Project FaradayJoseph Rowntree School

December 2009

Joseph Rowntree School

• What is Project Faraday?

• Curriculum Structure

• Science Learning Spaces & Design

• Our new Department

• Our new School

The White Design Team

• One of three Project Faraday teams• Led by White Design Architects• Broad range of skills across the team

Our foci

• To create Science learning spaces for the 21st Century

• To develop ‘interactive experiences’ to create whole school learning experiences to illustrate scientific principles.

• To act as a demonstration school for the north of England.

Initial Progress

• We looked at curriculum models to decide our Science teaching ethos.

• We broke these down into ‘core beliefs’– Students– Teachers– Curriculum Structure– Supporting learning

Students

• We believe that for all students to be successful they need:– High Self Esteem– Self Belief in Success– Core Skills and Competencies – To be allowed to take responsibility

Teachers

• We believe that learning is most effective when:• It is guided by informed professionals• There is a culture of continuous improvement• All staff share their learning experiences• Teacher expectations and aspirations are high

and consistent

Organising the Learning

• We believe that students engage in learning opportunities when:

• The tasks and subject matter are interesting• The learning experiences are rich and varied• Experiences are cognitively matched• Progression and continuity are at the heart of

assessment for learning• Students have individualised learning programmes• Prior knowledge is recognised

Supporting the Learning

• We believe that young people learn best when:

• They have access to a quality learning environment

• They have ubiquitous access to ICT

The Vision• Less focus on content – a

creative curriculum• Greater focus on skills for

learning & scientific literacy• An emphasis on how science

works• Greater student responsibility for

learning – more research based learning

• More collaborative work – peer learning works!

Our vision

• We see our role as one of facilitating and leading learning.

• We work alongside our students to empower them to own their own learning

• We wish to extend science education beyond the labs and embrace a range of spaces to encourage curiosity and exploration and enable a range of learning approaches.

Curriculum Structure

Research Question

Research Question

Research Question

Curriculum content

Specialist Study

Research Questions

Fertile Question

Communal concluding performance

Collaborative Group work

QCA levelled

assessment

Demonstration of Understanding

Area of personal interest

Core tasks Inquiry

Initiatio

n

Feedback

From Harpaz

Design Rationale• A range of

practical spaces

• Collaboration spaces

• Performance space

• Theoretical space

Traditional Labs

• These are large labs (90m2) • BB98 suggests 90-120m2

• Fully serviced fixed benching• Suitable for the full range of practical investigations• We designed the layouts.• As a department we felt this was the best design in our

experience.• Many schools have gone for isolated hexagons (or

similar), we felt this would be too cliquey.

Sixth Form Labs

• Smaller, fully serviced labs dedicated for Sixth form use.

• Enables long term practical work.• White boards on all walls for recording results

and notes as experiments proceed.• We envisage these for being used mainly by

sixth form students, hence the given name, however small groups (up to 15) could quite easily use them.

Flexible Studio Spaces

• Lightly serviced practical areas, but with moveable furniture to enable a range of group work.

• Two studios adjacent to one another with moveable partition walls to enable creation of one large practical area to accommodate 60 students with a number of supporting staff.

British Thornton

Standard Classrooms

• We wish to make our science teaching as vibrant and accessible as possible but we are not naïve enough to think there is no need for lessons where students have to access theoretical material in a ‘traditional’ way.

• If we are to do this, better we do this in the best environment.

Science Hub

• In the form of a large ‘red blood cell’ floating in the air as you enter the department.

• Full wi-fi connectivity • Space for ~15

students in small groups.

Demonstration Theatre

• 125 seat lecture theatre space• Fully equipped demonstration

bench.• Envisaged for use with classes

for ‘lead lectures’ and introductory talks.

• We also cater for a variety of learning styles, so we wish to use this as a genuine performance space.

• Also for guest speakers.• 3D cinema

Work with your designers

• Carillion and British Thornton have been fantastic partners

• We have worked together on the whole project and we feel we have been completely involved with the whole process.

Interactive Experiments• Many schools have

chosen what we feel to be ‘ephemeral’ experiments that will date quickly.

• Our choices…• A Solar and Celestial

Telescope• A re-vamped

environmental area• 3D Cinema system• Live air quality readings• Current electricity usage

within the school

Option testing

Moving On

Whole School Rationale

The Transformation Process

• We do need to deal with staff readiness to change.

• We will have a phenomenal building, but one which we feel will change to adapt to our needs as teachers and those of our learners

• To get through this we need to stay true to our vision and continually articulate clearly our vision and expectations.

Year 1

• Represents spaces that most science teachers and students would recognise with one ‘forced’ element of transformation.

• The studios may largely be operated separately while the classes may on occasions be opened up to allow a degree of shared teaching in science theory supported by the central seminar space;

Year 3 (stage 2)

• Represents an expanding level of transformation with perhaps studios opened up to allow shared teaching and partitions between the classrooms and atria removed to create a flexible science theory teaching area.

Potential Year 7

• Represents one possibility of future provision indicating an open plan ‘learning common’.

• Investigation activities are focused at serviced points and separated from a central demo area by flexible furniture solutions allowing for ICT docking and ‘writing up’.

• Seminar and breakout spaces are provided flexibly throughout the space.

Final Designs• We feel the final designs

for the new school represent the work we put in.

• Also, they are the cheapest of the Faraday designs.

• We feel this is in the spirit of Faraday to create replicable designs for other schools.

Cost Commentary

• DCSF• “The main additional costs are due to folding acoustic

partitions between labs, enhanced services and services equipment. There are many non-standard fittings and furniture throughout, but there is very efficient use of circulation areas.”

• “The extra cost of the conceptual design, compared to a traditional science facility of 12 labs is £193/m2 of the gross internal floor area. This is at the lower end of the cost range that has been identified for the Project Faraday Schools.”

£££

Commentary

• CLEAPPS• “Mains services to the labs run around the outside walls

of the building for greater flexibility if internal walls need to be re-arranged later. This may mean some constraints on the distribution of mains services within the room for practical work, but it’s not difficult to provide a perfectly acceptable room layout’”

• At 70m2 the science studios are not large enough for the full range of practical work. The practical work possible will depend on the furniture and it’s layout.”

Lessons Learned?

• Involve ALL members of the Science team and students

• Include Lab techs and give them ownership of their areas

• Speak a common language• Have the courage of your convictions.• Use space creatively to aid the way you want to

teach• Be clear about what you want

Awards

• Winner of the DCSF ‘Most Versatile Learning Environment’ Award

• Finalist DCSF ‘ Best Student Involvement’ Award.