Future-proofing your school with Education Spaces

To say that education is not a fast-evolving profession would be very short-sighted; the changes in teaching methods, different curricula and the ever-changing requirements of students make it a constantly updating process. One area that some schools don't update as often is their actual building requirements.

One area that could never have been predicted is the rise of the computer at the heart of not only school, but our general lives. The amount of computing power now available in the average school workstation would've been unthinkable at the time when most teachers were sitting their end of school exams, but all this technology comes at a cost; it's extremely power hungry.

At one time, teaching revolved around a large blackboard, a plentiful supply of chalk and an exercise book for each child. The last twenty years, however, have seen computing go from 'one per school' to 'one per class' to dedicated, fully connected IT suites. Schools now have substantially increased power requirements, but retrofitting classrooms with power points, workstations and ensuring that it's up to current codes can be time consuming and expensive.

The better option is to create a new building as a dedicated IT suite, but the traditional building route can be both time-consuming and expensive. It also requires a lot of effort to ensure that you comply with planning laws, building regulations and health and safety procedures. Having builders on site can also be very disruptive to the normal functioning of the school.

Education Spaces buildings, however, could be the perfect solution. Available as standalone buildings, they can be designed and built to be the perfect IT suite from the ground up. All power requirements, both present and future can be built in, with adequate space for workstations, secure server rooms and enough power points for pupils and teachers. Keeping wiring hidden and safely away helps everything from reducing the risk of wear and tear, shocks and trip or falling hazards. Ensuring that there's easy access to desktop power supplies means that students and teachers won't have to move equipment to connect new devices.

Education Spaces buildings are also designed specifically around the space that you have available, meaning that you end up with a suite that not only meets all of your needs but feels natural and usable. All of our buildings can be standalone spaces or attached to existing buildings and they meet the highest standards of both build quality and thermal efficiency, so they're usable all year round.

Although the rise of the computer in schools may not have been predicted, the solution to both current and future needs can be easily met in a stylish, simple and tailored building. Using Education Spaces buildings is not only a cost-effective way to meet current needs, it's also a great way to build future-proofing into the fabric of the building and free up other rooms as resources for the school.