Sharrow Primary School: creating a building for the whole community

Case study

Sharrow Primary School has been designed for the whole community, open all day, every day, providing support for the whole family. The vision was to create an environment that was as 'deinstitutionalised' as possible.

Key facts

Type of school: community primary
Number on roll: 466, plus 30 at the children’s centre
Headteacher: Lynne Ley
Cost of development: £6.5 million (including cost of demolition of old site)
Date completed: September 2007

Background

Sharrow Primary School was established as a result of the amalgamation of an infant and junior school onto a single site built in the Sharrow community. The school and incorporated children's centre serve a community with a diverse and rich ethnic mix, situated in centre of Sheffield.

Vision

The vision was to bring together two schools onto one site and into a building that would promote learning and co-operative working. This was to be a building in which teachers would learn from each other and provide the opportunity to work alongside their more experienced and skilled colleagues. The new school was to become the heart of the community, where they would feel a sense of ownership, having been involved in its design. The school was also to be a centre of learning that invited parents to work with their children and where they would find opportunities for their own learning.

Stakeholders

The school involved all stakeholders throughout the whole design and build process. For the school to be at the heart of its community, everybody had to be consulted and listened to.

Consultation

The architects worked closely with the leadership team to involve parents and pupils in the design of the new school. Teachers and governors were encouraged to visit many other schools and to bring back the ‘best ideas’. Workshop sessions were run for parents and pupils on school designs, building materials and colours, to ensure they were aware of the reasoning behind each aspect of the design.

Transformational change

Developing flexible teaching spaces has transformed learning, enabling teachers and year groups to move around more easily. The impact is evident in the opportunities they are providing, not only for pupil learning but also for teachers. These are learning areas where teachers can work together and where the less experienced can learn from skilled practitioners.

Lessons learned

The importance of a vision is seen as vital from the start, a vision that is agreed and understood by everyone. Time needs to be found for teachers to lift their heads out of their daily role to explore what might be rather than accept what has always been.

Next steps

Next steps include how to offer more opportunities for the community and the pupils. The focus for the school remains on learning and the possibilities their new school presents for providing a continually improving learning environment.