School staffrooms are much more important than you might realise at first. Not only is this a place for staff to sit and relax when lessons are over or during breaks, but it’s a place for organisation, lesson planning, a cafe, and everything else in-between!
Working within the educational sector is a difficult job, no matter what your role, and you will need a space to retire to when classes aren’t taking place. Of course, that means the design need to be perfect, in order for the relaxation to occur, but also for the other functions of a staffroom to be able to take place too.
Just to sum up, the main functions of a school staffroom include:
• Somewhere to work and plan, e.g. lessons plans and other administrative tasks away from the classroom
• Somewhere to discuss issues with other members of staff, and relax on breaks
• Somewhere to escape to during stressful times and events
• Somewhere to store bags and coats, and other personal belongings - lockers are necessary
• Somewhere for informal staff meetings to take place
From that, you can see how important this space is to teachers and non-teaching staff.
There are many different kinds of offices appearing these days, and a staffroom is also a form of office, but much more laid-back; you could argue that it is a breakout space, or an off duty room, but whatever you call it, it needs to be designed properly.
Things to Bear in Mind When Designing Your Staffroom
It certainly isn’t just about throwing an office sofa here and there and decorating the walls with noticeboards, designing a staffroom in an educational setting takes time and effort. These are things you need to take into account.
How Many Seats do You Need?
Remember, not all members of staff are going to be in there at one time, but it is useful to have a seat for everyone who needs one. Bear in mind how many people are going to use the space, and account for them accordingly. Booth seating is a good idea, because it accommodates several people at one time, and also allows for discussions to take place, either from a work point of view, or from a winding down, coffee break point of view.
Cater For Work to be Done
The staffroom isn’t always going to be a place of relaxation; it could also be a place of work. During times when lessons aren’t taking place, staff may need to do administrative work, and that means they’re going to need office desks on which to do it.
Think About Collaboration and Idea Sharing
This is a space of brainstorming and collaboration, so make sure that can happen! We’re talking about whiteboards, perhaps a space in the corner of the room for group chats to happen, away from those who are trying to wind down. You can look into office furniture sets, which can be used to create zones within your staffroom, pleasing everyone at the same time.
Think About Decoration
A staffroom is a multifunctional space, so you need to really add nods to every kind of function that might occur. Make the space comfortable and cosy, but also make it possible for work to be done there too. We mentioned desks, but commercial office furniture in general these days can be customised to be laid-back and functional at the same time.
Also, think about lighting and ventilation; think about the walls and how you’re going to decorate them. Think about adding some natural aspects, such as plants and pieces of art, which reflect nature, as well as a green or blue colour scheme for balance. All of this is calming and motivating at the same time.
A Canteen Space Too
A staffroom is also likely to be a place where staff eat their lunch too, so make sure you add some kind of kitchen facilities in there. This could be a kettle (a must!), microwave, toaster, a fridge, or even a mini oven. This area needs to be away from the workspace, but it can easily be slotted into a corner, out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the room.
A staffroom is such a multi-use space that it can be hard to section it into appropriate parts. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, and you can easily create a staffroom that suits every need, whilst still maintaining that relaxing, off-duty feel.
Do you have any useful or innovative ideas on how to design a staffroom? Drop us a comment and let us know!