Inspiring Learning Spaces supporting Health & Wellbeing and Additional Learning Needs

Synopsis

Believing and Belonging – Bassaleg School
Victoria Lambe, Head Teacher, & Matthew Maughan, Deputy Head Teacher, Bassaleg School & Charlotte Balcombe, Associate, Powell Dobson Architects 

We know well designed, nurturing school environments can promote positive behaviour and safer schools and communities. The World Health Organisation (WHO) sets out “health, well-being and educational outcomes are closely intertwined” and that schools are important resources for influencing the health and well-being of students, staff, families, and the wider community. In this presentation we will hear direct from the Head and Deputy Head Teachers of Bassaleg school where health and wellbeing underpins the heart and soul of the School. The school’s mantra ‘Believing and Belonging’ is at the centre of every decision and pivotal in the development of the brief and scheme design for the new 8975m2 building, Adeilad Balch.

This presentation will explore the following:

• End-user engagement throughout the Design Process – how this has enhanced user experiences; fundamental to the success of the project was input from all parties.
• Staff well-being perspective – design decisions made to improve staff Health and Wellbeing
• Student perspective (either a pre-recorded video or live)
• Re-location of the Sixth Form Centre and the benefit this has provided for the pupils and Staff.
• Design Decisions to improve health and wellbeing of end-users:
  o Clear wayfinding using colours to differentiate areas and improve navigation.
  o Location of break-out and social areas adjacent to large areas of glazing
  o Overall design of the building – transparent glass front and entrance, curtain walling used to provide a clear connection to the outside.
  o optimising the building’s solar orientation by controlling the intake of daylight through solar shades, light shelves, and translucent wall assemblies.
• The new building enables the original Forge Building of Bassaleg School to become a dedicated space for Learning and ALN. This provides a clear emphasis on how much well-being and health is prioritised in the school.

Designing for Additional Learning Needs [RCTCBC New All-through School]
Carly Parramore, Senior Architect, AtkinsRéalis

How RCTCBC Education and Estates teams brought together a working group of specialist practitioners, co-ordinators and designers to develop a vision for their new all-through school for pupils with Additional Learning Needs. The working group included head teachers from three similar schools in the county, with their shared experiences driving the basis of design for the new school; enabling the local authority to capitalise on continuous learning and improvement.
Examples of how key ‘user-inspired’ design drivers being adopted for the new school impacted briefing information and schedules of spaces include:

• Progression: at the heart of the new curriculum, progression has been key to the development of the briefing information in terms of knowledge, understanding and skills: the design of the space and facilities shall allow pupils to learn and then demonstrate skills, with increasing complexity through a series of developed pathways within the school.
• Health and Wellbeing: aligned to the Curriculum AoLE a sensory curriculum will be prioritised in terms of space allocation, to be delivered both from within the classbases and through an enhanced Wellbeing hub.
• Family/community engagement: in line with Welsh Government guidance on community focussed schools, and building on the successes of other ALN schools in the county a Community Suite will act in conjunction with the Wellbeing hub to deliver a broad programme of engagement for pupils, families and the local community to provide support for pupils during and outside of school life.

Conclusions will centre on the idea of engagement: where building design is optimised to support user needs, pupils will benefit from having improved well-being and subsequently more time and capability to learn, play and socialise. Therefore, the time taken to understand those needs by investing in the engagement process is critical to the success of any ALN project.