Learning Environment

How your setting can foster communication skills in early years

Early Years Focus outlines three main factors which will affect your setting’s ability to develop early years communication skills, and then offers a list of practical ideas for you to initiate which support them

Learning from home with ICT

Learning from home and using online education can provide a safe haven for children who are bullied at school. Special Children talked to one mother about the solutions she found for her autistic son

Your ideal learning culture: following it through

Following on from her initial look at how to create an ideal learning culture at your school, Elizabeth Holmes looks deeper at how to follow it through and align a sustainable learning culture with your school's other priorities

Your ideal learning culture: turning blue sky dreams into reality

A supportive learning culture among staff, mutual respect and motivational development for everyone! That needn't be just a 'blue sky' dream. In the first of a CPD Week series, Elizabeth Holmes explains how to start creating a sustainable learning culture in your school

Dealing with SEBD: positive handling

Some might think that a positive learning environment would be an ineffective tool against aggression in pupils with social emotional behavioural difficulties. However, Michael Jones speaks to a school who believes that a nurturing and supportive environment is exactly what SEBD children need

The school business manager's role in sustaining a VLE

Once implemented, VLEs can be used as an integrated tool to improve students' progress and school administration. School business managers and bursars are key to this development, in terms of sustaining the VLE

The school business manager's role in implementing a VLE

School business managers and bursars can play a key role in ensuring their schools establish efficient and effective visual learning environments

Using a virtual learning environment (VLE) to raise attainment

How can a virtual learning environment (VLE) in your school be used to raise pupil attainment, while complementing other school initiatives? Deputy heads Paul Ainsworth and Josephine Amith have some suggestions

How to plan classroom seating layouts

This free resource is part of a CPD series to help teachers improve learning environments for children, looking at how to design the most effective classroom layouts and seating arrangements

Download now

Understanding and managing classroom space

This free resource is part of a series to help teachers improve learning environments for children, here focusing on the best use of classroom space

Download now

The classroom as a physical environment

This free resource is part of a CPD series to help teachers improve learning environments for children, here examining the importance of physical factors and conditions within the classroom environment

Download now

Wall displays as learning aids

This free resource is part of a series to help teachers improve learning environments for children, in this case examining how an effective use of wall display space in classrooms can have a powerful impact on learning

Download now

Creative classrooms

This free resource is part of a series to help teachers improve learning environments for children, concentrating on what a creative thinking space is and how it can stimulate learning

Download now

Planning for behaviour management

You can have a positive impact on behaviour throughout the school year by considering key areas now, says Dave Stott, such as school policy, the class environment and preparing for a new and different group of students

Discipline for the whole-school, classroom and individual

This issue of Behaviour Matters looks at the importance of instilling discipline across the entire school and provides you with practical information on creating an effective learning environment read more

Teaching basic behavioural skills

This issue focuses on the importance of teaching pupils the basics of good behaviour in the classroom read more

'Serotonin time' in the classroom

Behaviour Matters focuses on establishing some 'serotonin time' during lessons, which will have a positive effect on the mood of pupils, engage them in the learning processes and act as a catalyst for work read more

Peer pressure: good or bad?

How can peer pressure can be used as a positive classroom technique to improve behaviour? Behaviour Matters provides some proactive and reactive tactics read more

We are all teachers of behaviour

Behaviour Matters explores the importance of being a positive role model in teaching read more

"Successful schools are creative schools"

CPD Week shows the importance of creativity in learning and provides food for thought on how to support creativity in schools read more

Accentuate the positive!

Each of us is affected by our own environment. Behaviour Matters explores the importance of well-being and the effects it can have on behaviour in the classroom read more

Can you handle it? Deflect the pressure!

