Victorian School Design

About the Victorian School Design resource

The Department's vision for education begins with the learning needs of every child. It is becoming more widely recognised that students' learning outcomes are strongly influenced by their learning environments.

The physical spaces in schools should be designed to complement the teaching and learning required for a modern curriculum. The Principles of Learning and Teaching (PoLT) that underpin the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) have significant implications for school design and learning spaces. This link between curriculum, design and pedagogy is reflected in the early chapters of the Victorian School Design resource.

Current design places a strong emphasis on flexibility. Learning spaces should be capable of supporting different learning styles. For example, they can promote individual and team work as well as providing space for individual learning and reflection. Different approaches and recognition that children learn in different ways need to be represented in the design of new learning environments. The resource includes information about individual projects and also provides an insight into how these spaces will be used by both teachers and students.

The resource provides a selection of current designs that highlight various educational and architectural features. The document is divided into chapters that focus on different aspects of school design. The images and projects will change or be supplemented over time.

1. Victorian School Design - Introduction (PDF - 1.4Mb)
2. Stages and Spaces (PDF - 2.7Mb)
3. Community Use (PDF - 539Kb)
4. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) (PDF - 1.5Mb)
5. Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) (PDF - 464Kb)
6. Special Features (PDF - 521Kb)

 

Additional school design resources - videos

Victorian School Design videos

These interviews explore the intentions of principals and architects when designing the schools and the experiences of using completed school buildings.

Other videos about school design

• Interview with Prakash Nair - Prakash Nair is an international authority on school design for the 21st century. This page presents 14 short videos answering questions about future directions of school design.
• Linking Pedagogy and Space: Planning Principles for Victorian Schools Based on The Principles of Teaching and Learning (PDF - 6.2Mb)