Sorry, www.ridge.co.uk is not supported by Internet Explorer.
Sorry, www.ridge.co.uk is not supported by Internet Explorer.
There is a well-documented crisis in provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with a nationwide shortage of specialist schools and of support within mainstream schools too. This means that many pupils with SEND – who now make up nearly a fifth of the school population – are being taught in environments that may not be appropriate or optimised to give them the best possible start.
SEND can mean a diverse range of conditions, but many aspects of designing for this cohort benefit every child, by making classrooms safer and more comfortable, and removing barriers to concentration.
With improvements to school buildings limited to holiday periods, we’ve come up with some simple solutions for better adapting mainstream buildings, or bringing specialist facilities up to the latest best practice.
Decluttering classroom walls and painting them in more muted colours can help to reduce overstimulation. “It’s wonderful when you walk into a classroom and you see the noticeboard that’s been beautifully done by the teacher,” says Alice Parker, Ridge’s School Sector Lead. “But there is a conversation around whether best practice is actually to make classroom walls plainer and more neutral, so they’re less distracting and the focus is on the front of the class.”
“Moving displays to the back of classrooms and into corridors is one way to keep that opportunity for engagement, while leaving the front and side classroom walls clearer,” suggests Nathalie Richardson, Senior Architecture Associate at Ridge.
Rather than bright colours, muted tones can be more inclusive, especially for autistic children – the National Autistic Society has produced a useful palette. “More neutral, earthy tones are easy to incorporate,” adds Nathalie.
One quick and relatively low-cost way to improve air quality in existing buildings is to upgrade the filters in mechanical ventilation units. Schools know that these need to be changed on an annual basis, but they’re often not aware that replacing them with more efficient HEPA filters removes much more bacteria, pollen, dust and dirt from the air and prevents it from circulating. The cost of HEPA filters is only slightly higher, and there will also be a small increase in energy required to push the air through them, but the potential impact on vulnerable immune systems and on sickness rates among teachers would more than pay back the investment.
Schools often struggle to provide enough breakout space for sensory activities, but there are usually times when the dining hall isn’t in use. Replacing fixed tables and chairs with versions that can be folded and stacked away when they’re not needed can free up space for circuits equipment such as balance beams or foam rollers, mobile swings or a trampoline. “Rebound therapy or swing therapy is fantastic and calming, but the equipment is often outside and that’s no use when it’s pouring with rain,” says Alice. “If you don’t have an external covered area, creating an adaptable space and bringing in fun things like that can be a brilliant way to aid teachers, although they are space hungry.” In classrooms, introducing a sensory peanut ball or a wobble cushion provides an alternative to a static chair: “These allow a pupil who’s concentrating but fidgeting to bounce on something.”
The cost of HEPA filters is only slightly higher, and there will also be a small increase in energy required to push the air through them, but the potential impact on vulnerable immune systems and on sickness rates among teachers would more than pay back the investment.
A slightly longer school holiday is a good opportunity for a detailed inspection, to find and address any aspects that don’t meet current guidance on safeguarding. “If a SEND school has been running for 25 years, it may not comply with the latest best practice, because the recommendations do change,” says Alice. “Or if a mainstream school has been converted, that building may not be fit for purpose for SEND.” For example, blinds should have anti-ligature pulls, and ceiling tiles should be clipped so that they can’t be dislodged by pupils standing on tables. Fixings on furniture must be robust so that pupils can’t peel or pull the edges, and surfaces sealed so that there are no sharp edges.
Children are curious and want to explore, so building controls need to be robust, hidden away or as boring as possible. Light switches, thermostats and fire alarm buttons could be hidden behind secure locked boxes, says Alice. “Often SEND schools have problems with fire alarms. Pupils smash the glass and set them off, but they’re just having fun. So if we design them to be less distracting, or tamper-proof, that helps their teacher’s day go much better.”
Classroom sinks can be concealed too. “Children love to play with water, and having a sink is fantastic so that you can teach the full curriculum and take part in messy activities,” says Alice. “But it’s also an area of tamper. One clever solution is to install roller-shutters in front of sinks and built-in storage, so that they’re easily accessible but also lockable”
We’re just beginning to understand the enormous benefits of biophilic design: how incorporating the shapes and colours of nature can boost our wellbeing and psychological health. “Having a visual connection to the outdoors is particularly important for children with SEND, as some of them may not be able to go outside,” says Alice. Improving the landscaping around classrooms, planting more trees, or greening external terraces could be a relatively simple way to transform their education experience. “It may not be possible to integrate plants into the learning spaces, because it could be another thing to be tampered with, but providing views of greenery outside and landscaping around the school is a good halfway house to achieving biophilia in schools.”
Classroom sinks can be concealed too. “Children love to play with water, and having a sink is fantastic so that you can teach the full curriculum and take part in messy activities,” says Alice. “But it’s also an area of tamper. One clever solution is to install roller-shutters in front of sinks and built-in storage, so that they’re easily accessible but also lockable.”
Schools that are not purpose-designed for SEND pupils, or those constructed a long time ago, may not meet the latest guidelines on crucial areas like sanitary facilities. For example, accessible toilets should be large enough to accommodate three full-size adults, and all pipework should be concealed behind IPS panels, secured with recessed security fittings to reduce opportunities for tampering. “Hot and cold taps should be fitted with time-constrained operation too, so that pupils cannot accidentally leave them running,” says Alice.
SEND schools have much higher acoustic requirements than mainstream schools: “That’s one of the major difference between them, in terms of specifications,” says Alice. “It’s partly to support concentration, but also you might have more noise in classrooms because the pupils are expressing themselves more loudly.” “This is quite a simple thing you can achieve with sound-absorbing ceiling tiles or acoustic wall panelling, and it can really help,” adds Nathalie.
“In any school, the best thing you could do to get the most out of pupils and help them concentrate is to ensure there is adequate air exchange in classrooms,” says Alice. “If you remember nodding off at school on a hot, stuffy day, or when it’s been raining and the room is all steamed up, that’s because the level of carbon dioxide is too high. Ideally we would use natural ventilation to provide good levels of fresh air, without the background noise of ventilation systems, but it all depends on site and location of the school that we’re designing for.”
Where there is mechanical ventilation, ensuring return rates are high enough could be a simple fix. Replacing the existing equipment would be a more costly but very worthwhile one, where budgets allow. When using mixed-mode ventilation within classrooms, it must be attenuated to reduce noise distraction for the pupils. More details can be found in the Department for Education’s Building Bulletin 93, on acoustic design of schools.
If you’d like to discuss your SEND school project, you can contact Alice on aliceparker@ridge.co.uk and Nathalie on nathalierichardson@ridge.co.uk
Alice Parker. Architecture Partner
Nathalie Richardson, Senior Architecture Associate
Thank you for signing up. We look forward to sharing updates with you
