Brain development & classroom design at Astrea Academy Trust

Astrea Academy Trust embarked on the Brain-SET project looking at classroom design through the lens of children's brain development.

This year-long project focused on enabling children to feel emotionally secure and ready for learning, by looking at classroom design in terms of lighting, noise, the use of colour, furniture layout and more. The overall aim was to really bring calm into children's lives, which is particularly important for areas of disadvantage which Astrea Academy Trust schools work within.

In this second episode of the project series Dr Sue Allingham (Early Childhood Consultant, Author and Trainer) and Nicky Turner (National Lead for EY for Astrea Academy Trust) share with us the way the project is running, the training carried out and the reflections and impact so far.

To find out more about the project and listen to more episodes visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/projects/astrea-academy-trust-project

Episode break down:

00:00 – What is Brain-SET?
02:30 – Being available for learning
05:50 – The project's impact on educators' thinking and practice
06:55 – Natural lighting, reduced noise and increased learning
12:30 – Classroom flow: Eye-lines and way-finding
16:50 – Familiar and homely spaces and resources
22:00 – Developmental rather than judgemental
26:30 – An ongoing long-term project
29:50 – Re-creating empty and purposeless spaces
28:00 – Working with developing brains: Researching and trying things out
35:00 – Giving educators permission to make good decisions
38:00 – Designing 'thinking spaces'
41:00 – Classrooms developing with the needs of children
44:45 – Brain-SET for adults as well as children
52:00 – Having permission to step back and think
54:00 – Re-calibration spaces
57:00 – Educators sharing their work and journeys

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com