Do we design enough for learning? This and the post that follows are linked:

Buildings are more to blame for school failures than teachers, according to new research from Manchester University.

The lack of space in school halls, gyms, canteens and other areas is the cause of many of the problems blighting today’s secondary schools, said Naomi Breen, a teacher studying secondary school buildings for her PhD.

According to Mrs Breen, school design affects the curriculum and encourages gender stereotyping, bullying, antisocial behaviour and alienation.

Mrs Breen, who teachers at Hulme grammar school for girls, Oldham, surveyed 18 secondary schools – nine in Burnley and nine in Berkshire – and analysed historical records and documents. She says these reveal government regulations from the 1940s and 50s lie at the root of today’s problems.