Classrooms are spaces that should limit distraction, where students can focus and be as productive as possible. Students being students, distracting each other, can alone make it easier said than done. A well designed classroom however, can make a big difference.

There are many things you can incorporate into your classroom’s design that can really help improve overall student focus and productivity. Although some include a complete rethink of design, there are others minor that can be easily trialed. 

 

10 Design Ideas For Your Classroom

 

1. Multi-Purpose Flexibility

Classrooms should be designed for their purpose. Whether it’s the change in teaching style required to switch between a small A-Level class and a rowdy lower school set, or a complete change of subjects and/or teacher; the space needs to be flexible. This might mean including:

Modular furniture that can be quickly reconfigured from rows for individual work to clusters for group projects

Moveable storage that keeps subject-specific materials accessible but out of sight when not needed

Zoned spaces within the room that support different activities simultaneously

When students aren’t distracted by irrelevant displays or cramped by unsuitable layouts, they can focus on the lesson at hand rather than fighting against their environment.

 

2. Different Working Areas

Studies on human productivity and morale in the workplace show that having one static and solitary place to perform all your tasks throughout the working day is detrimental to both morale and output. Transferring this back to the educational setting, the classroom itself rarely changes and this can undermine all the good work that teachers are trying to incorporate.

Get around this built-in resistance caused by the layout of a classroom by splitting it up into what are essentially different work areas. It’s a technique commonly used in Outstanding infant and junior schools, but can be used with older learners also.

 

3. Easy To Navigate Layout

Once routine classwork is underway or prolonged student-led tasks are being completed, it’s important that you design a classroom that allows for easy mobility around the room. There should be no obstacles for the teacher moving around the room in order to allow easy behaviour and problem resolution.

Studies such as Kohn, 1996 and McLeod et al., 2003 profess the need to allow the teacher to move around the room. Every little obstacle slows down passage of movement and incrementally reduces the teacher’s ability to keep students on task.

The classroom layout should also reduce congestion at peak times: the start and end of class, work submission, transitions between tasks, collection of materials, and access to resources like spare paper or the pencil sharpener. The longer it takes students to get seated, the less time spent learning, and the more difficulty someone has moving around once the lesson has started, the bigger the distraction for everyone else.

 

4. Good Insulation

Students need to be comfortable to learn and focus effectively. Cold drafts and inadequate heating reduce learners to tired, disinterested bodies waiting for nothing more than the chance to warm up.

Upgrading glazing, doors, heating systems and cavity (wall and roof) insulation are quick wins when it comes to improving classroom design. These elements are too often neglected when prioritising school building improvements, yet they have a significant impact on heat retention and student wellbeing.

 

5. Well Managed Heat & Ventilation<s/span>

Just as cold temperatures reduce attention and cause fatigue, excessive heat has the same effect. In warmer months, many school buildings become uncomfortably hot, creating identical problems

Installing window film, intelligent glazing, or effective blinds can prevent sunshine from turning classrooms into greenhouses. Improved ventilation throughout the building stops spaces becoming stale and stuffy during warm summer days, keeping the air fresh and students alert.

 

6. Comfortable, Varied Furniture

Both of the last two design considerations contribute to the physical comfort of the people in your building. Another aspect to consider is the furniture you employ for them to work at. Choosing the right tables and chairs for learners is essential, and a one-size fits all approach should be avoided.

Going back to the alternative working areas idea, different furniture types are available. If you have been tasked to complete a group task, utilising various large resources, it’s hardly fair being asked to complete it on a desk designed for an A4 notebook and perhaps a small textbook.

If you undertake double period lessons or expect learners to be seated for more than 40 minutes, it’s vital that you choose the right type of seating. If not, learners will be more interested in trying to find a comfortable way to sit than partaking in learning.

We spoke to Amber Merrill, a teacher in America, about her dynamic and choice filled classroom set up. She said:

Students always have a ‘home base’ that they receive input on. If they want to stand, it’ll be at the standing table. If they prefer to ‘sprawl’, it’ll be on the floor.

But throughout the day, they move around a lot based on what we’re doing. If a student gets up and moves to another group to help or ask a question, that’s encouraged.

My classroom expectations are still very high. In fact, I’d say they’re even higher than when I had desks because they have more freedom. If they abuse that freedom, they lose the privilege of fun seating. That’s usually the concern teachers have.

I chose to replace my rigid desks with flexible seating because I want to foster student engagement and collaboration. In the maths classroom, we’re learning to be problem-solvers. That means relying on others’ expertise, trying new approaches and, most importantly, making mistakes!

7. Clear Room Visibility

Visibility is a two way street. 

Teachers need to have clear lines of vision of each other to maintain good classroom control. 

Students need to be able to see the presented information and other collaborative resources, in order to experience them as effectively as possible.

It’s important that the basics aren’t forgotten when it comes to classroom design; the teacher should be able to see what all learners are doing at all times and all learners should be able to see the teacher and what is being taught to them.

 

8. Good Acoustics

Poor acoustics, whether from echoing or a room so large that students at the back can barely hear, can cause learners to lose focus and reduce productivity. If any students in the class have hearing difficulties, this issue only amplifies.

Low-hanging decorations and resources can act as acoustic barriers, masking or distorting what is being said, particularly when other learners are speaking or when videos are being played. Learners having their backs to the teacher can also be a major obstacle to clear and audible hearing.

Proper space planning and alternative types of furniture can address these issues. Soft furnishings throughout and adjusting the classroom layout, entirely or in small ways, can make a big difference.

 

9. Relevant displays

Although it might typically be an end of term or end of summer holiday task, fresh and relevant displays are vital. If irrelevant, they could become a distraction.

This is something that should be student-centric, with their work being the core of any display in order to inspire and motivate. This is echoed by many academic writers and put neatly in Strong et al.’s Handbook for Qualities of Effective Teachers.

 

10. Student Ownership

Let students choose the classroom layout and design aspects of the room. Where classrooms are multi-purpose or used across multiple classes, this may not be possible. Instead, consider letting them sit where they’d like.

Trial and error will follow and you’ll likely need to leave time for tidying and rearranging at the end. However, ownership encourages students to work and learn more productively in a way that suits them, making it worthwhile to trial. It’s also an effective way to promote communication and collaboration between learners.

 

Unlock better focus and productivity in your classrooms

Design is an important consideration for focus and productivity in classrooms. Seating arrangements, lighting, student well-being – there’s lots else to consider too. But design plays a significant part.

A room transformed from gloomy to bright, balanced in temperature, with comfortable seating to suit all learners – it’s bound to create a much more productive learning environment.

Ready to improve your students’ performance? Whether you’re looking to improve a single classroom or your entire school, our experts are here to help. Book a free design consultation with our classroom experts today. 

Need some inspiration? Take a look take at some of our work. We’ve worked with leading educational institutions, including for the University of Oxford and Greenwich School of Management.