come
to visit” as well. The care continues even when the
school is closed. For holiday breaks and during the
school year, lists of students are created to indicate
who would take particular pets or plants home for
several days. It serves well to induce children’s re-
sponsibility for living creatures.
Public Primary School in Ostojów

70
School mini-zoos, which are organised particularly
in small-town schools, are a special type of an after
school programme class. In a way, it is an external
classroom, as students spend a lot of time on keep-
ing animals’ enclosures tidy and caring for them.
Such a mini-zoo exists in non-public Primary School
“Little School” in Konin Żagański. Children call it “the
Enchanted Enclosure”. There are goats, sheep, chick-
ens, ducks, two peacocks, rabbits, a potbellied pig,
two dogs, including an adopted basset hound, and
an Andalusian horse named Edukada that came to
the school all the way from Spain. All animals have
names, usually invented and given by children.
The person in charge of the enclosure is the school
principal, Wiesława Patyk-Kozłowska, who had
dreamt about such a place next to the school for
years. Inhabitants of the village assist in caring for
the animals as well. Many farmers provide fruits and
vegetables from their gardens, they bring in hay or
feeds. Children bring potato peels, stale bread or
eggshells daily. The location of the school allows for
such an organisation of the space. The school is sur-
rounded by meadows where animals can graze, and
small cell-like constructions enabled creating sepa-
rate enclosures for two- and four-legged creatures.
A veterinarian friend of the school often checks on
the animals. Children gladly care for them. They are
happy when they can help by feeding or watering
them. They have the most fun when new ones come
into the world. This year, in winter, we had two new
kids, and their names will of course be chosen by
the students.
Teachers see many advantages of children working
with animals. Learning responsibility, empathy and
stimulating sensitivity to nature are the most impor-
tant features children can acquire while working in
such a “live after-school programme”.
Public Primary School in Ostojów

71
a serious problem). Perhaps the reorganisation
of the after-school programme could become an
opportunity to educate about maintaining si-
lence at school. It would be advisable to review
the entire school building, as well as external
spaces, and consider whether smaller rooms
could be adapted for after-school classrooms.
Good advice
Nothing indicates that children will spend less
time in after-school programmes in the near
future. Their condition often leaves much to be
desired – maybe not in terms of the room itself
and its equipment, but overcrowding and exces-
sive noise levels (children complain that it does
not allow them to do their homework and this is
The mini-zoo in Non-
-Public Primary School
in Konin Żagański
TIME:
depends on the space available at a par-
ticular school and whether construction
investments are necessary. If the rooms
are ready, the arrangement itself does not
require much time.
FUNDS:
cost of additional equip-
ment for particular thema-
tic profiles
RESPONSIBILITY:
principal, director and teachers
of the afterschool programme

72
At schools all over the world students tend to
read less paper books and this trend is not likely
to change. Traditional books are losing the battle
against e-books, colourful and dynamic websites
and even against e-textbooks that contain more re-
sources supporting learning than traditional paper
textbooks. In many schools attempts are made to
try and promote traditional books, with several suc-
cess stories. Today, however, one needs to make
on-going effort to attract students to books. To put
it in market terms, encouraging students to read
requires continuous marketing activity to attract
the students’ attention, make them interested in
a given publication and nearly force the said book
into their hands.
Can the school space be of any help? Of course!
Once a student has a book in his/her hand, a quiet
reading area would come in handy. Polish schools
lack quiet nooks where students could be alone and
immerse themselves in reading. It is a good idea to
design such areas. There are at least several possible
solutions as to how to achieve it.
In STO School Complex in Bemowo, Warsaw, there
is a tradition of reading books to students (both at
school and during school trips.) Jarosław Pytlak,
the school principal, allocated a separate room for
reading students - the former scouts’ room. This
space was given the name of “Czytalnia”. The room
was renovated; the students painted the walls with
the colour of their choice and soft carpeting was
NEW SPACES FOR READING
Reading books, both paper editions and increasingly more popu-
lar e-books, is beneficial for students’ intellectual development.
Reading broadens their general knowledge about the ‘adult’ world
much better than school textbooks; it feeds their imagination,
expands vocabulary and inspires critical thinking. Regrettably, the
number of readers among children and adolescents continues to fall.
Schools can and should encourage young people to read, starting
from the youngest students. Teachers and librarians have their role
to play in this important endeavour; however, educational space may
also be arranged in a manner conducive to reading books.
MARCIN POLAK
STO School Complex in Bemowo, Warsaw, Poland
ATUT Bilingual Schools in Wrocław, Poland
Vittra Telefonsplan in Stockholm, Sweden
”Czytalnia” reading space in
Jarosław Pytlak’s school in the
Warsaw district of Bemowo.

73
laid on the floor. The room was also decorated
with poufs and pillows and with a “majestic read-
ing armchair” (for teachers who read books aloud
to children from grades 0-3). In this way an actu-
al “cave” was created, for students who look for a
place to hide with a good book.
Similar spaces have been arranged in Vittra Tele-
fonsplan school in Stockholm. With their shape
they even resemble actual caves! The entire ed-
ucational space in this facility has been arranged
according to David D. Thornburg’s theory. Those
rooms have been fitted with a large number of
sockets that allow students to read books on their
electronic devices.
The multimedia library is one of the most impor-
tant self-study spaces in Evangelische Schule Berlin
Zentrum. It holds a large collection of books and it
is equipped with computers with Internet access;
students can enjoy armchairs, sofas and a special
platform where they can comfortably lay down with
a book. The multimedia library is appreciated by
the students who go there with their obligatory
readings, textbooks and computers.
The above cases constitute good examples of
how to design a reading area at school. They can
be supplemented with initiatives implemented in
private Bilingual Schools ATUT in Wrocław. In one
of the corridors a dedicated “house” for books was
put up, where students may leave books and mag-
azines they have read for their peers.. The “house”
is on wheels, so it can “follow the students” to the
areas where they spend most of their time. Another
interesting idea was spotted in the school library. A
rope was hung between two opposite walls of the
library and it serves as display for boards with pho-
tos of students who borrowed books. Under every
photo there are copies of covers of the books read
by a given student with brief information about the
book’s content. It is a great way to promote read-Reader’s corner – an important part of a multimedia library
in Berlin’s “awakening school”. Photo: Marcin Polak

74
ing! This unique gallery allows students visiting the
library to discover what their friends have recently
read. In this way students allow their image to be
used to market books, and their peers are more
willing to read a publication “recommended” in this
way by their friends.
Good advice
Reading books in digital times requires a lot
of willpower from students, when the world
around provides them with so many visually
attractive and interactive alternatives – smart-
phones, tablets or laptops. For this reason it is
a good idea to design school areas and corners
that serve as “caves” - spaces where students
may hide with a book and find respite from
noisy school corridors. Such corners and are-
as do not necessarily have to be located in a
library or multimedia library; these actually
may be too busy to allow students to focus
properly. It may be a good idea to take a walk
TIME:
from one week to several months
FUNDS:
average cost, unless a construction works are
required
RESPONSIBILITY:
teacher, librarian, principal
around the school building and notice the lo-
cation of various rooms, nooks and niches that
could be adapted for smaller or larger reading
rooms.

75
House for books
and a gallery of
recommended
readings in ATUT
School Complex in
Wrocław. Photo cre-
dit: Marcin Polak
”Reader’s cave”
in Vittra Telefon-
splan school in
Stockholm. One of
students’ favourite
rooms.
Photo: Marcin Polak

76
The educational potential of school corridors is
very often underexploited. Regrettably, because
hundreds of students walk up and down them
every day. Various teaching aids can be easily in-
troduced into that space – as it was done in many
schools, for instance in Primary School no. 9 in
Ostrów Wielkopolski or in Primary School no. 26
in Łódź. When we go up the stairs, we have a reflex
of looking under our feet. Why not put educational
content from any subject there - Polish literature,
foreign language, maths, history, life sciences?
Such stairs may help children in memorising the
multiplication table, parts of speech or key histor-
ical dates. They may also assist them in learning
irregular plural forms, basic expressions, word
order and spelling of difficult words in a foreign
language, or names of great scientists and their
inventions. Elements of play may also be included
- students may, for instance, go up the stairs in a
given manner.
Preparing ‘educational decorations’ for stairs is very
easy. It is enough to buy stick-on coloured foils, let-
ters and numbers, and stick them under each step
on the stairs. We may also use colour oil paints to
paint key information in desired areas.
Also, the corridor walls may be decorated with ed-
ucational material, e.g. with various educational
aids or alphabet letters written in neat lines. This
is how the walls were enlivened in Private Primary
School Cogito in Płock.
Good advice
Do not think about these decorations as per-
manent elements. It is a good idea to refresh
the information painted on stairs, so that
children keep learning about new things. An-
other solution is to design and attach under
steps transparent pockets that would serve
as showcases for changeable content. Those
decorations should be made with quality ma-
terials so that our educational aids’ are not
damaged by cleaning. Moreover, students can
be involved in creating ‘educational stairs’;
teachers may delegate a part of tasks to them.
You may also ask the students in various age
groups what is particularly challenging for
them and what they would like to memorise
with the help of such educational aids.
STAIRWAY TO KNOWLEDGE
According to a popular saying, we learn best when we are not aware
of the learning process, when learning is a by-product of a fun activ-
ity. In most schools students go up and down flights of stairs every-
day to reach classrooms. With only a little bit of effort, those stairs
can be transformed into ‘teaching aids’.
MARCIN POLAK
Primary School no. 9 in Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland
Primary School no. 26 in Łódź, Poland
Private Primary School COGITO in Płock, Poland

