Future Schools

19 Jul 2021 |

The PreSchools Opportunity

The preschools opportunity, post pandemic, is large and needs to be explored.

Most of the last 18 months have been spent under lockdown or uncertainty over the future of work, education and normal life. The reopening of the country after the first lockdown and the ensuing second wave has created more uncertainty in the future easing of restrictions for regular business. During this time work from home has been forced upon almost everyone. Schools have also tried online schooling / hybrid schooling. It has been difficult. Parents get to spend more time with their children but they must manage their work and the online sessions of their children.

Need for parents

Beyond a certain time it becomes difficult to manage both effectively and efficiently. It is easier with older children who can sit on their computers unattended. But for preschoolers it has been particularly difficult. They have lost a crucial year of social interaction and education. Parents have seen little benefit in enrolling their children in preschools for a year of online education. It can be very challenging for a parent to get their children to sit at a computer for the duration of a class. Several preschoolers have missed out on school education altogether.

So what now? After the lockdown, working parents will need good preschools, even when they are working from home (Assuming working from home continues for them). In such a scenario the preschool needs to be close to their homes. For preschool education parents will continue to prefer proximity, safety and comfort for their children. That we feel is an opportunity.

The PreSchools Opportunity

Premium preschools that offer engagement, safety and security. More experiential engagement centres than just classroom based schools. We had already seen a shift towards premium preschools before the covid pandemic and we feel it will be more so now. Over the last few years we have overseen the launch of premium pre-schools offering diverse experiential learning. Specially designed engagement zones as opposed to traditional classrooms, that children are raring to explore their spaces. Spaces that are designed keeping in mind social engagement of groups of multiple sizes. Spaces that are flexible to handle multiple use, that can be safe even when special norms such as social distancing or other public health measures are required.

Given the needs of a 21st century education, we have always laid great importance on flexibility, innovation and creativity even in designing schools. Schools of this nature are better able to handle change. Such schools set their infrastructure in place, at the same time they also develop their team. The leadership is highly qualified with experience in imparting a 21st century education. Also a focus on growing the rest of the team with tactical hires that bring their expertise, knowledge and experience. Key roles are assigned responsibilities that meet the needs of the school, ones that build collaborative and constructive relationships.

Over the years, Newton Schools has provided services as project consultants in developing the school concept, marketing strategy and the financial projections. Such engagements begin at the concept stage when the school is an idea and perhaps even the land has not been acquired. We have also worked in already initiated projects as academic/management consultants defining the curriculum, the teacher training and recruitments. Our parent firm, Newton Services has executed projects in civil construction and interiors to make the concepts come alive. And in other projects as management consultants building a bridge between school owners and everyday operations of schools.

8 Jul 2021 |

Premium Pre-Schools: Need and Design

There is a new segment of premium pre-schools or nursery schools opening up in India. These are premium preschools, where the infrastructure is owned instead of rented and a higher investment is made in design, interiors, facilities planning and overall delivery of services. To understand this segment and the design of such pre-schools, let us look at the following:

a. Existing market for pre-schools

Till 2020, the following segments of pre-schools existed:

i. Rented apartments / houses being used as pre-schools: These could be found in almost every neighbourhood. Some of these would be franchise brands while others would be self-started pre-schools. As the facility was rented, minimum levels of investments were made in starting the school and these facilities were not even designed to be child-friendly.

ii. Pre-schools built on dedicated plots: In most states, the govt allowed plots for nursery or kindergarten schools and buildings had been made on these plots. These buildings were then rented out to brands / franchises or in some cases, the owners would themselves run a pre-school operation in the building. While these were better than the rented apartments / houses in terms of space usage and facilities for children, many of these buildings were dated in terms of design and planning.

The pandemic since 2020 has started changing the face of these pre-schools. All the preschools have been shut since April 2020 and continue to be closed as of July 2021. Many of the rented facilities have permanently shut down as it was unviable to keep paying for the premises without knowing when students can officially join the school back.

