Along the west coast of Singapore is the 32,000 square metre campus of One World International School, one of the premier primary schools in Singapore. For some people, this big space just for a school seems a bit too much, that they are supposed to pay for the quality of teaching rather than the design and layout of a design.

However, what some guardians do not know is that how a school is built plays an important role in child’s learning. In fact, it has so much an influence that a study made by the University of Salford and the architects at Nightingale Associates found that student performance increased by 25% because of well-designed schools. 

To understand what goes into a good school design, let’s explore how One World International School designed their campus.

Vibrant campus

Upon opening the website, one of the main features highlighted is that One World International School has a vibrant campus. They describe as providing students with a “dynamic environment”, the perfect place where students can learn, grow, and develop the skills needed to become prime movers of society.

Dynamic classrooms

The school uses a holistic education framework that puts weight on collaborative work. Students are not only expected to memorise their lessons, they should be able to share their ideas on the topics discussed in class with teachers and classmates.

For this reason, an adaptable learning environment is required. One of the ways this primary school did it is to equip each classroom with modular furniture to encourage teamwork. Students can easily group together and face each other while sharing their views.

The class is limited to 24 students at most to manage the noise level and to make the classroom more conducive to discussions. Other factors considered in its design include natural light, temperature, and classroom orientation.

Cutting edge technology

One World International School makes use of technology to aid the student’s learning. It has maximised all kinds of available tech for a better school experience, from iPad tablets to interactive LED screens, as well as good quality speakers and access control lockers.

Outdoor facilities

Of course, with a 32,000 square metre property, there will always be an outdoor field that is accessible to all students and teachers. Well, make that 4 sporting fields, a miniature rainforest (with all kinds of flowers and plants), a Sensory Garden, and a Berms and Sand Pit.

This is to help students appreciate the natural world and help educators teach them the importance of taking care of the environment. It is also a welcome respite from the four walls of the classroom, a natural setting where both students and teachers can relax.

Not to mention, the outdoor fields encourage an active lifestyle. Students can easily organise small sporting events to keep them fit and healthy.

We forget that a school is not a military barracks. What they do is nurture a child’s natural curiosity; it should not be too bleak or rigorous that they fall out of love with learning. One World International School and the well-designed schools are now seeing a whole slew of students who enjoy learning and are more than happy to continue learning – all because of proper design.