77
Mathematical stairs in Primary School no.
26 in Łódź help the youngest students to
practice multiplication table.
Photo credit: Natalia Pacocha
Staircases in Cogito School in Płock are used as educational
areas. When students go up and down the stairs several times
a day, they instinctively read the content written on them.
Photo credit: Luiza Kalinowska-Skutnik, Cogito School
TIME:
several days
FUNDS:
it is a low-cost project
RESPONSIBILITY:
teacher, students, principal

STUDY CORNERS
– NICHES, NOOKS
AND RECESSSES AT
SCHOOL

80
It is easier to plan the location of various learn-
ing-enhancing elements in all kinds of learning situ-
ations in an open school space. Let us return to the
idea of David D. Thornburg that was mentioned at
the beginning of the manual. He suggested defining
the educational space through five symbolic areas
where social interactions take place and where we
learn from each other. Can we imagine such areas at
school? Naturally! We can see good ideas and good
practices in many schools. Vittra Telefonplan pri-
mary school in Stockholm is probably the best case
in point; the school is located in an old telephone
factory and was designed to serve as an optimal
learning environment for children between 6 and 11
years of age.
In the open school space, dozens of original and vis-
ually attractive elements that support the learning
process in various situations were designed from
scratch (inspired by basic didactic principles and
prepared in cooperation with school teachers and
designers). This resulted in a diversified learning en-
vironment that allows every student to find a place
for himself/herself and study in line with his/her cog-
nitive style. Each of us learns best in various condi-
tions - some of us prefer to study alone, others with
a partner or in a small group, and at times through
interaction with a larger group. In this school there
are areas that have been designed for various learn-
ing purposes, depending on the situation. Each of
these areas is an educational micro-space in which
students can grow and develop. Please examine ex-
amples below (we are ready to expand the list if we
find similar solutions in other schools):
Blue mountain – the centrally located
mountain dominates the space and plays a
special role in this school. It serves as a meeting
point for large groups of students, and even for the
entire school community. It may also be used as
space for audience in front of a scene located at the
bottom of the mountain. It is a symbolic space where
students present their works and overcome their
weaknesses while practicing public speaking. A rath-
er steep ‘slope’ of the mountain with seats allows the
audience to follow the developments on the scene.
MICRO-SPACES FOR STUDYING AT SCHOOL
Students differ one from another, and for this reason the school
space should be adapted to all kinds of needs and all types of lear-
ning situations that students encounter. Some school spaces make
effective learning simply impossible (because of numerous factors,
e.g. poor acoustics, lighting, uncomfortable furniture, scratched
walls). Many of such spaces can be improved at a low cost. All we
need to do is change our attitude to the classroom and try to diver-
sify the educational space.
MARCIN POLAK
Vittra Telefonsplan in Stockholm, Sweden

STUDYCORNERS–NICHES,NOOKSANDRECESSSESAT
81
Cave – where there is a mountain, there also
must be a cave underneath, dedicated to in-
dividual or group learning activities. It is one of stu-
dents’ favourite places – they can hide in there when
they want to study in peace.
Concentration niches – in every classroom
there are students who need to leave the
group in order to focus on their task. Catering to their
needs was very easy; it was enough to build small
plywood booths with a desk and proper equipment
(including sockets, for students who want to use
their computers inside). Such booths should be mo-
bile (e.g. on wheels), so that they can be moved to
the desired area.
Village – a group of larger tables with bench-
es, dedicated to group work; their original
shape is reminiscent of houses. Students work in
houses in groups of 4-6, while the teacher has easy
access to them from every side.
Reading corner – it is difficult not
to notice that in every school students sit on the
floor to read or browse their smartphones. It is not
difficult to arrange space for such students and put
inside books, magazines and comic books that en-
courage students to read. In this case it was enough
to use scraps of carpeting to create an eclectic pat-
tern on the floor. This area is also well adapted for
fun and games - it may serve various purposes de-
pending on the context.

82
Media labs – these are small rooms dedi-
cated for several persons who work with
computers. The rooms are closed to prevent noises
from the outside from distracting the students. The
space is adapted for individual and group work on
IT-related tasks.
Studio - a room with silenced walls and
doors, dedicated for music and dance activ-
ities. Students may play musical instruments or music
from the stereo without disturbing their peers in other
classrooms.Itmaybeusedformusicrecording,dance
practice or for sport/leisure purposes.
A lone tree – a meeting place that can hold
a large number of students and facilitate in-
teractions among them. The tree is surrounded by
sitting places on the ‘grass’ or on a low wall. In this
area students can freely engage in conversation, meet
new people and share information and ideas.
Galleries – area for teamwork. This is anoth-
erexampleofasimple,yetuniversalareabuilt
of plywood. Inside there are soft seats, and the space
naturallydividesstudentsintogroups;everygroupcan
work on its task in a separate gallery.

83
Green island – it is simply a large
couch placed in the middle of the
corridor, inviting students to take a break. It facilitates
interaction in small groups; it may also be used as
spaceforrehearsalsandgrouppresentations-thestu-
dents can sit comfortably on the couch, while the
speaker makes a presentation in front of them. The is-
landislocatednexttomedia-labs,whoseexternalwall
were transformed into a gigantic blackboard; this
makes the island an excellent place for brainstorming
and drawing mind maps.
Lab desks – it is an area designed for con-
ducting experiments and for manual work.
The desks are adapted for group work. They are espe-
cially handy for cooking or artistic activities, as well as
for chemistry or biology labs.
Atelier –thisareaencouragesthestudentsto
engage in artistic expression; it is equipped
witheasels,paints,brushesanditholdsasmallgallery
to display their works.

84
Games corner – it is a space for games and
play. It may include popular football, but also
ahopscotchcourtorachessboardpaintedonthefloor.
It is impossible to list all the elements of educational
micro-areasthatmaybeencounteredinschools.Apart
from those described above also the following should
be mentioned.
Armchair corner – a separate part of the
classroom with a carpet and a large arm-
chair (it may also be a rocking chair). This solution
was used in Primary School in Ostojów (Poland)
and in Evangelische Schule Berlin Zentrum (Germa-
ny). It is dedicated to the youngest students (early
elementary schooling). The teacher sits in the arm-
chair and reads aloud, while the students sit com-
fortably on the carpet around the armchair
Evangelische Schule Berlin Zentrum, Berlin
Primary School no. 13 in Olsztyn, the owl armchair.

85
Chair with owls – a reversed version of the
armchair corner, spotted in Primary School
no. 13 in Olsztyn (Poland). You need a special chair
(it should stand out among the others; for instance it
may be a renovated piece of old furniture); colours
and child motifs are welcome. In this case the chair
was covered in fabric with colourful owls. This chair
is for a student who presents his/her work (or reads)
to his/her peers. It is seemingly an unimportant
piece of furniture, but it has an important education-
al role in class.
Windowsills – areas for individual work
windowsills inside classrooms; students
may work there with a computer or a tablet, spot-
ted at Evangelische Schule Berlin Zentrum (Germa-
ny). They are adapted for individual and pair work
(students are sitting back to back; in this way they
may leave a group for a while to work individually).
Good advice
The school space should foster creativity and sup-
port students in their everyday activity. It should
also be designed in a way that fulfils their devel-
opmental, social and emotional needs. The more
elements there are in micro-areas in classrooms
and at school, the more learning opportunities
they create. We should bear in mind that learning
occurs in all sorts of situations. It is a good idea
to carry out an audit of the school space. We may
examine classrooms and school spaces and try to
assess whether individual spaces differ one from
another; let’s also check how they contribute to
the learning process. Next we should think how
elements present in those micro-areas could be
introduced at school - some of them are really
easy to implement. However, every element
should serve educational purposes. It is not only
about aesthetics (aesthetics is important, but our
priority is the learning process).
TIME:
from several weeks (if one classroom
is rearranged) to several or a dozen
months (in the case of comprehensive
rearrangement of the entire school)
FUNDS:
this project requires some
expenses; the amount will
differ from school to school
RESPONSIBILITY:
principal, teacher, students

