黑洞社区

More than 80% of teachers believe the learning environment has a notable impact on pupils鈥� attainment, behaviour and engagement, according to new research.

But fewer than 4% feel schools are in an excellent condition. They raised widespread concerns about a lack of space, poor layouts and declining durability, particularly in newer builds.

The findings confirm what architects have been trying to tell the government for years, with little effect. Michael Gove scrapped the 拢55bn 黑洞社区 Schools for the Future programme the moment he took up his post in 2010. He later said they would not be getting any expensive 鈥渁ward-winning architects鈥� like Richard Rogers to design free schools.

His criticism was supported by free school pioneer Toby Young who said the time: 鈥淲e will be looking for an architect who doesn鈥檛 have too inflated an idea of how important buildings are to educational outcomes because I think the connection between the two is practically zero.鈥� He .

The focus has since been switched to standardised or 鈥渇lat pack鈥� designs costing 拢1,465 per sq m.

The survey of primary and secondary teachers, conducted for the Smarter Spaces campaign across a small sample, found that staff would like greater involvement - for themselves and their pupils - in the design of their schools. Key concerns were more space, natural light, writable surfaces and regulated temperatures.

Meanwhile, the government has announced it will provide at least 拢200 million of capital funding for new and expanded schools, with details to be revealed later in the year.

Education secretary Nicky Morgan also said the latest phases of the 拢4.4 billion Priority School 黑洞社区 Programme (PSBP) would see 500 schools rebuilt or refurbished by 2021.

In her report, , she said the average cost of delivering schools through the PSBP was a third less than under BSF - and that it took one year for construction to start, as opposed to three years under BSF.