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Think about those neglected or wasted spaces for creative play, teaching and learning*. We will work with you to
change them into something to be proud of.
“Gardening, growing vegetables and getting
your hands dirty is a fantastic way to bring lessons to life. Learning outside the classroom
is not some optional extra. It should excite young people, deepen their understanding of
classroom subjects and is vital for young people to become independent, confident and motivated.”- Sarah McCarthy Fry, former Under-Secretary of State
"In this time of financial austerity, it seemed timely to offer an education-led sustainable landscape design consultancy as a tool for rethinking the use of
outdoor spaces for a broad range of outdoor
learning and play opportunities and purposes. It is easy
to overlook the potential of outdoor spaces for
the improved well-being, health and welfare
of children when the major emphasis is on the
design of buildings. However, well-designed school grounds are
a vital element contributing to every child’s
development and educational experiences. School grounds design therefore should not be overlooked
or undervalued, given the range of other
key initiatives aimed at developing more
opportunities for play, exercise and learning
beyond the classroom." - Gayle Souter-Brown, Director, Greenstone Design UK
More than ever before, the transformational potential of
capital investment programmes will not
be achieved unless they are informed by and
linked to wider agendas. BSF and
PCP, re-use, refresh and school refurbishment programmes represent a huge learning
opportunity for learners and teachers alike. Low carbon technology engages students in hands-on ICT activities related to sports field re-development. School refurbishment programmes provide an opportunity for learners
to have more choice and voice through the process of
co-design and address one of the key issues
of capital investment programmes to date,
namely the lack of active learner (and teacher)
participation in the design processes. As the BSF landscape consultants approved to supply Manchester City Council we understand the issues and opportunities school redevelopment projects bring.
National policies and initiatives
urge us not only to put children at the very
heart of education but to also involve them in
the design of those services. If we are to deliver a
transformed educational future, children must be central to the design
process, actively participating in meaningful
co-design.
Research has shown how bleak environments create aggressive and stressful children and how well designed playgrounds can become the creative and social hub of the school. Here then is our opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of the children and the communities in which they will live as adults.
- support teaching and learning
- maximise physical comfort and well-being
- demonstrate environmental responsibility
- enhance home-school partnerships and links with the community
- establish design principles that make
buildings and outdoor spaces work better, last longer,
cost less to renovate and maintain, and
inspire and adapt to changing needs
- apply open, transparent and collaborative
processes that allow the school and
community to assume ownership of planning
and design.
There are numerous examples of projects
claiming to promote learner participation,
which instead tend toward consultation.
Consultation is often more passive involvement
that encourages decision making around
a closed or pre-defined and limited set of
alternatives, into which learners have had
little or no input. Moreover, consultation can
often occur around agendas and issues about
which learners have little or no interest or
first-hand experience, rendering any decisions
taken in their name relatively meaningless.
In short, engaging children in participatory
projects is more than ticking boxes or offering
limited consultation, it is about facilitating
their contributions in every aspect of a
project in meaningful ways. If a project is to
be truly empowering, and support the sort
of engagement, skills, competencies and
ways of working required to develop a sense
of ownership, responsibility and greater
involvement amongst young people, then
they have to be actively involved in the whole
process; have opportunities to set agendas;
have appropriate mechanisms to raise their
views, opinions, debate and negotiate; and have
appropriate support and mechanisms to turn
their views into action and tangible outcomes.
However, this is not an easy task. It can take
extra time and resources, but the broad benefits
and outcomes can outweigh the added time
and resource costs. In enabling young people
to actively participate, and by association the
network of significant others involved in young
people’s lives, the pool of potential ideas,
skills and knowledge which inform design
decisions increases. Moreover, adults gain a far better
understanding of children’s capabilities and
interests and those adults are often surprised
by the skills, aptitudes and resourcefulness of
children involved in co-design projects. They can
gain a better insight into learner’s interests and
abilities that they may not normally be exposed
to, and which helps them address their learning
needs more generally.
Through the process of participatory co-design
of learning spaces, young people can be exposed
to a set of valuable experiences and broad
learning opportunities. These include exposure
to, and an understanding of design, landscaping,
planning, project management, graphic design,
sustainability, ecology, environmental issues,
resourcing, financing, educational approaches
and so forth. They are likely to encounter
opportunities to develop their listening, thinking,
debating, negotiation, analysis, oral, written,
visual, graphic and media communication skills.
Co-design can also provide opportunities to
develop mentoring, moderation and mediation
skills, foster an appreciation of the views
of others, and a chance to reflect on and
celebrate their actions. If carried out effectively,
participation can raise self esteem, a sense of
belonging, community connectedness, increase
aspirations and a belief that they can bring
about change and influence outcomes as they
experience ‘lived citizenship’. These are in
addition to the rewards that might emanate from
the completion of a project, such as improved
play and learning spaces and experiences and
the potential to share their skills and knowledge
with others, their involvement in the ongoing
stewardship, maintenance, reconfiguration and
evolution of any such space. Whilst this may
seem like a wish-list of desired outcomes, and
children will benefit differently, it creates a
compelling case for giving serious consideration
to participatory co-design.
"When they can, children consistently choose natural environments for their play - grassy slopes, woodlands and shrubs, rockpools, sand and water, piles of fallen leaves, snow."
Sandra Melville, Places for Play
"Play is not simply about 'letting off steam'."
Remembering this will affect the way we design play spaces. Future Lab
We are Schoolgrounds-UK Professional Members of Learning Through Landscapes and endorse the charity’s structured approach to improving school grounds. This makes children central to decision making and commonly involves a number of ‘stakeholders’. We are very happy to work with others to bring about the ‘cycle of change’ which can transform school grounds.
Q. Where do I go for help with grounds design?
Q. What will a specialist school grounds designer cost?
Q. How does a sustainable landscape designer work?
Q. We have design ideas already. Do we still need to pay for a Designer?
Q. I'm the Eco-Schools team leader. Is a log pile enough to add to school bio-diversity?
(click the links for answers)
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