86
Cooperation with the local community means more
than just working with the local inhabitants. It re-
quires a special focus on the local identity; first and
foremost on the local memory, character and his-
tory. A school may become a community-building
centre. It may serve as an antique museum. Does it
sound extravagant? If so, why?
A school in Podmokle Małe, a small village in the
Lubuskie region, created a heritage park of farm ma-
chines and equipment. The Implementation of this
idea was very simple. The school made its yard avail-
able for the inhabitants and asked them to bring
their old and often useless farming machines. The in-
itiative was welcomed with enthusiasm. It launched
the process of searching and renovating old farming
machines. Today the heritage park features nearly
200 exhibits, including a quern, horse gear, harrows,
a grinder, mills, horse collars, wood carts and many
others. There are also horse carriages on display -
the oldest ones date back to the 19th century. The
most impressive exhibit, however, is a 20th century
post mill moved from the neighbouring village.
The benefits of having a heritage park are two-
fold. On one hand it makes a great space for biol-
ogy, history and maths lessons. On the other, it is
open for everyone, including school trips, and it
has become a tourist attraction in the municipal-
ity. Furthermore, local inhabitants have created a
space that bears witness to their common history.
Every one of them contributed to the identity of
this place.
Inside the school there is also a Memory Hall dedi-
cated to the founder of the school and a local hero,
Franciszek Sarnowski, who established the first Pol-
ish schools in the Lubuskie region. The hall features
exhibits donated by the inhabitants and by the fam-
ily of Mr Sarnowski. The Memory Hall helps to forge
a timeless bond between the generations, while the
town itself discovers and creates its history.
Children Heroes of Łódź Primary School no. 81 has
a particularly difficult patron. The building itself
was erected on the site of a World War II Nazi con-
centration camp for children and young people.
Together with the teachers, the school’s principal
decided in 2011 to carry out an educational pro-
ject related to this this delicate and difficult issue.
The project’s name was Free Chudy – today we will
give you not only our memory. The project involved
A SCHOOL THAT REMEMBERS
We often fall into the trap of talking about schools as if they existed
in a void. Not without a reason; all schools – those in large cities, as
well as those in rural areas – look similar. However, if we want to have
open schools, we must not forget about the context in which they ex-
ist. Let’s try to adopt a broader perspective and perceive the school
building not only as a learning facility, but also as a place that can tell
its story and be the centre of the local community life. Also, the space
surrounding the school may and should talk about its region.
KATARZYNA GÓRKIEWICZ, PIOTR KOZAK
Primary School in Podmokle Małe, Poland
Primary School no. 81 in Łódź, Poland
High School Complex no. 1 in Ruda Śląska, Poland

87
students meeting and talking with the local inhab-
itants at the former camp site about the history of
this place. Students also took an active part in a
happening close to the nearby monument of Chil-
dren’s Martyrology and wrote letters to the former
prisoners or got in touch with them or with their
children. The project helped to create a collection
of items that are traces of the grievous past – let-
ters, photos, pages from camp registers of prison-
ers. The school also decided to create a memory
hall where other students and guests visiting the
school are able to see those exhibits.
It is a difficult place. Probably also because it is
located in a primary school. It took some courage
from the teachers and the principal to bring up
those difficult, yet important topics. We can learn
from the school in Łódź how to wisely talk with
the youngest children about grievous history,
and how to incorporate those difficult issues into
school space.
The High School Complex no. 1 in Ruda Śląska de-
cided to create a space modelled on a one-room
house of a family of miners in the framework of a
European project. It was done in a long and narrow
classroom that is also used as a computer room.
Exhibits were collected from the local inhabitants,
and one wall was decorated with a large photo-
graph wallpaper showing a mine gallery. The com-
puter room now gives the students an impression
that they are not at school, but deep underground.
Good advice
Every place exists in a given context and is
marked by its history, by persons and events
that shaped the present world. One should
embrace the history of his/her neighbourhood
in a wise and brave manner. It is a good idea
to seek remnants of the past together with
the students and to examine them carefully.
In this way we get to know ourselves and the
region we live in.
The room of the family of miners from early 20th
century reminds students about the identity of
their region. Photo: Iza Wyppich
TIME:
from several months to several years,
depending on the project’s scale
FUNDS:
if parents and the local
community is involved, the
project is the low-cost
RESPONSIBILITY:
principal, teachers, students,
local community

88
That room seemed good for nothing. It was small
– it could hold up to 16-20 students, it was locat-
ed underground and had no windows. We did not
know how to make any use of it. For several years it
served as a therapeutic room, but the school psy-
chologist requested to be relocated.
For some time we had a problem with the common
room. We had the same difficulties as many oth-
er Polish schools - we had too many students and
not enough space in classrooms. It is difficult for
teachers to work in such conditions, not to men-
tion to make attempts at convincing the students
that reading books is a worthwhile activity in their
free time. We were in a need of a place where stu-
dents could find a moment of peace. It seemed that
there was a simple solution to our problem, namely
adapting the cellar room for such purposes.
The room in question was small and it certainly
would not have held all the children staying in the
common room. We decided to use it later in the
day, when there are less children and when they are
tired and need to calm down. At times this room
is used for civic education classes for younger stu-
dents or for students’ meetings in smaller groups.
Since the room lacked windows, it was neces-
sary to install a proper ventilation system and
adequate lighting that would be safe for children
and allow for regulating intensity; in addition, we
needed a stronger source of light over the place
for the reading teacher.
We wanted the children to feel at home. The walls
were painted in delicate, lavender colours. Also, im-
ages of a forest, a forest path, a river and animals
were added, all in fairy-tale aesthetics.
The floor was covered with a thick carpeting. Poufs
and pillows of various sizes and textures were add-
ed. Some of them resembled “flat” animals – a tur-
tle, a ladybird or a starfish.
On one of the walls we created a recess and a shelf,
which is also a seat for the teacher. A TV set will
probably be put there in the future. A special board
will be put up by the entrance with rules of use.
There will also be space for children’s requests re-
garding books that they would like to be read to
them in the future. All these elements were pre-
pared by the students themselves under the super-
vision of their teacher, together with decorations on
the board.
Currently only young children are using the room.
In this space they are calm and quiet, and get to
discover interesting books. This room also allows
them to learn how to be a part of a group. The chil-
dren need to share the poufs; sometimes children
sit in pairs on larger poufs and they should not
push or poke one another. Moreover, if they are in-
MAKING USE OF ROOMS AND CELLARS
In every school there are several rooms that are too small to hold
a full course and conduct lessons. Often they are used as storage
rooms for all sorts of things. Such rooms could be easily adapted
for educational purposes. In our school we have found such a spare
room in the cellar. How to rearrange it and adapt it for learning pur-
poses?
Maria Skłodowska-Curie School Complex no. 1 in Sopot, Poland

A small unused
space can acquire
a totally new func-
tion. In Primary
School no. 1 in
Bytom, a yoga class
was arranged in
such a ‘nook’.
Photo: School with
Class 2.0 resources
89
terested in the story, they should stay focused and
not disturb other children. They learn that some-
times they have to wait, for they will only discover
what happened next in the book at the next read-
ing session; they may have to wait for their turn to
enter the room, because the schedule is binding
for all the users. Children often bring their favour-
ite books from home, which creates an additional
value - not only do they learn to share their pre-
ferred readings with others, but they also have to
overcome their stage fright when describing them.
Good advice
Not all of the underground rooms can be le-
gally used for didactic purposes. You should
carefully check requirements regarding school
spaces (in particular if the ceiling is high
enough and if the ventilation system works
properly). If a room proves to be fit for educa-
tional purposes, we need to make sure that it
is properly equipped. The materials should be
of top quality (poufs and carpeting must last
for a long time) and safe (before buying them
do check if the carpeting and paints do not
contain allergens nor harmful substances, they
must comply with the highest norms). Parents
and school employees may be invited to help
with painting the room. Children may be asked
to prepare some part of the decorations; it may
be a good idea to partly or fully cover one of
the walls with fabric (to turn it into a display
space for pictures) or to put up large boards
made of cork or fabric.
TIME:
about a month (pre-
ferably during school
holidays)
FUNDS:
school and parents may share the costs of reno-
vation (Parents’ Council, School Council). The
amount depends on the necessary renovation and
adaptation work in the room, but part of it can be
done by volunteers (parents and teachers)
RESPONSIBILITY:
principal, parents

90
Context/Situation
Ask children what they prefer to do – to play out-
side the school or to go to school. We would all
know what their answer would most likely be –
not to go to school! And actually, when children
are not at school it would be foolish to assume
that they are not learning anything - as if they can
only learn within the structured school environ-
ment. Of course, it is well known that learning can
take place everywhere and at all times, both with-
in school environments and outside school them.
And even within school environments, there can
be learning outside what is organised and struc-
tured. We know that students are continually
learning in all social environments such as their
families, their cliques and clubs, through play-
ing on the computer and games console etc., as
well as through everyday activities that they are
engaged in. This means that not all situations
within/outside the school are formalised learning
places. With this in mind informal learning needs
to be addressed in three regards. The first is un-
derstanding that school can also be a space for
informal learning. The second is to acknowledge
competences that students have acquired in non-
school or informal learning processes. The third is
linking formal, non-school and informal learning
processes to improve the school.
The key here is that students can get “skilled up”
independently from school structures. But there
are nonetheless some issues connected with the
undertaking. The first of these relates to financial-
ly disadvantaged children and impacts families
and their children. In some cases there are clubs
and being able to access hem when they are only
accessible to the more wealthy. The second is the
ever-increasing amount of media to which students
are exposed and this might again link with social
inequalities. The third is the lack of personal rel-
evance of formal learning for the everyday lives of
students .
Potential Solutions
Schools can respond to this challenge by expand-
ing, if not creating, informal learning situations
(both in terms of places and time) for students.
This can include specific places within the school
where students can get involved and learn such
as the playground, recreation areas, corridors,
care rooms, “niche” areas etc., almost anywhere
- where such places or spaces can be used for
different things at different times e.g. a a play-
ground becomes a meeting place for role play
and a school canteen can be used for team gam-
ing. This enables the involvement of all students
regardless of social inequalities that might exist
outside the school.
Social relatedness activities can be key to both
the informal and formal learning contexts. Be-
cause much learning takes place during recre-
ation and play, schools can have an important
role in ensuring the conditions for recreation and
play so that this potential can be achieved by
students as much as possible. The Freie Schule
INFORMAL LEARNING
In which ways can informal and formal non-school context be
utilised to increase the benefits for formal school-based learning
processes?
JUSTIN SISMEY (HIE-RO)
The Ecolea International School, Rostock, Germany

