Case Study Wirral
Introduction
Liscard Primary School was built in 1911 as a boys grammar school. With over 650 pupils it is one of the largest primary schools in the country. In September 2006 a Children’s Centre was added to the school to provide a range of health, education, child care and family support services. While the school occupies an impressive looking building, set back from the road with good sized play spaces, and enjoys good support from parents and the local community, the learning spaces in 2007 no longer provided the flexibility required for the modern primary curriculum.
BCSE sought the support of its members to develop a small number of areas in the school during National School Environments Week including the staff room and library. The school is deeply committed to the project and is keen to involve pupils,staff, governors and parents in the activities, creating ownership and allowing members of the school community to think critically about what will make their school a better place to work and learn.
Areas Chosen
1. The Staff Room
The staff room, as in many similar schools, was too small for the number of people who could use it. It was a pretty tired space which lacked purpose and is underused as a result. Staff welcomed a conversation about how the space could be improved and to define its uses (socialising, relaxation, discussing practice etc). There was an additional room set aside on the second floor for staff preparation and planning. The staff room was generally unattractive with poor storage, seating, flooring and kitchen facilities.
2. The Library
For a school of this size, the one library space was small and uninspiring. New furniture and storage and some creative thinking about how it could be developed made a real difference to the pupils.
Result
Many thanks to the following companies/Organisations who made the project work:
AedasBREDavis Langdon
Ecophon,
Isis Concepts
Mouchel Parkman
Nightingale Associates
Willmott Dixon
Wirral MBC
Liscard Primary School