The school as a community hub

It used to be that once the end of school bell rang, the children would flood out of the door, teachers would go home shortly after and once the caretaking staff had finished the sweeping and mopping, the school would be locked up until the next morning. Schools these days, however, have become community hubs, sharing their facilities with local residents to provide not only a service, but a valuable source of additional income.

Almost any school building is in demand, but commonly artificial turf fields are rented by 5-a-side football teams, classrooms by adult education groups and even local charity or action groups that require meeting spaces look for cost-effective space that can be provided by schools.

The question for many schools is how best to provide their primary focus to children and young people without making adults who can use the space feel odd or uncomfortable? An adult group getting together to learn modern languages don't particularly want to use a reception class room with "A is for Apple" adorning the walls and similarly, a parish council group may find it odd to be surrounded by project work and study images regarding the Second World War. There are also some security concerns about opening up the whole school; during the day, the school is crowded and people who shouldn't be on site are spotted quickly. At night, opening the whole school for the sake of a few rooms also raises the risk of theft or vandalism as there aren't as many staff to keep an eye out.

One obvious solution is to use some of the school grounds to create an additional set of versatile school buildings that can be used during the day for the children's needs, but also transform at night to serve the community. Putting to use the space for everything from the St Paul's Council to the local Am-Dram Society not only allows local groups to thrive without booking far more expensive space, but as the new school rooms can be isolated from the rest of the school, the security risks are reduced as only these rooms are open.

If you're looking to expand your indoor sports facilities, making sure that children can exercise and practice sports of all varieties in all weathers, the option is also there to design the space to be usable by any number of other teams. There has not only been a significant rise in the focus on the need for exercise, but also on the variety of sports and games being played - everything from a Seniors' Mobility Class to niche sports like Dodgeball are gaining popularity and small groups often struggle to afford to rent larger sports facilities.

Many schools have community programs in place, requiring them to offer services and assistance to the local community, but with some schools housed in older facilities, there are legitimate concerns about the best way to fulfil them. A new set of rooms from Education Spaces may not only provide a fantastic solution, but enable schools to expand their offering!