School with Class 2.0 resources. Photo: Jolanta Mleczak
91
Rügen recognises this and provides extensive
playing areas which encourage students, through
play, to develop their relational skills as well as
positively impacts their developmental skills of
them too.
Schools can have more of an impact on informal
and non-school contexts than might be expect-
ed – especially through parents. For example,
The Ecolea International School in Rostock is in
regular contact with parents both at a collective
and individual level and this can and does influ-
ence what happens with the learning of students
outside the school. A specific example of this is
where the school encourages a balanced use of
IT and mobile phones at home because without
this students have been known to become so
involved with social networks and communica-
tion applications that they do not complete their
homework! Here, a healthy balance is key!
Keeping a balance is essential. Clearly students
need both structured and unstructured environ-
ments for learning. But schools should give more
attention and thought to how they can link better
with and act in a complementary way to student
learning that takes place outside the school in
those informal places.
Further Reading
School playground: Its impact on children’s learn-
ing and development - ResearchGate. Available
from:
http://www.researchgate.net/publica-
tion/268979180_School_playground_Its_im-
pact_on_childrens_learning_and_development
Informal Education in Schools
http://www.infed.org/schooling/inf-sch.htm

94
The schoolyard constitutes an area that favours
social interaction, cooperation and learning
through action. Making a wise use of this space
encourages students to develop and pursue their
talents. This space may be used as a lab to carry
out exercises and experiments (for example the
school garden) , as a meeting place for play
and joyful activity (a playground) or present-
ing one’s creative work (for instance an improvised
scene) , or as a space where one can listen to
stories or enjoy conversations (for instance a
roofed sitting area, or a fireplace surrounded by
benches) . When organising the educational
space around the school we should try and design
separate areas that foster various kinds of educa-
tional interactions. Our imagination with regard to
the possible uses of the schoolyard is often limit-
ed to sports and recreation. We tend to pay more
attention to pitches, courts and running tracks
and overlook areas that may serve the students in
other ways.
All kinds of ‘educational picnics’ are a good exam-
ple of initiatives that work well in schoolyards. In
Poland this type of events have been popularised
by the Copernicus Science Centre and its Young Ex-
plorer’s Club, but there are no obstacles for schools
to get involved in similar activities (e.g. in the form
of an educational project). Such events constitute
an opportunity for the teacher and for the students
to design and carry out practical science labs and
educational games. Discovering nature’s secrets
and laws of science through experiments may have
a much greater impact on how students under-
stand the world around them than learning about
it from a textbook. There are no limits with regard
to subject matters – such picnics can include any
subject or group of subjects taught at school at any
learning stage. Primary School no. 306 in Warsaw
organises such an educational picnic between May
and June, close to the date of International Chil-
dren’s Day. It is attended by several hundred people
– students, parents and guardians.
SCIENCE PICNICS IN THE SCHOOLYARD
The area surrounding the school building has an enormous poten-
tial for education, sports and leisure activities, as well as for build-
ing positive social relations with the general ‘school environment’.
The Schoolyard is a great space to organise educational activities
for learners at all levels. Classes don’t have to take place exclusive-
ly in classrooms; they may be held outdoors, and not only when the
weather is warm and nice. Teachers rarely seize this opportunity and
claim that lessons are too short for such ‘experiments’. It is a shame,
because outdoor educational activities give a boost to the learning
process! It seems to be a good idea to organise independent educa-
tional events in the schoolyard (for example educational projects).
Local science picnics are a good case in point. Preparation for such
events brings together students, teachers, parents and often the lo-
cal community.
MARCIN POLAK
Primary School no. 306 in Warsaw, Poland

AROUNDTHESCHOOL
95
In almost every school there is enough space to
set up a line of stands with experiments that can
be approached by the picnic’s participants. They
can be placed along the school building. Besides
chemical substances and devices that we want
to show and put to use we will need tables and
chairs, preferably well prepared for scientific ex-
periments. It goes without saying that we should
ensure participants’ safety and an unobstructed
flow of people along the stands. Depending on our
capabilities and ideas, we may model this event
as we please in order to suit the students’ best
interests and other potential participants of the
picnic. Every event may be devoted to different
scientific matters and involve various parts of the
schoolyard (e.g. the school garden, playground,
sports areas, etc.). The area around the school is
also well-suited for educational outdoor games
that involve - for instance - QR codes
Good advice
The schoolyard can have an enormous
educational potential. Usually it is under-
exploited and is used for one purpose only
(sports and leisure). It may be a good idea
to organise an ‘educational tour’ of the
schoolyard in order to understand how we
can reorganise the schoolyard and create
various educational ‘stands’.
Holding a science picnic may turn out to
be a major organisational challenge for the
entire school, also because of the number of
participants. From the moment of deciding
to organise such an event we should chose a
coordinator (teacher) and appoint a project
team (including students and, if possible,
their parents). The project team should re-
ceive necessary support from the principal;
such an event automatically becomes a
symbol of the school in the local communi-
ty, which means that it affects the school’s
image and the recruitment process.
Science picnics organised by the school constitute an oppor-
tunity to take didactic activity outside the school building
and to involve the local community in the event.
Photo: Marcin Polak
TIME:
up to three months of pre-
parations
FUNDS:
it is a low-cost project, money is needed
mainly for organising experiments
RESPONSIBILITY:
teachers, principal, parents

96
Foreign languages can be taught and learned out-
side the classroom, for instance in a school garden
located behind the school building. This idea was
originated by a German teacher who wanted to
teach us how to communicate in various real-life
situations. Unusual garden classes allow us to go
beyond the scenarios proposed by textbook authors.
At the beginning the garden was empty. As time went
by,wecameupwithadesignofthisspaceandstarted
minor garden work. We divided students into groups
and, together, we were digging through the earth,
planting seeds and hoping that they would grow into
plants. At times we were close to despair because
nothing would grow in our garden – except for weeds.
Those were abundant. I hold a fond memory of those
lessons, because they taught us how to communicate
in German. After some time a part of the lawn started
to resemble a garden.
Thanks to a willing, determined, ready to cooperate
and supportive group we managed to create a beau-
tiful garden. It was a true metamorphosis. Every now
and then we would round up in the middle of the gar-
den and review names of individual species of grass,
flowers and vegetables in German. Thanks to regular
maintenance work in the garden our friendship and
plants began to grow.
Through working in the garden together with my
peers I learned how to cooperate with them, how
to trust them and I discovered that one can rely on
others. This bonding experience also taught us that
where there is a will, there is a way. It was also benefi-
cial for our German skills. We were documenting our
progress using our smartphones; the photos allowed
us to notice how our garden was changing.
GARDEN – WHERE THE LEARNING BLOOMS
The school garden opens possibilities for organising interesting di-
dactic activities in the space around the school building. Discovering
nature is much more interesting when one can observe plants and
animals in their natural environment. School textbooks encourage
students to perform botanical experiments in classrooms, so in al-
most all schools classroom windowsills are populated with plants
grown by students. However, it is nothing when compared to trans-
forming a part of the school yard into a garden. Engaging in this kind
of ‘field’ activity is worthwhile because it fosters cooperation and
teaches responsibility. Moreover, such an initiative may include lear-
ning of other subjects, not only biology or life sciences.
OLIWIA KŁOSZEWSKA, MARCIN POLAK
Middle School no. 3 in Gliwice, Poland
Initial phase of work on the school garden may turn out to
be quite challenging. It is an independent educational pro-
ject that requires appointing a team, allocating tasks and
obtaining seeds, materials and tools. It is also a great way
to discover the world of nature (in any language). Photo:
Oliwia Kłoszewska

