Small spaces are useful for one-to-one teaching, counselling or mentoring.

While unsupervised practical work is possible for activities such as painting, graphics or music, activities such as science experiments require supervision. In some cases, staff may prefer to allow pupils open access to main group space at agreed times during the day rather than provide a practical resource space. Specialist resource areas in secondary schools are best placed near the subject department.
There is less need for such spaces at primary level where learning spaces tend to be multi-purpose. However, there may be shared areas housing equipment that is too expensive to provide in every class base.
The school of the future will make more use of media facilities either for specialist courses or, more generally, for project work. Specialist spaces may also be provided for recording music or drama performances or for assessment purposes. Video-conferencing to other schools or educators will be used more in schools, particularly in rural ones where making visits or attending courses outside school are not easy options. While video conferencing can take place in any group room with appropriate mobile equipment, a central video conferencing room with appropriate acoustic and lighting environment may be provided. This could be combined with a media studio for use by other schools, the community and the business sector. The location and environmental conditions of such spaces have to be carefully thought through.

Quiet spaces
Quiet time needs to be a natural part of the educational environment and there are times when an open resource and work area is not appropriate. Such spaces are increasingly likely to feature in a school of the future as learning becomes more individualised. Pupils need to be able to work undisturbed in a quiet place (usually, but not always an enclosed room) but not feel separated from the main school. Such a place could also satisfy pupils' often expressed desire for places for contemplation.
In a secondary school with a sixth form, there will usually be an area designated for quiet study either attached to the school's central resource centre or in a separate sixth-form base. In many schools, the division between study and social areas has been dropped and pupils work quietly in an area which has access to refreshments (see Section 2A.5 on social and movement spaces). The attractiveness of such a facility may encourage more pupils to stay on into the sixth form. Students should have ready access to ICT, although not all study will require it.

ALFRED SALTER PRIMARY SCHOOL, Southwark, London Support spaces need to be private, particularly acoustically, but they should also retain visual contact with the rest of the school.

2A.4 SUPPORT SPACES

> learning support room > counselling rooms > therapy rooms

• Support spaces are essential to increase inclusion.
• Not all support spaces can have shared use.

Support spaces are small spaces for teachers and other professionals to work with individuals or small groups. They are likely to be increasingly used, partly because of greater inclusion (to support but not replace integrated class teaching), and also due to independent working which tends to lead to an increase in the need for occasional individual support. This is particularly true for those with special needs for whom the crucial relationship between student and teacher - that inspires and nurtures learning - cannot always work in public or even in small groups.
Pupils with special needs require assistance from a number of people in addition to their teachers including parents and health and social care professionals. Small spaces are also valuable for counselling and mentoring sessions.
Privacy is important in these rooms and they should be well sound insulated.