Arranging the furniture
The arrangements of chairs and tables should reflect and support the way you
want pupils to learn. The type of activity will not be the same for every class, every
lesson, so neither should the chairs and tables. Even if your classroom has fixed
tables, you may still be able to rearrange chairs to make your teaching more
effective.
15 | Key Stage 3 National Strategy|Pedagogy and practice
Unit 18: Improving the climate for learning
© Crown copyright 2004
DfES 0441-2004
Task 8
Using a double-horseshoe arrangement 10 minutes
Watch video sequence 18b. The teacher is using a double-horseshoe
arrangement, which enables all pupils to focus on the front of the room but also
offers options for changing pairings in group work. While you are watching this
sequence, make notes of the advantages for the teacher and pupils of this
furniture arrangement. Can you see any disadvantages?
Some schools have arranged their classroom like this in every subject, including
science and D&T, where design permits.
Reflection Barriers to change
Consider your classroom. What is the dominant furniture arrangement? How
does this influence the teaching and learning approaches you can use? Do
any of the following present barriers to change?
- The furniture is fixed and offers very limited scope for flexibility.
- Some classes would not respond well either to having the furniture in
different positions or to moving it.
- Yo u have no experience of teaching with different furniture arrangements.
- The classroom may have too much stored in it and be untidy.
Points to consider:
- Can you move your table or do away with it altogether? If you only use it
to store books etc., a shelf may do just as well.
- Having tables and chairs in rows is fine for pupils working individually.
However, if you want pupils to move about, this arrangement is possibly
the worst of all, particularly if coats, large bags and other items of pupils’
kit are strewn about the gangways. If you have fixed furniture arranged in
rows, think about what you can do to store these things elsewhere.
- For group work, pupils need to be able to face each other to talk without
having to shout or move about.
- Circles of chairs allow large groups of pupils to see, talk and listen to each
other. You can be part of the circle or not, depending on your purpose.
- Consider swapping rooms on occasions when your furniture arrangement
constrains what you want to do in a particular lesson.