AROUNDTHESCHOOL
97
Good advice
The School garden is a place where we can
develop most of our key competences (includ-
ing those regarding languages, maths and life
sciences). For this reason it is recommended
to adopt a broad approach to work in a school
garden and get numerous teachers involved;
they can perform various educational ac-
tivities relative to the subject matter they
teach. This unique educational area allows
the students to improve their knowledge of
basic biological processes, fosters communi-
cation – both in their mother tongue and in a
foreign language, enables and fosters group
work, helps students to learn how to plan and
how to be responsible, and increases their
initiative. Every school can and should create
such an area if it takes seriously the idea of
taking school education outside the class-
room. There should be, however, one coor-
dinator supervising the project, tasked with
collecting information about performed work
and making sure that the seasonal schedule
is observed. If the green area is large enough,
every grade can create its own garden; they
are particularly appreciated by the youngest
learners.
Gardens created
by students of
individual courses
are particularly
appreciated by the
youngest learners.
It is a great way of
sensitising young
students to nature.
This illustration
features a garden in
Primary School in
Książenice. Photo:
Marcin Polak
TIME:
2-3 months, preferably early spring
FUNDS:
there are no costs
RESPONSIBILITY:
teacher, students

98
Until recently our corridors were governed by rules
and regulations that first and foremost guaranteed
students’ safety. Unfortunately, they also forbid all
sorts of physical activity. Students were expected to
be well behaved and stay in their seats during the
class, and to be even more civil during breaks - this
is how Joanna Mandalka, a teacher from Knurów,
describes her school on her blog. It goes without
saying that the rules and regulations were regular-
ly ignored, leaving everyone frustrated – the stu-
dents had an impression that they were forced to
live up to impossible standards, while the teachers
regularly failed to control rampant chaos during
breaks. Teachers and students decided to face this
challenge together and jointly designed a solution
that would enable them to make good use of the
corridors.
Most schools begin adapting corridors for physical
activity with one simple trick – introducing a table
tennis table. Almost every school has such a table,
but it is often available for students only in the gym
and exclusively during PE classes. However, when
one starts to search for sport equipment in nooks
and forgotten storage rooms, it often turns out that
the school not only has a tennis table, but also a ta-
ble football. They should be put in places to which
the students have easy access. They should also be
carefully located – at a safe distance from windows,
glass showcases and other potentially fragile items.
A school in Siemianowice Śląskie decided that it had
so much sports equipment that it could be easily put
to use outside PE classes; in order to make breaks
more attractive, a sports equipment rental initiative
was launched. Students can rent skipping ropes,
hula-hoops or balls. There is only one condition –
they must take care of the equipment and return it.
The students are enthusiastic about the possibility
to do some jumping or playing the ball during the
break. Students in primary schools in Knurów use
the sports corner to play ‘squash’ with table tennis
balls and bats, but without a table. They also like to
play with a soft, safe ball and keep inventing new
variations of ‘football’ and other ball games. In some
schools there are chessboards on the floor or various
hopscotch courts.
It is a good practice to develop the rules or regula-
tions of using the equipment together with the stu-
dents - if they participate in drafting them, they will
be more willing to abide by them.
There are schools that arranged common areas for
physical activity without incurring any costs. The
school football pitch is an ideally suited space for
MOVEMENT-INSPIRING SPACE
Overcrowded corridors during breaks constitute one of the greatest
challenges to the everyday functioning of many schools. How to or-
ganise a space where students can engage in activities between les-
sons in a safe and smart way? Can this space be used to inspire stu-
dents to physical activity in a responsible manner?
KATARZYNA GÓRKIEWICZ
Primary School no. 9 in Knurów, Poland
Primary School no. 3 in Siemianowice Śląskie, Poland
Primary School no. 8 in Jaworzno, Poland
Primary School in Rzozów, Poland
Private Middle School in Zabierzów Bocheński, Poland

AROUNDTHESCHOOL
The corridor is a great place for organising games and physical
activities. Photo: Primary School no. 275 in Warsaw
99
such purposes. Students and teachers from private
middle school in Zabierzów Bocheński drew various
shapes and courts on the football pitch, so that they
can play twister, board games or practice steps of
popular dances during the breaks. Thus arranged
space around school may be a perfect opportunity
to familiarize children with long forgotten schoolyard
games that their parents and grandparents used to
know. Students in Siemianowice Śląskie enjoy play-
ing hopscotch or play with a jumping rope. Students
from Jaworzno play a long-forgotten game using
crown caps; with coloured chalk they draw courts
for the crown caps, decorate their “players” and hold
great tournaments. We may return to memories of
our parents and grandparents to find those forgotten
games and have great fun with them today!
Good advice
It is a good idea to analyse whether the school
space supports students’ physical activity - both
inside the school facility and in the surrounding
area. Giving the students school corridors and
football pitches for physical activity during the
breaks is rather easy. However, the attitude
of the principal and teachers who are on duty
during breaks is of key importance – they need
to put their minds together in order to create
space for happy, yet safe release of energy for
children.
TIME:
preparing the space does not
require a lot of time, but it
requires ongoing maintenance
FUNDS:
there are no costs (if we use school
equipment) or very low costs (in case
of purchasing additional equipment)
RESPONSIBILITY:
teachers, students, parents

100
Project activities during which students create
works exhibited later in the school space are ex-
tremely motivating. In this way they have an in-
fluence on the appearance of the environment in
which they spend a great time and become co-au-
thors of the space. This creates the feeling of be-
longing. The child can then say: my/our place, my/
our school, I decorated it too.
While such activities often take place inside the
school building, they are less likely to take place in
areas adjacent to the school. Meanwhile, outside
the building there is space waiting to be decorat-
ed. What can we do? A good example is the project
implemented in the school in Ostojewo, consist-
ing in making spatial compositions, which filled the
school garden.
Works, whose colors and shapes were inspired by
the art of contemporary artist Romero Britto, ap-
peared in the garden. This Brazilian artist icom-
bines elements of cubism, pop art and graffiti in
his pieces. The colors he uses amuse the viewer
with diversity, bold combinations and contrasting
shades closed in a black contour. He creates fairy
tales characters, shape from the animal world and
the world of plants. Vivid colors and bold patterns
lend dynamism to his work. It is cheerful, full of
happiness and hope. A space decorated with such
pieces acquires a life of its own.
The initiator of the project was the school’s Prin-
cipal. The teachers, together with the pupils and
their parents, divided the workload among them-
selves. The projects created were sculptures of
plants and animals. Shapes were cut out of styro-
foam, paints and tools collected, tasks assigned
and then an execution time set. For this project we
planned a minimum spending and were able to
stay in the budget. The styrofoam for this endeav-
ART IN THE SCHOOL SPACE
School space arrangement plays an important role in the implemen-
tation of the requirements of the school curriculum. The curriculum
includes numerous references to the world of art and it includes an
indication to develop pupils’ artistic activities. Hence, it is extremely
important that the learning environment give pupils the opportunity
to deepen their knowledge of the arts and encourage them to devel-
op their artistic talents. The school’s physical space is the perfect
place to fill with the works of young artists.
MARCIN POLAK
Local Government Primary School in Ostojowo, Poland
STO School Complex in Bemowo, Warsaw, Poland

AROUNDTHESCHOOL
101
our was donated by a building company befriend-
ed by the school. Its staff and parents of our school
students gave the material the necessary shapes,
designed by the children and under the guidance
of their teachers. Acrylic paints in primary colors
were purchased, and the children blended other
shades by themselves. The resulting colors made
the little artists very happy, and they also came up
with some interesting names for them as: dog’s ear,
cat’s tail, flower’s leaf, the right side of the abdo-
men of a mouse... After experimenting with color
mixing the pupils, in class teams, applied them to
the sculptures. After they dried out, they added ex-
pression to the works by “enclosing” the colors with
black outlines. The result of this visual expression
are sculptures that entertain and make happy with
their vivid colors. The school garden lawn looks like
a fairytale and the school grounds are inviting for
everyone.
The inauguration ceremony of the project was held
on Children’s Day. It was part of a school ceremony
during which students received pure white shapes
inspired by the works of Romero Britto and paint-
ed them. The costs of implementing such a fun art
project were minimal, it was only necessary to buy
paint that would endure in outdoor conditions. It is
worth pointing out that the sculptures were paint-
Reproductions of Romero Britto’s works prepared by children
and teachers to decorate the lawns surrounding the school.
Photo: Local Government Primary School in Ostojowo, Poland

102
ed in their final destination place: the school gar-
den. There were moments when the wind snatched
something, but as a team we also selected the per-
sons responsible in case of such unplanned events.
Children’s actions had a set goal. Their art project’s
significance increased thanks to the fact that the
results of their work would be seen by everyone,
and their activities would influence the image of
the school they identify with.
Through a project like this contemporary art and
the figure of Romero Britto became closer and
better known to children. During their works pu-
pils talked about ways of representing reality and
individual interpretations. They learned ways of
showing perspective in spatial composition, how
to give shapes of nature a geometric character,
like Cubists did, the diversity of themes of pop art,
etc. Joint activities of this type in the school space
show that the space where children get creative
is not limited to a piece of paper hidden in their
backpack. A wall, polystyrene, stone, wood, they
they are all pieces of canvas waiting for a creative
touch that can change the grey reality and help
disseminate culture in the local community. Such
activities around the school can be executed in any
educational centre.
Good advice
We should pay special attention to the pupil’s
ideas and allow them to present them and im-
plement them later on. The activities should
be planned to be attractive and engaging for
pupils. It would not hurt to contact parents and
use their help. To give due weight to the pro-
ject there should be an event planned, during
which students’ works will be presented to the
school community. Additionally, do not forget
about promotional activities (posters can also
be works of art) - invite local journalists and
artists.
All student repro-
ductions of the
paintings originally
created by great
artists no longer
fit in the space of
the STO School in
Bemowo, hence a
small space was
arranged to show
only recent works,
that are continually
multiplying. Photo:
Marcin Polak

