The DfE Building Bulletin (BB103) – the area guideline document for schools - sets out area
guidelines for school buildings and sites for all age ranges from 3 to 19. This document lists the sorts of spaces schools should normally have, and recommended sizes. The sizes are of course based on larger class sizes than Maharishi School’s, but in many cases the school falls short of the recommended ratio of space to pupil. 

Below are a few examples of the shortfalls in our school’s premises. Currently the barn houses 6 classrooms, a reception/office, a small library/intervention space in near constant use, the Head and Deputy Head’s shared office and a small staff room. In primary schools, the BB103 list includes a school hall, which can double up as a dining room, and a food preparation area. We have no school hall, dining room/kitchen or spare space.

Pupils eat lunch in their classrooms and the before & after school clubs also operate from classrooms. As well as other operational considerations, both of these situations prohibit teachers from using their classrooms at lunchtime or after school. The staff room is also unsuitable for working at these times and is also often used as an intervention space.

The separate Reception building also provides an administration office and is supplemented by a garden shed provided for pupils with specific needs. 

BB103 lists a library of 34m2 – Maharishi School’s is 22.5m2 and is in near constant use in other ways, particularly as an intervention space; a staff room of 41m2 – Maharishi School’s is 35m2 with 8m2 taken up by storage; a Head’s office of 16m2 – Maharishi School’s Head’s office is this size but is shared with the Deputy Head and used as secure financial storage; a SEND resource area, small groups rooms, and a separate confidential meeting room – none of which the school has. 

The proposed new building will be designed to provide all the internal spaces the school needs at the correct size and appropriate external areas, including an outdoor sport field, playgrounds and car parking.