Building Schools for the Future - NSFG

[Alkaz]

This is the new heart space in our new school. Its got loads of big open areas and this is the largest but its not very big cause there is like 4 of them across the site. Anyway, this is the new business centre and basically in that area there is space for 4 classes + there is 2 small seperate classes both of which have no doors. Its an american mans way of thinking and all schools in the UK will end up looking like this. On the balcony there is about 6 classes, all open plan and only seperated by several stand alone dividers.
http://kenttrustweb.org.uk/CS/photos/building_schools_for_the_future/images/73225/425x279.aspx
In this picture, where the woman is standing infront of the class teaching is my new form room lmao and it looks a tiny bit different to that as its not all real furniture :D

http://kenttrustweb.org.uk/CS/photos/building_schools_for_the_future/images/73226/425x259.aspxlibrary + dance area
http://kenttrustweb.org.uk/CS/photos/building_schools_for_the_future/images/73227/425x251.aspx learning space near main corridor (upstairs)
http://i37.tinypic.com/295d30i.png
But ye, with the new learning formatt the schools literally doubled in size. Phase 2/3 is complete and now they have just started the bit inbetween the main enterance and the library so its madness atm but its awsome. :D

+ Obviously there is no food and drink in the new skl and first lesson in there our business teacher decided it would be good to have an activity where we get to eat and drink for it... bit contradictive much. Also there is a one way system and we have to go ALL around the outside just to get into the business bit which is gay. Yet the teachers dont have to use that rule even though its only been there for 2 days :(

Anyway, thoughts on learning / spaces like that. Its the way things are going for the future lol.

[Mathew]

My school has also been chosen to have millions of pounds spent on it to make it into something like that. Plans are already being drawn up, and construction starts in a couple of years. It was one of four which had the threat of being closed down in our area.

I really like buildings with glass and natural light, makes everything look cleaner and more appealing.

[Alkaz]

Ye all schools will eventually get it done. The school I am curretnly at is only getting a refurb and extensions not a total re-build but the Gov gave my local council £25m to do that to 10 secondary schools in my town. My schools in phase 2/3 of a £20m refurb and extension. If anyones interested I can show whats new/old lol but ye.

It is REALLY nice and already people are learning they have to be quiet and it is really good because you can actually hear yourself and there are different areas where you can go to talk normally etc but generally for lesson time its alot better.

Only like 2/10 schools in my area are getting a total rebuild because they were quick 1960 fixes and the walls are liky polystyrene its not good but all the other schools are like 1910 things so cant do much knocking down with them lol.

Ye I think where I live is the first place in the UK to actually have work done on ALL schools in that specific town at one time. Some schools have had it done here and there but ye its still awsome :D

[Nixt]

My school was one of the first in the country to get a brand new school built for it. Think it cost like 18 million or something. All became more open plan and modern and ting. It was quite cool.

[Suspective]

Looks pretty spacious.

[Alkaz]

http://i38.tinypic.com/2dhfyus.png
red = existing
yellow = new

there were some other bits linking but would overlap with new :P

[-:Undertaker:-]

I think instead of spending money on expensive builds such as these which in reality end up being wrecked, and don't work in practice (as having no doors allows noise to travel into the room/disturbances) they should build some proper schools, as grades are dropping, maybes its the past we should look at, not the future.

[BeanEgg]

They've spent 30million on our school and it's perfect, however it's still in progress.

I find it funny that it has been designed pretty much the same way as our house, plasterboard windows, built in air conditioning exact same double glazing windows etc. LOL!

Even though they have nothing to do with each other. Like school, like home.

[Alkaz]

Plasterboard windows? You have no windows if thats the case.
Also Dan I dont think its a waste, schools need to be refurbished/built across the country. I know my parents would rather see a new school be built with their tax money than paying tax for fuel, cars, roads etc and have shoddy roads. Also, I think the open plan thing is so that people simple cant have massive, loud class discussions. It should help improve the behavious or children when they get to secondary schools as they will soon start to learn that they cant just shout out etc.

[Inseriousity.]

Is it just me who likes the traditional buildings then? I don't like those seats!!
My old school is merging with another (ironically, the one right next door to my college). Whether that's a good idea remains to be seen though. The traffic on that road is going to be immense (it's one road with a 'bad behaviour' school, college, secondary school)!

[BeanEgg]

Plasterboard windows? You have no windows if thats the case.
Also Dan I dont think its a waste, schools need to be refurbished/built across the country. I know my parents would rather see a new school be built with their tax money than paying tax for fuel, cars, roads etc and have shoddy roads. Also, I think the open plan thing is so that people simple cant have massive, loud class discussions. It should help improve the behavious or children when they get to secondary schools as they will soon start to learn that they cant just shout out etc.
I clearly meant plasterboard walls and the windows.
The common sense please.. /sarcasm

[Alkaz]

I didnt know what you meant, all walls have plasterboard on them so I didnt know where you were coming from. Your post made no sense.
Also inseriousity, 90% of the furniture in them pictures isnt actually there. Its just artists impressions.

[BeanEgg]

I didnt know what you meant, all walls have plasterboard on them so I didnt know where you were coming from. Your post made no sense.
Also inseriousity, 90% of the furniture in them pictures isnt actually there. Its just artists impressions.

Plasterboard is like a wooden thing, but it's not it's 'plaster'.
Most houses have bricks with an extra layer of cement. ;)

[-:Undertaker:-]

Plasterboard windows? You have no windows if thats the case.
Also Dan I dont think its a waste, schools need to be refurbished/built across the country. I know my parents would rather see a new school be built with their tax money than paying tax for fuel, cars, roads etc and have shoddy roads. Also, I think the open plan thing is so that people simple cant have massive, loud class discussions. It should help improve the behavious or children when they get to secondary schools as they will soon start to learn that they cant just shout out etc.

I was thinking this, this country does make a lot of money and yes, if we spent that money well we could have excellent buildings built that cost an arm and a leg. However when we have other schools falling apart at the seems, grades falling, roads falling apart, areas resembling slums, and a massive deficit as a country, these sort of buildings are a joke, not to mention the fact that it will look terrible in around a decade (guranteed).

On the point of loud class discussions, yes and that will then in turn distrupt other classrooms who are not having loud discussions and are trying to get on with their work. Children know they should not be shouting and they don't need the removal of doors to show that. It may seem like some trendy idea thought up by some European artist somewhere in Paris but it just will not work.


Is it just me who likes the traditional buildings then? I don't like those seats!!
My old school is merging with another (ironically, the one right next door to my college). Whether that's a good idea remains to be seen though. The traffic on that road is going to be immense (it's one road with a 'bad behaviour' school, college, secondary school)!

We are becoming like the rest of the world, nothing is built with care anymore. The buildings are bland, poorly built and date very easily aswell as the fact they have no character.

[Seatherny]

Erm 4 classrooms with no doors? Wont it be hard to teach because of all the noise?

[Alkaz]

Dan I did say somewere that it was some American mans idea. My school was built in the 20's so is quiet deco and they have kept it inkeeping with that and used matching bricks but added elements of moderness to it. How ever, the school down the road from mine looks like it has been designed by Normon Foster (he designed the gherkin, mayors building, mellenium bridge (the one that wobbled)), that wont date well but generally I think move will.

And ye Saurav, there is a massive learning area which used to be across the area of 8 classrooms but now the schools been doubled in size, there are only half as many classes in that same area. So far its been really good and extremely quiet and there are areas with walls for people to go and have discussions which you can barely hear so its all good really :D