We expect that in 2022, students will be able to attend preschools again. There is a huge opportunity and a new segment of pre-schools that will emerge when that happens.

b. New segment of preschools

We are seeing a new segment of preschools open up, where a brand new facility is created, specifically designed for a premium experience. These centres, often in a 1000 to 3000 sq mtr plot, are designed to offer large learning spaces, pretend-play areas and other facilities for children in the ages 1 to 4. A significant investment is made, compared to earlier preschools, in ensuring the interiors and correctly planned and executed to cater to parents who are willing to pay a higher price for early education. These pre-schools are usually owned and operated by the investors.

c. Design of premium pre-schools

Premium Preschools will attract parents who are young, used to comforts and want the best for their children. As these schools are created on plots owned by the operators, they can invest a higher amount and recoup it back with returns over a longer period of time. The design of the premium preschools requires a lot of inputs that many architects often don’t have. It cannot follow the standard norms of having classrooms along a corridor. Learning spaces needs to be spread and intermingled with play areas. By creating larger open spaces in the floors, design can allow flexibility to the pre-school teachers to change the look and feel of the spaces based on the themes planned to be taught. From the washrooms to the performance areas, significant details need to be planned while designing such preschools. Parents should immediately see the difference between a school like this and traditional preschools when they visit. The overall ambience of the preschool must reflect premium-ness while still being within a certain investment range.

We expect the premium pre-schools segment to grow rapidly, with at least two such pre-schools being created in most towns / cities within the next 3 to 4 years.

Newton has already been involved in creating such pre-schools as project consultants. From design to construction and interiors, we have teams that can create a unique, premium pre-school. To know more, contact us now.

24 Dec 2020 |

Furniture for today’s classroom

Today’s learning environments are evolving to keep up with the changing environment and technological advancements. All the new-age schools require classrooms that foster collaboration and creativity among learners.

More and more schools are integrating technology in the classroom but this also means classrooms must now be equipped with specialized furniture to accommodate the changes.

Here are a few furniture ideas for today’s classroom that will provide an ideal learning environment for learners to thrive and grow.

Collaborative & Flexible Furniture

Traditional classrooms are equipped with static desks and chairs all facing the same direction. There is also a blackboard placed behind the teacher’s desk. Classrooms with this type of layout aren’t ideal for group activities. It makes it tedious and time-consuming to arrange desks and chairs for group interactions.

Today, collaboration is crucial in a learning environment. In the future, when learners apply for jobs they’ll be expected to be able to work in variable teams. Working collaboratively in school will help a child interact, communicate, and find solutions to problems while working with others.

By making them modular, the desks can be used for variable sized groups and for multiple applications. Collaborative furniture such as light movable desks, desks, and chairs with wheels, integrated with power outlets, and round tables. Schools can implement modular adjustable desks with comfortable seating. This will create learning experiences suited to their tasks or projects.

Tech Integrated Furniture

School curriculums are changing to adapt to the changing technological needs. Due to the pandemic, remote learning has proven to be accessible for all learners. Now, through laptops/tablets/computers classes can be accessed and through interactive software, homework can be submitted.

To prepare learners for the future, classrooms need to be technologically integrated. Tech-integrated furniture will help learners explore new avenues of learning with a better engagement of learners. Multimedia tables, desks with power outlets, etc can easily integrate with tech learning solutions. Storage cupboards with charging docks.

Engaging Furniture for Learners

When learners spend most of their time sitting on static desks and chairs in the classroom, chances are that they have very little interaction and engagement. But studies have shown that new-age schools that have adopted flexible furniture, have shown a positive impact on learners’ overall engagement, creativity, and motivation. Learners need classrooms that inspire them, help them express, share ideas, and be comfortable enough to stay attentive throughout the day.

Engaging furniture such as soft seating, cushions, mobile chairs, and niche seating creates, portable boards and storage units, can make the classroom experience more engaging.

