During the past academic year, teaching staff have worked harder than ever, and all the while without the ability to take a proper break together in a staff room. As rules relax and we see some normality, now is a great time to look at the form and function of your staff room.
A revitalised staff room is a great way to boost the morale of all teaching staff. Investing in a communal space where staff can connect with one another and feel part of the wider team will result in renewed positivity, which is beneficial for mental health and overall performance.
As a school staffroom has many different functions this needs to be reflected in its design. As well as being a space for staff to relax and socialise in-between lessons, it’s a place to work and have informal meetings too.
What makes a good staff room?
No matter the shape or size of your staff room, comfort is key. The furniture you choose needs to be hardwearing and supportive, to ensure it promotes a sense of wellbeing and rest.
Seating
Soft seating is the obvious choice, as it will provide lasting comfort and is available in a huge range of styles and shapes. Modular soft seating is a great soft seating option, as you can build a configuration that suits your needs and space, and its light enough to be changed around when needed.
The space can also be zoned with different styles of seating. Stool seating at a breakfast bar is good for a breakout area, or swivel chairs at fixed benching for a more formal work area.
Surface
A variety of surfaces in a staff room are beneficial for lots of reasons too. Socially, people like to gather around a table, so as one function of a staff room is to have a break and eat lunch, a good table is key for this.
Lower levels tables are essential for those all-important breaktime cuppas too, and desking or fixed benching can help when it comes to PPA time when a more focused work area is needed.
Storage
A staff room is generally a guaranteed safe area for staff to leave belongings during the day, so to ensure the area stays tidy, lockable storage is a great option for this.
Plenty of shelving is also a good idea, as with staff rooms sometimes having to house photo copiers and other resources, it’s a practical solution for a hardworking area.