What if the most powerful tool for student wellbeing isn’t in the classroom, but just outside it?
Teenagers experience some of life’s biggest social, physical and emotional changes at school, much of which takes place in the schoolyard. Yet designers and school leaders have lacked research-backed guidance on how to improve these spaces for adolescents.
After 22 months of study, researchers from the University of Canberra have addressed this gap. On Wednesday, they will launch the “Schoolyard Greenprint” – a comprehensive set of findings and guidelines for best practice in schoolyard design, articulating how to meet the very specific needs of high schoolers.
From designing safe spaces to minimise bullying, to sensory areas to help neurodivergent students or age-appropriate places to take risks and play that aren’t the usual formal sports facilities, the Schoolyard Greenprint provides evidence-based practical guidelines to help schools move away from the typical, outdated design.
Lead researcher Dr Gweneth Leigh, a landscape architect and Research Fellow in the Mental Health Policy Unit at UC’s Health Research Institute (HRI) said they have brought together current design standards with health and wellbeing frameworks to cater to different cohorts of students.
“Over the past three decades, school buildings have evolved to reflect advances in environmental awareness, technology, and teaching practice. The same can’t be said for schoolyards – the template for which hasn’t changed – despite the fact these spaces can make or break the student experience,” Dr Leigh said.
“Each day, over four million Australian students attend school. It’s a place where they spend thousands of hours. While adults can choose to leave a space that doesn’t meet their needs – be it a lack of shade or too much noise or uncomfortable seats – school students don’t have that choice, so good design is crucial.
“Teen mental health is in crisis globally; the schoolyard remains an overlooked opportunity. By rethinking our schoolyards, we can create spaces that help young people to connect, recharge and learn.”
The research team mapped typical school typologies around the country and found most fit into one of nine designs. In conjunction with a Youth Voices reference group, they held workshops with over 500 students to identify the needs of different cohorts of students, including LGBTQ, First Nations and female and gender diverse students. With a stakeholder working group and reference group, they then co-designed better ways to utilise outdoor spaces.
The result is a set of resources to help schools understand what different students need from their outdoor spaces, and guide school communities on the changes – big and small – that could improve their schoolyards.
The documents use case studies to offer clear, practical guidance with ideas, tools and strategies for schools to create outdoor environments to support student wellbeing.