30 Nov 2020 |

How to make social distancing work in schools?

We all are waiting for the schools to reopen. It has not only been tough for learners but also for the teachers to conduct classes online during this pandemic. We are still a long way off from the normalcy of pre covid times. We have to make it our way of life.

Shared below are some notes on making social distancing work in your school?

Prepare teachers, staff, parents, and students

All groups need to be prepared for the school reopening post-COVID. These have been unprecedented times, restarting needs understanding of everyone’s frame of mind. A survey with each of the groups on their readiness to restart school will create a framework for future interactions and also sensitize the school on their anxieties.

A representative working group of parents, teachers, and staff should be set up for planning & execution of the new protocols in school. A health and sanitization consultant may also be brought on board.

The group should undergo a risk assessment exercise. These sessions must plan the structure of functioning, classroom arrangement, social distancing, circulars, and policies on COVID guidelines for ensuring safety and hygiene at school.

Teachers are expected to deal with learning recovery and, student’s mental and psychosocial needs. The school counselor must also help the teachers plan the student engagement. Minimize any activity that requires physical contact or sharing of resources. Train teachers to help children understand the social distancing guidelines and how to ensure their safety. This communication must also be planned with parents & students.

The group must identify the spaces that are an absolute must for the functioning of the school. Spaces, where social distancing is difficult to implement, must be kept closed/ alternatives identified.

People Driven Learning

Children gain a lot from being in school, with their interactions with teachers and peers. While technology has served us well to plan learning interactions, we must also leverage it to allow greater physical interactions. We must ensure that this technology is available in all classrooms. Children should be able to attend class discussions from the home virtually or physically in classrooms. The scheduling or the school roster should be managed to allow social distancing between those present in school. Blended classrooms that have been talked about lately gain more relevance to create “personalized learning”.

Designated Zones on Designated Days

Children must have access to as many spaces in the school as possible. A coding mechanism may be implemented to create designated zones for children for various days of the week. This way groups that will go to the spaces will be predesignated. And the sanitization team will be able to clean the spaces after use by each group.

Communicate with Parents

Parents must be assured of their ward’s safety at school. The working group’s recommendations implemented in school must be shared with the parents, they need to be on board for the reopening. They must understand the tasks from them. Unless the parents support this it will be difficult to get children to follow. The processes should be implemented to create a safe space and avoid any fear-based messaging, to be sensitive to all.

While there is awareness of hygiene, safety, and social distancing, implementing it in a school space means that there have to be greater awareness rules at school. The use of masks, sanitizers, and hand wash should be facilitated by their easy access in school. In spite of these measures, there has to be ownership where parents must monitor their children, the children and staff must also self-assess. It is only when there is this acknowledgment can such a system work. The communication then becomes important.

Staggering Hours / Days at School

Staggering hours, the students’ arrival at school can be planned in a way to prevent overlap with the next slot. This will give enough time to implement cleaning protocols and assembly of large groups. Plan transport timings or ask parents to pick and drop their kids to maintain safety. With the time slot, you have to plan the seating arrangements as a measure for social distancing. When technology is leveraged in school then the entire class does not need to be in on the same day.

School Transport

Parents might prefer to drop their children at school on their own. Whenever it is possible to restart school a spaced seating arrangement to maintain social distance must be implemented.

As all children do not attend the class on the same day, the spacing will be possible in school transport. The transports must be sanitized after every use.

Cleaning, disinfection, and sanitization

Cleaning removes impurities from the surfaces while the disinfection process uses chemicals to kill germs that might be present on the surfaces and sanitization works either by cleaning or disinfection and lowers the risk of spreading infection. Timely sanitization at school will help lower the risk of spreading infection.

A variety of sanitization procedures must be implemented as different areas/surfaces may need different procedures.

Maintain Hygiene and Ensure Safety

Wearing masks should be mandatory for everyone on the premises. Everyone should be sensitized on the kind of masks to wear, to wear them properly, and to use fresh masks each day. Everyone should also be encouraged to carry spare masks and to change them in case any gets dirty. Also, they must not share or switch masks.

