The first socially distanced classroom has been built at a London primary school, using unused festival tents so pupils and staff can work outside. The temporary pop-up school proposal is being trialled at Manorfield Primary School in Tower Hamlets, east London, to optimise space while social distancing among pupils and staff.
Inspired by outdoor classrooms at schools in Denmark, the tent measures 20 feet by 60 feet and allows at least 25 percent more space than what the school can currently offer. The temporary structure has been used to host classrooms and as a lunch area for pupils.
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
British architecture firm Curl la Tourelle Head came up with the idea to demonstrate that under the constraints imposed by the government, it is still possible to safely accommodate more pupils but also allow social distancing rules to be observed.
It involves reusing things such as festival marquees, that would otherwise be lying dormant due the cancellation of mass gatherings, to build temporary classrooms and portable facilities.
Not only will the pop-up structures enable better spacing between children and staff, they will also create more capacity to take on further pupils as well as improving the air-flow, the architects said.
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
Paul Jackson, the headmaster of Manorfield Primary School, said: “Our children have been out of school for far too long. We want to bring as many children back to school in as safe a way as possible.
“We wont bring back more children than it is safe to and need to find creative solutions to enable the wider opening of schools.
“The creation of additional pop-up accommodation in our playground will support us in doing this and meeting the needs of our children. We are very excited to see more of them returning to school.”
Manorfield is much larger than the average-sized primary school, with 679 pupils on its roll including the nursery and it admits 90 pupils in Reception each year.
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
The pop-up tent at Manorfield Primary School is expected to stay until the end of the current school term.
The architects are currently talking to other schools across the country and overseas about also using the novel idea at their sites.
The firm is also working to produce temporary pop-up accommodation that can cater for full year groups and be lit with lecture theatre equipment, heating and air conditioning.
Wayne Head, the director of Curl la Tourelle Head, said: “Our pop-up school initiative offers a robust and adaptable suite of temporary structure options, ranging from simple canvas marquees to fully operational, insulated and engineered facilities capable of servicing entire year groups through the planned big summer of catch-up and autumn term beyond.
“We are confident that we have the solution to help schools increase their capacity and bring back more pupils, while still following the social distancing rules and ensuring a safe environment for the children and staff.”
[contfnewc]
