Designs for school and play
Venue:Queen Mary, University of London.
The surroundings within which children learn and play can influence their academic performance, well-being and morale. Architecture, layout, décor and facilities of schools and playgrounds all play a crucial role in shaping the learning environment. Recent policy has focused on the value of design in and for education, most notably a major government initiative, Building Schools for the Future (www.bsf.gov.uk), that aims to rebuild or renew every secondary school in England over the next 10-15 years. The work of organisations such as School Works and Learning through Landscapes also address the ways in which school buildings and grounds relate to school standards and affect the self-esteem, morale and pride of the school community.
This seminar will focus on recent, innovative examples of school and playground design. It will explore gender mainstreaming in school and playground design and the gendered design and use of play and leisure spaces for children and young people.
- Hattie Coppard
Hattie Coppard is an artist who designs playgrounds. Hattie will talk about her work as part of the Experimental Playground Project at Daubeney School in Hackney, and about her work with Snug and Outdoor, a company of artists who design innovative play spaces - Sadie Morgan
Sadie Morgan is an architect at dRMM (de Rijke Marsh Morgan), which won the Building Design magazine award for best new architectural practice in 2004. Sadie will talk about the remodelling of Kingsdale School in London, described as "a model of its kind" by the Guardian, which involved designing the largest space ever created in a British school. - Gill Valentine
Gill Valentine is Professor of Geography at the University of Leeds. Gill has written widely on children and space, including work on IT use within the home and children within public space. Her recent books include Public Space and the Culture of Childhood (Ashgate, 2004) and, with Sarah Holloway, Cyberkids: Children in the Information Age (Routledge, 2003).
- Val Klenowski
Val Klenowski, presently Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Education, University of London, will act as discussant. Just appointed as Professor of Education at James Cook University, Queensland, Australia, Val’s research interests include learning, assessment and curriculum design. Recent work includes a World Bank-funded project in Latvia, being a school governor in Camden, and her book Developing Portfolios for Learning and Assessment: Processes and Principles (Routledge Falmer 2002).