What three Rotorua principals think about open-plan classrooms

NZ Herald

6 days ago

'When one teacher is leading the whole class, another can provide targeted support to students who need it the most.'
She said the school's 130 Year 5 and Year 6 students consistently expressed a 'strong preference' for collaborative learning spaces.
Lynmore Primary School principal Hinei Taute. Photo / Supplied
Taute said 100% of students surveyed stated it benefitted their learning, and feelings of safety and belonging.
'Our teachers echo those sentiments, emphasising that when 'teacher relationships are right and students and teachers are invested in working together, the magic happens'.'
She said students thrived with 'greater agency', such as choosing where they wanted to work, and benefited from diverse learning spaces.
'We've seen first-hand the rapid academic, social and emotional growth of our students when routines are set and teachers collaborate effectively.'
Rotorua-based Lynmore School students working in open-plan classrooms. Photo / Supplied
She said this was a testament to the school's commitment to teaching excellence and 'a deep understanding of how students learn best'.
Kawaha Point principal Maria Gillard said scrapping open-plan classrooms was the right move.
She said when she took over as principal in May 2022, student achievement rates were 'very low' - 30-40%.
'I was shocked by how chaotic and disruptive it was for students and teachers working in four large open-plan learning spaces, including two hubs that housed up to 90 children in each.
Kawaha Point School principal Maria Gillard. Photo/ Supplied
'It was loud, it was noisy, like having to teach in a barn, and students were able to run from one side to the other.'
She and the board immediately decided to transform the two largest teaching hubs.
'We installed permanent glass sliding doors and created three classrooms in each, and reinstated folding doors in some original classroom blocks to redefine them as quieter, purposeful learning spaces.'
Two distinct classrooms were also created for younger learners, Gillard said.
'We've worked hard to reshape our learning environment to meet the needs of our tamariki, and now have 12 individual classrooms.'
Kawaha Point students studying in one of the school's reinstated smaller quieter learning spaces. Photo / Kawaha School
She said some of the school's capital property funding, along with other school funds, had made these changes possible.
'The results speak for themselves - calmer classrooms, improved behaviour, and children who see themselves as confident learners.'
Gillard said achievement rates were now in the 60-65% range and trendng upwards.
Ngongotahā Primary School principal Eden Chapman said before taking up his role on July 14, he spent 15 years as a principal in 'high-equity, low-decile' primary schools.
'In those environments, open-plan classrooms would have presented far more challenges than benefits — particularly around self-regulation, behaviour, and teacher workloads."
Ngongotahā Primary School principal Eden Chapman. Photo / Supplied
Chapman, who is also president of the Rotorua Principals' Association, said local principals' feedback was 'varied'.
'Some schools have embraced open-plan and collaborative learning spaces with great success.
'Others found them challenging, particularly for students who need more structured, less stimulating settings to stay engaged.'
He said many local principals supported the move back to single-cell classrooms as it aligned better with learners' needs.
Chapman said major issues faced by schools were the 'inflated cost of building projects' and overcrowded classrooms.
He said the new NZ School Property Authority (NZSPA) had the potential to streamline the 'complex and often time-consuming' process of school property development.
'In areas like Rotorua where new subdivisions are being developed, we believe the Ministry (and NZSPA) need to get ahead of the curve, not play catch-up.'
Education Minister Erica Stanford. Photo / Alyse Wright
Stanford said the new agency would give schools 'improved project delivery and communication, better value for money, and increased transparency around decision-making'.
She said the ministry was developing standard building layouts after considering New Zealand and overseas research on how different learning environments impacted student engagement, well-being and achievement.
This would support 'a shift towards adaptable classroom designs that prioritise student needs and local context, over a one-size-fits-all, open-plan approach'.
'While some schools used their open plan classrooms well, classrooms are intergenerational assets, so building them to be flexible and adaptable will ensure they will endure beyond the tenure of individual teachers and principals.'
Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.