AROUNDTHESCHOOL
103
If the school does not have sufficiently large out-
doors, never mind, you can fit this kind of artistic
activities inside a building. A great example is the
gallery of reproductions of the world’s greatest
paintings at the STO School in Bemowo, Warsaw.
The idea was quite simple - Elżbieta Pawlak, an
art teacher, wanted to encourage high school stu-
dents to get an A in arts, so as an assignment she
told them to prepare a reproduction of a piece by
a famous painter. After seeing the first paintings,
the school’s Principal decided that it was a good
idea to turn a one-time project into a permanent
assignment and create a school gallery of master-
pieces. The first works were created in the school
year 2009/2010 – at present (2015/2016) the gallery
holds 229 paintings with new ones appearing on a
regular basis.
The success of this initiative, supported active-
ly by the art teacher (who helps pupils with the
paintings only to a minimum extent), quickly out-
grew the capacity of the school’s “exhibition are-
as”. To this day we were not able to show all of the
pieces - the largest of the exhibitions consisted of
“only” 90 of them. Because the school building is
not large enough, only the most recent works are
shown. The collection is also proof that it is easy
to create great things at school when collective
effort is in question. Though at the beginning the
paintings were meant to support artistic educa-
tion, they quickly became a unique thing, bringing
satisfaction not only to teachers but above all to
the pupils. By analysing works of art, pupils also
discover information arising from history and
transmitted in art. In this way, they become aware
art recipients.
TIME:
you can start at any time. The first
results can be perceived as soon as
after a month
FUNDS:
low cost (purchase of paints and
materials)
RESPONSIBILITY:
Principal, teachers, pupils

104
ON DESIGNING
A SCHOOL -
INTERVIEW WITH
AN ARCHITECTS
Małgorzata Kowalczuk talked to Piotr Har-
decki and Łukasz Stępniak from the studio
“PALK architekci”, designers of the architec-
tural concept of the Primary School in Książe-
nice (Poland).

ONDESIGNINGASCHOOL-INTERVIEWWITHANARCHITECT
105
How was the architectural concept of the school
developed? What was the beginning of it?
The concept is a development of a contest win-
ning entry. In 2009 we won a national architec-
ture contest for the design of the primary school
in Książenice, a town near Grodzisk Mazowiecki.
Since the 1990s a large housing development of
detached houses is being built there. In means
of layout and character it resembles the pre-war
suburban garden-cities: Podkowa Leśna, Ko-
morowo, Milanówek.
The primary importance in the shaping of the
building was the context and the urban relation-
ships, including the neighbourhood of houses
with pitched, red-tiled roofs. It was important to
us for the school building to be in harmony with
its surroundings.
Did the teachers, pupils or parents take any
part in the design process? Or perhaps some-
one else? What were their contributions?
After the allotment of the contest we could not
count on consultations with the managing staff
or teachers because the school was still in the
organisation process. There were consultations
with the municipality and its representatives,
among others: the Mayor, the Vice Mayor, the
Director of the Department of Education. During
one of the meetings we were asked to visit sever-
al schools in the area. Hearing user feedback on
the use of the installations from teachers, jani-
tors and maintenance staff was a learning experi-
ence for us - and a lesson in humility.
Since the appointment of the Principal, at the
stage of the construction of the school, we began
a close cooperation with her, especially in terms
of equipment and furniture. As we aimed for an
ultimate expression of aesthetics, we prepared
a tender dossier for furnishing the premises. It
was a labour-intensive and time-consuming task,
but thanks to it we had an influence on how the
premises look. It should be noted that the inves-
tor was aware of the importance of our work for
the final effect - this is not a common phenome-
non among public investors.
Did you look for inspiration in architectural con-
cepts and solutions implemented in schools in
other countries? What inspired you?
Our inspiration were schools in a strong urban
context which are an important element of the
settlement or a specific part of town. There are
many such examples, also historical. In the 1980s
the Danish architectural studio Vandkunsten de-
signed the Fuglsangpark estate in Copenhagen
where cars are left on outer car parks and quar-
ters of buildings form intimate streets that con-
verge to a square in front of the school. Every day
on their way there pupils pass by idyllic gardens,
meadows and bridges over a shallow stream.
This is a kind architecture for a human being, for
a child. The Danes achieved it in the seventies
and eighties. It was the aftermath of the emerg-
ing Hippie movement, a form of rebellion against
the modernist principles of shaping the city,
based on books like the famous: “The Death and
Life of Great American Cities” by Jane Jacobs, “A
Pattern Language” by Christopher Alexander” or
“Life Between Buildings” by John Gehl, written in
1971.
We also took inspiration from picturesque, tra-
ditional, small-town architecture. Also, I need
to mention a number of projects implemented
during the interwar period, such as Żoliborz
Oficerski or the Sępolno settlement in Wrocław.
Another virtually unknown but an extremely

106
interesting example of an idea for school build-
ing related to the town, as well as to the nearby
green areas, is our holiday discovery from years
ago - the School Complex in Lębork, consisting
of brick buildings with steep roofs, connected
by a one storey corridor with a flat roof and a
number of courtyards of diverse nature adjacent
to a lazy river feeding the moat of the nearby old
Teutonic Castle.
How do the external appearance of the
building of the school and its internal spaces
encourage to go in, to spend time inside, to
learn? Are they inspiring and friendly? How?
We wanted our school to be cozy. We deliber-
ately reduced the scale, in the entrance area the
building was designed to be lower in comparison
to the other parts. Through the glass walls on
two sides of the rooms you have an immediate
view of a green, sunny courtyard with a play-
ground - all in order to avoid an overwhelming
architectural design. The large building shape
was divided into smaller areas and the shape
itself brings to mind the archetype of a tradition-
al house with a sloping roof. The ground floor
classrooms (for younger children) have small
gardens and brick booths woven into the fence
that can be used to store gardening tools. These
elements were used for scale reduction, but also
to be perceived as eco-friendly and home-like
by the children. Despite our initial concerns the
gardens work very well, they are gradually filled
with colorful windmills, bird feeders... Children
plant flowers and herbs and mark them with
signs carrying the names of the plants.
We also tried to apply safe and user friendly solu-
tions. One of them is the one applied in the lock-
er area. Instead of fairly common, tight and dark
compartmentalised rooms we proposed bright,
colorful, easily accessible and visible cloakrooms
as part of the lobby furnishing. For children in
classes I-III we designed cubicles with grids, for
grades IV-VI – lockers are used to make orienta-
tion at the school easier for the pupils. They are
dedicated to the different age groups, for exam-
ple first grade children have a yellow cubicle,
yellow doors to their classroom and a yellow wall
inside the class. Orange belongs to second grad-
ers, red to third graders, while cooler colors like
blue, purple, and green correspond to classes
IV-VI. The sun blinds placed on the façade have
also been chosen to correspond in color.
Is the space inside the building flexible and
does it allow changes for various didactic
and educational purposes? Are the spaces
easy to reorganise (i.e. is the furniture easy
to move, can the chairs and desks be ar-
ranged in different ways)?
The shapes of the classrooms are similar to a
square because the central space is more versa-
tile, allows a variety of arrangements, including
a teaching circle, or moving the tables to work in
groups. With rooms of dimensions approximately
8x8 m a single-sided natural lighting is insuffi-
cient. That is why they additionally have a corner
window and, on the first floor, also fanlights. The
connection passages between large rooms also
hold small language laboratories, and on the
ground floor there are resting areas available for
pupils, with a view of the recreational areas.
The cafeteria was designed as part of the lobby
and it is also available outside of meal times.
Then it becomes a multifunctional space. A place
where children can sit down, do their homework,
play board games, etc. We wanted to be able to
use the cafeteria in many ways, even after clos-
ing the kitchen.
In your project, did you take into account
supporting teaching and communication
with new technologies? What elements had
to be planned in the design in order to make
the school more modern and open to new
media and communication tools?
When we were working on the project in 2009,
neither Wi-Fi nor teaching with the use of mobile

