There’s much more we can say about the nooks and crannies of a school, spaces meant for learning about and learning within and without. For instance… Boxed-in tiffins? Where do we eat and how does the atmosphere of the lunchroom affect children’s attitudes to what they eat and how they eat? Are there comfortable and companionable spaces where students (and staff) can share their meals? Drawn curtains Do you allow room for creative performances? Stages can be of various kinds – raised, sunken, under the trees or the sky. But they need to allow the music and dance to spread and reach the audience’s minds and hearts. Smelly spaces! Most children develop a phobia for toilets in school… does it have to be that way? What can we do to create and fulfill an expectation for clean, friendly washrooms? How do we get the school community to become partners in this? Time to assemble Are our meeting halls inclusive or threatening? Do we have forbidding slogans and stern faces on the walls that only serve to further wall in thought? Do they allow everyone to see, hear and participate in what goes on? Signs and symbols What does the writing on the walls say? Do they provide clear direction and instruction? How do the labels define the spaces? Are words and pictures used to encourage or control activity? Life in the Lab Are the science laboratories truly functional or do they only meet regulatory standards? Are they set up to encourage thinking and true experiementation? Are they safe as well as stimulating?