Consultation:Layout 1 11/09/2009 14:19 Page 59
consultation
be proud of and enjoy spending time in.
In Moore’s experience, the students’
ages don’t have any bearing on the need
for consultation – it just determines the
approach to take. “With the younger
children, you need to address their general
ideas and demonstrate they have been
incorporated within the building design to
provide a greater sense of ownership.
“Older children want to know specifics,
including cost decisions, so they can apply
the real-life situation to their learning.”
Consultation and progress updates are
also essential when teachers and
students have differing ideas on the
design, such as how big each space needs
to be. Moore points to a recent example
where the teachers and students differed
over the size of the common room in
relation to the study areas. “When we
explained to the students that teachers
wanted study areas maximised for their
long-term future, the students were very
willing to forgo a larger common room.
Reasoning
“By communicating the reasoning behind
concepts in a clear and easily
understandable manner, both teachers
and students understand that the
designers have their best interests
uppermost and both groups are usually
much happier with the result.”
teachers and students
have differing ideas on
the design, such as
how big each space
needs to be
Moore is also able to maximise the
huge learning potential of the
construction activity and helps to find
opportunities to integrate a real-life
project across the curriculum. From
measurements to materials used, the satisfaction with the new building. delivered. The construction was used as
design processes and actual physical The student council was used as the part of the BTEC ICT course, to give
construction work; the process of link between the site construction teachers and students a working example
building a new school is rich in learning managers and the school, with regular instead of the usual fictitious ones.
opportunities for all ages and can tours and updates given. It was the This benefit was highlighted by St
present an enormous benefit to the council’s role to report back to the other Paul’s Academy principal, Pat Winston:
school and its students, if managed students, ensuring that everyone was “The setting up of work units linking
properly by all parties involved. informed as much as possible. Other directly to the National Curriculum that
Rydon’s work on the development of St initiatives included installing a webcam to deliver problem-solving activities suitable
Paul’s Academy in Southeast London give students and teachers a window into for all ages and abilities was one of the
provides a useful working example of the progress on site; whole school project’s great achievements.
comprehensive consultation and how the assemblies explained the techniques and “Staff and students have been provided
curriculum can be linked to construction, skills used to construct the building; and with a much better understanding of the
with successful results for teachers and work experience placements were roles of architects, quantity surveyors,
students alike. This new build school for provided for students. construction managers, engineers and the
1,200 students aged 11 – 16, is due to Teachers were also involved, to leave a trades who are delivering the new academy.”
complete in November and Moore has legacy of the project within the
helped to involve staff and pupils along curriculum so that future students can
www.rydon.co.uk
the design and build process to maximise learn about how their school building was
edbmagazine.co.uk 59
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