The school may implement entry protocols for temperature and oxygen saturation, at the same time there must be a safe & comfortable isolation zone for students/staff who show symptoms that warrant isolation/ non-entry to the school.

Use Poster and signages

Use posters and signages to display the safety measures for everyone at school with language and visual medium that is suited to the children. Visual information is more easily grasped.

The goal of the exercise is to restart the learning among the children in a healthy and safe way. Processes often fail because of the human element, getting all stakeholders on board is very important for this to succeed. And all variations must be documented so that there is a clear understanding of the reasons for each failure. These will enhance the ability to prevent them the next time and to improve the processes.

18 Nov 2020 |

Ensuring safety and security in schools

How can schools ensure safety and security in schools? Safety and security are very crucial for schools. It is not only important for the students but also for the teachers, parents, and other members of the school.

It is the responsibility of schools to ensure that students are provided with a safe and welcoming environment. Such an environment can be created by building trust, creating awareness, and following defined processes to manage various scenarios. These can be supported by technology.

The students as well as the staff should be aware and sensitive to the behavior expected of them. School safety and security policies are as important as the education that is being imparted to the students. Where necessary counseling services should be accessible to support the mental health of everyone in the school.

CBSE has also issued several circulars on safety and security at schools. It has laid down briefs on structural safety, safety management, safety from constructional hazards, safety measures during natural disasters, and how to ensure student’s safety at school.

Awareness and Sensitization

The school administrators, teachers, and students should be sensitized to create and maintain a safe and secure environment. They should be able to self-monitor and take corrective action as and when required. While technology can support smooth processes, sensitive administrators, teachers, and students will create the right environment.

Schools should follow the PPRR i.e. prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery model of risk management. This model will help the school administration to be vigilant in matters pertaining to a student’s safety.

Psycho-social Safety

All the schools have CCTV cameras installed for ensuring safety and security. Emotional or psychosocial maltreatment hampers a child’s sense of personal safety and security. Schools should focus on providing the right ambience to nurture and develop a child.

Safety in school transportation

As per CBSE guidelines, it is mandatory for schools to install GPS systems to ensure the safety of students in school transport. This too can enable schools to provide updates to parents about their children’s whereabouts. However, this is something that must be monitored regularly to check whether the drivers are sticking to their prescribed routes and following traffic rules. Any violation of speed limits or variance in routes should be investigated, resolved, and documented. Additionally, there should be a defined escalation matrix to address these violations.

Monitor Activities at School

Prudence should be applied in selecting activities in the school premises for monitoring. An understanding of the at-risk areas and creating a system to mitigate those risks can help in preventing unauthorized activity without creating an oppressive big brother environment.

Restrict Entry

Restricted access areas should be clearly defined and access should be managed both by architectural design and technology.

Additional measures that can augment the system are:

Establish clear safety and security policies.
Assessing school processes from time to time.
The document, investigate and report to relevant personnel any suspicious incident at school
Mandatory carrying of ID cards.
Training on safety and security.
Install a central security system.
Issue access cards to restricted areas.

Security Personnel in Entrances and Exits

This is the first thing that we notice – the security personnel. Every effort must be made to prevent the school from turning into a heavily policed school. It is only then can one establish trust in the institution and its people. However, there are certain checkpoints that require the physical presence of security, particularly the entrance and exits. Also areas of restricted access where trespassers may be at risk of injury.

ID cards

An identity card can carry much more information. “Smart-ID Cards,” with in-built sensors can be leveraged with technology to keep parents informed of their children’s whereabouts.

Physical Safety of students

It is important to keep the school premises safe and secure for all the students. The school building built should ensure the ’Life Safety’ of students and should be resilient to all kinds of hazards. School administration, teachers, and students should be well aware and prepared to respond to any kind of disaster or threat.