After deciding they needed a little more room and somewhere quiet away from the main school building for their staff and pupils to work peacefully, Hampton Infant School invested in an outdoor classroom that the whole school could enjoy. Their new ‘creativity Room’ is used for a multitude of purposes by the whole school and has therefore helped out both the staff and pupils of all ages.
When not in use, the creativity room contains just an interactive white board and a cupboard to hold the tables and chairs, Business and Admin Manager Sharron Goddard explained;
“We wanted the new room to be as plainly decorated as possible as we had a few pupils with learning disabilities that would sometimes become easily excited by the brightly decorated main school building, the plain walls and classic decoration of the creativity room meant they didn't get as easily excited and could work in a calmer atmosphere.”
Although these pupils are no longer at the school, Hampton Infant School has ensured the creativity room has remained as immaculate as possible by introducing a no shoes rule, anyone entering the room leaves their shoes on the provided shoe rack before entering, meaning their fully carpeted room stays as clean as possible.
Using this special room is seen as quite a treat by the pupils!
The peaceful atmosphere of the room lends itself perfectly to ensuring the pupils who need a little extra help with their literacy have somewhere quiet away from the main school building where they can concentrate as well as providing a peaceful atmosphere to those who need occupational therapy.
It’s not just the children who benefit from this creativity room; it’s also used by the teachers for their PPA (planning, preparation and assessment) time. PPA time is essential for the teachers and a legal requirement when it comes to ensuring all lessons are planned as thoroughly as possible. This room means the teachers have somewhere quiet to work away from the hustle and bustle of the staff room and away from the noise of the main school.
It’s even used for the Governors meetings too. Because the room is on a separate alarm system to the rest of the school, the caretaker can shut down the main school building leaving just the creativity room open. This also has the added bonus of saving the school considerably when it comes to heating and lighting, it’s much easier and cheaper to heat and light the creativity room than it is the whole school.
The school have even managed to recuperate some of the costs from the building by letting it out to after school clubs, ensuring it’s in use as often as possible.
One of the main appeals of a Garden Escape 4 Schools building for Hampton Infant School was its eco friendly design, the room uses sustainable lighting and low energy heaters to keep the room warm and even has a eco friendly toilet and cut down on excessive water consumption.
“The new building has provided much needed extra space for teachers and assistants to be able to quietly plan and prepare for their classes. This has freed up the staff room for its intended purpose, as a place where the staff can relax. The building is not only practical and comfortable; it also looks good and has been designed to be in keeping with the rest of the school.”
Sharron Goddard, School Business and Administration Manager
