How We like Our School to Be … Pupils' Voices

Abstract

Overall research findings have revealed that the school environment both immediate and in the wider sense of the community does play a role in pupils' academic and behavioural outcomes. The present article aims to discuss pupils' experiences of, and suggestions for, the physical environment of the school which they attend. A case study was conducted in the United Kingdom in a primary school located in an area that is characterised by high levels of economic and social deprivation. Methods of collecting data included documentary evidence, interviews, observations, focus groups and pupils' drawings and designs. The study findings have shown that there are great concerns about pupils' learning and behavioural outcomes and that the school experiences overcrowding conditions as well as lack of space and facilities that provide opportunities for creative activities. The pupils themselves also showed awareness about the limitations of their school environment and their discussions revealed the physical environment to be of considerable importance to their experience of learning. The implications of the study findings for teachers, policy makers and budget holders will be highlighted.