Learning Spaces

What we believe about how young children learn best strongly influences the continual design and resourcing of learning spaces at Highfields. Our students are confident, creative and relationally powerful users of our spaces and we design our learning environments to enable this. Great consideration is giving to acoustics, layout, furnishings and displays to ensure every space is welcoming, inspiring and conducive to deep thinking and focus.

As a team, we regularly reflect on what is working well in our spaces, balancing children’s need for consistency and comfort, with our commitment to continually keeping our spaces feeling fresh and inspiring for young learners. Furnishings and materials create an inviting and engaging atmosphere, positioned thoughtfully to allow spaces for thinking, reflecting, connecting and exploring. Displays in each of the spaces are developed with purpose and audience in mind, as teachers work together to ensure children’s voices and thinking are made visible and knowable. In this way, displays go beyond decoration and carry our values on the walls.

The questions below adapted from Jan Millikan’s book, “Reflections” (2003) support our continual professional reflection around environmental planning and design.

Does this space create possibilities for children to:

  • express their potential, abilities and curiosity;
  • explore and research alone and with others, both peers and adults;
  • perceive themselves as constructors of projects;
  • reinforce their identities, autonomy and security;
  • work and communicate with others, and
  • know that their identities and privacy are respected.

Does this space enable teachers to:

  • feel supported and integrated;
  • have appropriate spaces and furnishings to meet their needs to meet with other adults;
  • have their need for privacy recognised, and
  • be supported in their process of learning and professional development.

Does this space ensure parents can:

  • be listened to, and feel informed, and
  • meet with other parents and teachers in ways and times that foster real collaboration.