107
devices were as widespread as they are today.
We did not have any guidelines from the investor
in this respect. All classrooms were equipped
with a computer hub with internet access and
with the possibility of connecting a multimedia
board, and in the rooms indicated by the man-
agement projectors were installed. Computer
workstations with internet access were includ-
ed in the design of the library. Of course in the
school premises there is also a computer lab.
Does the school provide a space for sharing
teaching resources and work results (i.e.
library, auditorium)?
Due to the long shape of the plot the school does
not have a typical concert hall or auditorium, this
function is taken over by the gymnasium and a
two-storey main hall with the cafeteria. We tried
to give these spaces an appropriate architectural
expression, more friendly than monumental.
The library, with a multimedia area and a cor-
ner for the youngest children, is visible from the
lobby through a glass wall. As a joke we could
say that in the central part of the school one can
satisfy both the needs of the body - in the cafe-
teria, and the soul - in the library. And then - just
going straight - run out into the courtyard, the
playground...
What architectural solutions did you implement
to enhance the physical and motor develop-
ment of the pupils? Does the school environ-
ment (field, square, garden, etc.) positively
influence learning and relaxing?
According to the competition prerequisites, the
school environment was to provide an attractive
setting for all kinds of outdoor activities, which
are an antidote for the children’s (and their
parents’) increasingly static way of life. In the
landscaping project we proposed two pitches, a
running track, a playground and gardens outside
the classrooms.
The plot we had available was quite small for the
needs of the school. In addition, after the contest
it turned out that it lies at the lowest point of the
estate and the rains create a pond of rainwater
in the centre. There is no place to drain the wa-
ter and the groundwater level is very high and
makes drainage impossible. Our designer friends
from a landscape architecture studio proposed
an efficient, and at the same time attractive to
the eye, solution that complies with new ecolog-
ical trends of managing rainwater. Everywhere
other than the pitches and the paved surfaces
they designed shallow grassy basins, designed
to absorb the water coming from torrential rains.
Even the toys on the playground were brought
higher on platforms covered with a synthetic ma-
terial, while the lawns between the platforms can
safely take in as much as 20-30cm of water. With-
in a few days this water soaks into the ground.
Between the “islands” bridges have been set up,
field stones scattered and reeds and other plants
planted. Currently, the area around the play-
ground looks picturesque, there are even frogs
there. Also, all flat roofs over the school building
are covered with vegetation.
Is this building eco-friendly? Is it energy effi-
cient? Is it safe for pupils and teachers?
Ecology is a very broad term. We tried to use nat-
ural, non-allergenic finishing materials. In place
of the ubiquitous PVC flooring that according to
some sources could lead to asthma and other
equally serious health complications, we used
natural linoleum. The walls that are exposed
to particularly heavy use were built of ceramic
brick.
A huge problem in Polish schools, also the newly
designed, is the acoustics. In classrooms without
sound absorbing materials, the sounds undergo
multiple reflections, which in turn makes it very
difficult, and in extreme cases even impossible
to conduct classes. During the construction, the
investor was somehow wary towards our docu-
mentation records regarding the use of suspend-

108
ed ceilings in both the rooms and the corridors,
treating them perhaps as an unnecessary cost
addition. The only areas in which we did not plan
to instal sound absorbing ceilings were the com-
mon rooms (we do not know why but it seemed
to us that this is a place where children play and
do their homework quietly). Already in the first
week after the opening of the school we received
calls from the department of municipal invest-
ment asking us to add acoustic ceilings, because
the teacher responsible or the children in the
common room cannot bare the noise... while in
all the other areas there were no problems with
the acoustics.
Another important issue is the ventilation. Orig-
inally we tried to design a school based on grav-
itational ventilation, however, further analysis
proved that the provisions in force concerning
energy efficiency cannot be satisfied without
the use of heat recovery ventilation systems (re-
cuperation), thus mechanical ventilation. Part
of the pipes was exposed in the interiors, giving
them a slightly “industrial” feel.
The application of mechanical ventilation with
heat recovery is a response to the increasingly
restrictive provisions on energy efficiency. In
addition to the advantages, it also has disadvan-
tages. First of all it is expensive, both at the stage
of construction and use. Second, after years the
tubes become a hotbed of dust and microorgan-
isms. Third, a defectively designed or construct-
ed ventilation installation can be a source of
noise, which is annoying especially in rooms for
studying.
On a side note, in existing schools in Poland, es-
pecially in the schools built in the 1950s after a
heat efficiency refurbishment, the topic of ven-
tilation is a common, still not widely identified
problem. Insulated with polystyrene, with new,
air tight windows, with one ventilation grille per
classroom, the classrooms have practically no
ventilation. It is quite possible that children’s
problems with concentration are caused simply
by a too high concentration of carbon dioxide in
the air...
Is the building energy efficient? In accordance
with the latest standards, probably not. How-
ever, you need to consider that in as little as a
few years the current standards will be out of
date, that is the speed of legislation changes in
this field. The issue of energy efficiency in large
schools brings architects before the following
dilemma: one of the basic indicators of energy
efficiency is how compact the shape of the build-
ing is, that is, they need to make the ratio of the
external walls area to the area of the building
as small as possible. However, it often happens
that for the sake of a proper setting in the envi-
ronment or reducing the scale to adapt to small
users, it seems appropriate to fragment the solid
shape, and hence a conscious resignation from
energy optimisation.
Is the building safe? We have made every effort
to ensure that it was so.
What is your vision of “School of the fu-
ture”? How do you define a modern learn-
ing (studying) space? What characteristics
should it carry?
In our view, it is not possible to create a vision
of “school of the future” only by architects,
without the participation of teachers. To create
innovative space and architectural arrangements
you need a parallel, new vision of the school
functioning as a community. In Denmark, where
the theory of education and its impact on the
architecture of school buildings seem to be far
more sophisticated and diverse, there are two
types of schools. The first are structures select-
ed by a professional jury, made up of architects
and representatives of the local authorities, in
contests. These are usually buildings with beau-
tiful façades, delightful proportions and correct,
sometimes banal views. The second type is
generated during multiple, tedious meetings of
architects with educators from a school with an

109
individual curriculum. The buildings created in
such situations are not original on the outside
but have unique and fascinating interiors tai-
lored to the individual needs of their users.
When observing the new school projects in
Scandinavia, you can venture to say that there
is a need for spaces that allow a more flexible
use than the existing, structurally formal school
facilities. A good illustration of this trend seems
to be the expansion of the famous school of Arne
Jacobsen in Copenhagen (Munkegård School)
executed by Dorte Mandrup.
Following closely the debate on Polish education
we noticed no trace of similar expectations. It
seems that since transferring the obligation to
support primary and secondary schools to local
authorities, the efforts of investors and designers
focused mainly on cost reductions for both the
construction and maintenance of the new facili-
ties. Sometimes this cooperation brings satisfac-
tory results.
What is, according to you, the position of the
school in the community over the decades?
Did the project include solutions allowing
the school to “open” towards the parents,
the local community, seniors (in the spirit of
lifelong learning)?
The decision on the environmental character of
the school in Książenice was obvious for us.
One of us [Peter Hardecki - editorial note] has
been teaching at the Faculty of Architecture at
the Warsaw University of Technology for many
years, during combined lectures about urban
planning and architecture he shows students
how to design both: friendly city areas and
school buildings, with relation to the public
spaces that they will shape and enrich by defini-
tion. One of the conditions for this task is the cre-
ating at the entrance to the school a city square,
another, that the school should be divided into
two areas: one called environmental, open for
the local inhabitants (library, cafeteria, gym/
fitness, specialized and language labs), and the
other didactic, closed after class. We adopted a
similar idea in Książenice. It was appreciated in
the verdict of the jury, and in fact, now the build-
ing serves the local population as in the after-
noons it is a kind of a local cultural centre.
At the entrance to the school a square was cre-
ated and it works as a “public space” for the
community. It is used for organising festivals and
it is customary to place the start and the finish
line of the running competition “I run because I
like it in Książenice”. The playground is open for
residents, on school grounds there are activities
and meetings for children and adults, and events
of supra-local character.
Life has taught us that architecture is impor-
tant, but the most important part of the school
are its people. The school in Książenice has
a great management and staff, the teachers
take advantage of the opportunities that the
building creates. It is primarily their merit that
the school is “alive” in the environment of the
inhabitants. At the end, the building is only a
complex tool in the hands of the people, noth-
ing more.

