How much of your day to day behaviour is influenced by the furniture?

It has long been a basic tenet of psychology that we are not only influenced by our inner feelings and personality, but we are also influenced by what is around us.

Nowhere is this clearer than with pupils and students. How they respond to the world around them is very clearly determined (in part at least) by the physical environment.

A perfect example of this comes with outdoor furniture. A bench for pupils and students to sit on during break and lunchtime encourages them to do just that – to sit rather than walk around.

And research suggests that a child sitting is less likely to be bullied or knocked over than a child walking around, simply because bullies tend themselves to be on the move.

It is quite a dramatic thought – that the installation of something as simple as an outdoor bench can change behaviour. Indeed, even if that were the only benefit of outdoor seating it would probably be enough of a reason to install lots of it.

But there is more, for if one asks the question, “What is the first thing that a parent sees when visiting the school for the first time?” the answer is, of course, the outside environment. It makes an impact and helps form an opinion.

So the outside of the school has an impact both on the pupils and students in the school and on the parents who visit.

If what pupils, students and parents see is (for example) smart outdoor seating, as well as suitable play and sports areas, there will be a feeling that this is an environment that caters for all and which considers the fact that some young people, like the rest of us, occasionally like to sit down and read, use a tablet, use their mobile phone, or simply have a chat with friends.

Thus, if we can take a step back and look at the exterior of the school, considering not only they way it currently looks but also how it might look with just a few additions, then we can have potential to make an impact on the behaviour of those who experience that environment.

This is why we produce so many different outdoor seats that are specifically designed for schools – for, if the school is to have a unique outdoor environment with new outdoor furniture, this must not only make an impact, but must also fit in with what is already there.

You can see a wide range of outdoor seating for schools on our website, or if you would like to talk about what might be suitable for your school, please do call 01280 701093.

Michael Barnes