Disruption comes in many forms, one of the most dreaded being questions unrelated to what is being taught. Behaviour Matters delves into this reoccurring problem to seek a positive solution. read more

Strategies for cognition and learning difficulties

Practical strategies to help you support pupils with cognition and learning difficulties read more

Using timed reminders in the classroom

Behaviour Matters explains why it's important to break down the separate activities within a lesson into clear time slots read more

Outdoor learning in the school grounds

The outdoor environment remains a rich source of learning for pupils of all ages, attracting new enthusiasts and investment read more

Behaviour management for the new school year

The new school term is a great time to consider your techniques of behaviour management and review your classroom management of last year

Behaviour management during 'cover' lessons

There are two sides to the problem of staff cover – the emotional upset you experience when you realise you are not well enough to be at work, and the practical difficulties your absence generates read more

Removing barriers to learning

Practical strategies and specific solutions for helping pupils with communication and interaction difficulties to overcome barriers to learning, plus an update on special schools funding

Attention! Gaining theirs and seeking yours

Clear, taught strategies for attracting and holding attention can help to create a calm and ordered learning environment

Specific and planned intervention

Practical advice on specific and carefully planned interventions for those pupils' needs that cannot be met in 'ordinary' classrooms

The importance of school size

School size is a key factor in student achievement, according to a Channel 4 documentary, but Pam Woolner disagrees with its theories about school environment

Music as a learning aid

Can music have beneficial effects in the classroom? Teachers in a Warwickshire school set out to test theories that Mozart's music stimulates learning, as Dr James Haughton reports

Multi-sensory environments in special schools

Sound is now an integral part of the sensory environments that exist in many special schools, and the latest technology involved encourages interaction, stimulation and feedback

The changing aims of primary education

After a long standing struggle between learner-centred and standards-led aims for primary education, two papers for the Primary Review note the emergence of a hybrid read more

Time to start trusting teachers

How can we go about building trust into the education system? Here we look at the NAHT's Commission of Inquiry into Assessment and League Tables read more

Extended schools: learning from the past

The idea of extended schools has a long history, says Pam Woolner, and we can learn from ideas that have been tried in the past read more

Virtual learnings environments for extended learning

Virtual learning enviroments (VLEs) can support delivery of the extended schools core offer, explain deputy heads Paul Ainsworth and Josephine Smith

Learning from our European neighbours' education systems

Our European neighbours do education differently - with different starting ages, reading levels, varied approaches to the curriculum and assessment, extremes of class size and funding. What can we learn? Dave Weston shares his experience read more

The financial side of becoming an academy

Have you ever been attracted by the financial freedom of academies but wondered what the drawbacks are? Gary Dawson guides you through the issues read more

SEAL: good for teachers, schools and students

The responsibility of SEAL and the development of emotional intelligence ultimately lies with the school, argues headteacher Neil Berry, and can have a real impact on school improvement read more

Planning and funding environmental improvements to your school grounds

A number of resources are available when funding school grounds improvements, explains Gill O'Donnell

The benefits of introducing young children to ICT

Crispin Andrews looks at how staff at two children’s centres are reaping the benefits of information communication technology

The Children's Plan: key points for early years

The Children’s Plan was launched by Ed Balls in December 2007, but what are the government's objectives for this initiative?

Creating an outdoor learning environment for the early years

Jan White provides a range of practical ideas for creating enabling outdoor environments that support young children's health, wellbeing, development and learning

Sustainable nursery schools: Environmental review at EYFS

Anne Humble describes the benefits to be gained for nursery schools from participating in the Eco-Schools scheme read more

The Primary Capital Programme

A £7bn programme will transform 8,000 primary and special schools over the next 15 years. Crispin Andrews looks at some of the innovative projects being planned in the pathfinder schools read more

Building Schools for the Future: Involvement for governors

Phil Williams, chair of governors of Kelmscott Secondary School, gives a personal view of his school's involvement in the first wave of the Building Schools for the Future scheme read more

Shaping a CLASI learning environment

Antidote’s development director Marilyn Tew describes how schools can encourage learning by promoting 'CLASI-ness' - where children feel capable, listened to, accepted, safe and included

Learning outside the classroom: examining the school grounds

David Storrie describes a course on learning outside the classroom that has allowed teachers to critically examine their school grounds

Communication friendly spaces - early years

Elizabeth Jarman looks at the impact of the physical learning environment on young children’s speaking and listening skills read more

Area

Your Role

Learning Environment