110
All ideas for the organisation of the educational
spaces described in this publication can contrib-
ute to building a better learning environment for
the students that attend it. To ensure that the
changes in the school are not only changes of
aesthetics all actions must take into account the
primary objective: the didactics. We can change
schools in a thousand ways, but changes that
support better, more effective and enjoyable
learning are those that are most justified. Not
teaching, but learning – both among pupils and
teachers (because the latter also need to con-
stantly learn in a modern school and cannot stop
the development of their skills). A school project
begins with the design of the learning process
and not the design of the physical space in which
this process occurs. Education first, followed by
small and big architecture.
As we mentioned at the beginning of this guide,
there is a very probable risk that the proposed
solutions, beyond the visual ones, will not have
much in common with a modern and multi-func-
tional educational space. This was confirmed by
the British experience during the implementation
of the government’s program Building Schools for
the Future (2006-2010) when it turned out that
there simply are no designers who have a suffi-
cient knowledge on education as to execute such
an ambitious plan and the participation of staff
and pupils in the design process was too limited.
Therefore, the first phase of the works is very im-
portant - the conceptual phase which should be
started with a discussion (even in a small group)
about the place of the school in the community
in the perspective of several decades, raise some
key questions and seek answers.
When thinking about the changes – especially in
architecture, which are usually the biggest – it is
good to start by asking a series of questions and
try to answer them. These questions should be
addressed in a team consisting of all persons con-
cerned: representatives of the school community
(school management, teachers, parents, pupils),
the investor, the architects and designers.
Here is the first group of questions: What kind of
educationdo we expect in the future? (Instead of:
what school buildings do we need?) What kind
of learning processes and what relationships do
we want to support? (Instead of: how many class-
rooms do we need?) What competencies do we
want to develop? What tools and resources are
available to support learning?
The second group of questions must concern the
place of the school in the community. So these are
questions about the relationship with the com-
munity (formal and informal), the cultural context
(the school as a cultural community), working with
individuals and institutions in the local commu-
nity.
CONCLUSIONS
Instead of starting by designing a
physical space, try to determine
which educational programme
you want this school to pursue and
whether the existing structures
help or hinder you in its realization.
– dr Betty Despenza-Green25

111
The pupil is to be the nucleus of learning, we can-
not ignore the personalisation of teaching. We are
designing a school of the future for the students
of the future, so let’s try to answer the following
questions: When do pupils study? Where do they
study? What do they learn? With whom do they
study? What tools do they use? Let’s try to find
the answer to the following: To what extent is the
newly designed learning space going to allow, en-
courage and facilitate a more personalised learn-
ing process?
Next: to what extent will the newly designed learn-
ing space provide flexibility in the implementation
of the program and conducting experiments? How
will the new spaces enable us to easily use a differ-
ent set of resources, expertise and knowledge, in
response to the the changing 21st century learn-
ing objectives? We should beare in mind that when
thinking of the learning space, we do not only mean
the assimilation of information and processing it
into knowledge, but we also need to think about
designing a space to develop skills and shaping at-
titudes of: collaboration (working together), inno-
vation, sense of initiative and creating knowledge
together. In a way, this new educational space
should also stimulate the transformation and de-
velopment of a new pedagogy for the twenty-first
century.
Finally, at the end, ask questions about the flexibili-
ty of the educational space: Does it allow the learn-
ing process to occur in many places in the school
and in different configurations of participants and
resources? Does it allow to use different approach-
es to learning? Does it allow a free use of modern
digital educational technology in the learning pro-
cess? Does it create conditions for freedom of creat-
ing and using online social networks for students?
The beginning of a successful educational space
design - no matter how wide the scope - should be
a school debate that would deal with a vision of the
transformed place in the context of the whole edu-
cational activity of the educational institution. This
conversation should not be omitted neither when
building nor refurbishing existing buildings or their
parts. Visions developed in a wider circle make the
realisation of the goals easier and allow to embed
changes in pedagogy, as well as to understand bet-
ter the challenges that young people attending the
school will face in the future.

112
REFERENCES
1 After: B. Kiernicki, Ład w szkole [Order at School], Warsaw 1969.
2 David D. Thornburg, Campfires in Cyberspaces, Starsong Publications,
1999 and D. D. Thornburg, Campfires in Cyberspaces: Primordial Meta-
phors for Learning in the 21st Century, tcpd.org, 2007, http://tcpd.org/
Thornburg/Handouts/Campfires.pdf. Accessed on: 21 January 2016
3 After: Łukasz Badowski, Jak przestrzeń tworzy nasze relacje? I jak
różne nacje ją zasiedlają? [How space creates our relationships?
And how different nations settle in it?], Wyborcza.pl, 2015, http://
wyborcza.pl/1,145452,19268911,jak-przestrzen-tworzy-nasze-relacje-
i-jak-rozne-nacje-ja-zasiedlaja.html. Accessed on: 21 January 2016
4 See Aleksander Nalaskowski, Szkolne gry przestrzenne [School spacial
games], [in:] Meritum – Mazowiecki Kwartalnik Edukacyjny nr 1 (28)
2013, MSCDN.
5 Włodzimierz Kryszewski (editor), Polska: zarys encyklopedyczny,
[Poland: Encyclopaedic Review] Warsaw: Państwowe Wydawnictwo
Naukowe, 1974, pp. 384–386.
6 Przemysław Semczuk, Szkolne tysiąclatki [One-thousandth an-
niversary schools], Newsweek Polska, http://www.newsweek.pl/
szkolne-tysiaclatki,39059,1,1.html, 10 May 2009. Accessed on 10
September 2015.
7 Szkolne tysiąclatki, ibidem.
8 Fountaineers project, Futurelab archive, http://archive.futurelab.org.
uk/projects/fountaineers/background. Accessed on: 09 September
2015.
9 Hellerup School, http://hellerupskole.skoleporten.dk/sp. Accessed
on: 10 September 2015
10 It is worth watching a several-minute film about the school: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=glmSEAgSsok.
11 Christian Kuehn, Learning environments for the 21st century, Vienna
Univesrsity of Technology, Austria, [in:] Designing for Education, Com-
pendium of Exemplary Educational Facilities, OECD, 2011.
12 Fountaineers case study, Futurelab archive, http://archive.futurelab.
org.uk/resources/documents/project_reports/Fountaineers_case_
study.pdf, April 2008 and Fountaineers: Exploring the impact of a
whole-school co-design project, http://archive.futurelab.org.uk/re-
sources/documents/project_reports/Fountaineers_case_study2.pdf,
January 2009. Accessed on: 09 September 2015
13 Marcin Polak, Elementy przestrzeni jako doświadczenie edukacyjne
[Space Elements as Educational Experience], Edunews.pl, http://
www.edunews.pl/narzedzia-i-projekty/projekty-edukacyjne/420-ele-
menty-przestrzeni-jako-doswiadczenie-edukacyjne. Accessed on: 09
September 2015.
14 Elementy przestrzeni jako doświadczenie edukacyjne, ibidem.
15 Tim Rudd, Reimagining outdoor learning spaces. Primary capital,
co-design and educational transformation, Futurelab, 2008.
16 See Learning Spaces Framework: Learning in an online world, MCEET-
YA – Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and
Youth Affairs (Australia and New Zealand), 2008
17 See Tim Rudd, Carolyn Gifford, Jo Morrison, Keri Facer, What if...
Re-imagining learning spaces, Futurelab, 2006.
18 After: Stephen Heppell, [in:] Building Learning Futures, Ultralab,
http://rubble.heppell.net/places/media/final_report.pdf, 2004.
Accessed on: 10 September 2015
19 See Tim Rudd, Reimagining outdoor learning spaces. Primary capital,
co-design and educational transformation, Futurelab, 2008.
20. See: John Hattie, Visible learning for teachers. Maximising Impact on
Learning. The Centre for Citizenship Education, Warsaw, October
2015. Series: library of the SUS Academy; Civitas.com.pl. / John
Hattie, Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximising Impact on Learning,
Routledge, December 2011, ISBN 978-0415690157.See: Research into
the connection between built learning spaces and student outcomes,
Education Policy and Research Division Department of Education and
Early Childhood Development, Australia, 2011; http://www.education.
vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/infrastructure/blackmore-
learningspaces.pdf. Accessed on: 31.12.2015.
21. See: Research into the connection between built learning spaces and
student outcomes, Education Policy and Research Division Depart-
ment of Education and Early Childhood Development, Australia, 2011;
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/infra-
structure/blackmorelearningspaces.pdf. Accessed on: 31.12.2015.
22. See: Peter Barrett, Yufan Zhang, Optimal Learning Spaces Design
Implications for Primary Schools, Salford Centre for Research and
Innovation, SCRI Research Report, 2009.
23. Studies and observations lead in the Primary School in Budzowo
(Poland), the first Polish school in a passive building, show that such
an air circulation system has positive effects on pupils (less sick kids,
lower absence rate, they are not sleepy in class). See: Anna Dudzińs-
ka, Wstępne pomiary mikroklimatu wewnętrznego pierwszej w Polsce
szkoły o niemal zerowym zużyciu energii (Initial measurements of the
internal microclimate at the first school in Poland with almost zero
energy consumption) 2014, http://www.stoszowice.pl/download/File/
aktualnosci/2014/pazdziernik/Wstepne%20pomiary%20mikroklima-
tu%20w%20pierwszej_w_Polsce%20szkole%20pasywnej%20AD.pdf.
Accessed on: 31.01.2016.
24. Heinrich Frieling, Gesetz der Farbe (Color rules). Göttingen, Mus-
ter-Schmidt Verlag, 1992.
25. Statement quoted in the book 21st Century Skills: Rethinking How
Students Learn, James A. Bellanca, Solution Tree Press, 2011, ISBN:
978-1-935249-90-0.
26. The list of question have been created on the basis of: What if ...
Re-imagining learning spaces, Tim Rudd, Carolyn Gifford, Jo Morrison,
Keri Facer, Futurelab 2006.

This publication has been elaborated as a part of the „Edu-
cational Spaces 21. Open up!” project implemented by the
Center for Citizenship Education Foundation in coopera-
tion with the THINK! Knowledge Society Foundation, the
Gesellschaft zur Förderung des Hanseatic Institute for En-
trepreneurship and Regional Development an der Univer-
sität Rostock e.V. and Rektorsakademien Utveckling AB,
and funded by the European Commission as a part of the
ERASMUS+ programme.

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