Classroom cacophony shifts to calm with outside lessons

Classrooms can be overwhelming so some schools are taking a different approach which researchers say lowers heart rates and noise levels and improves focus - they've headed outside.

"The noise inside a classroom is really loud. A decibel meter shows it's louder than sitting next to a switched on vacuum cleaner all day," said Gemma Goldenberg, who has spent years studying the impact of learning environments on children's wellbeing and focus.

A former primary school teacher herself, she said classrooms were loud because the structure of the rooms, with the hard surfaces of the walls and tables as well as the ceilings, meant sound bounced off them easily, amplifying noise.

"It feels really intense and can be quite stressful," she said.

Children's colourful artwork hung with pride on the walls can also have an impact.

"Walls covered in colours, patterns, and displays can overwhelm some children."

To test her theory, Ms Goldenberg, created a study with four schools where more than 600 lessons covering maths, phonics and reading held inside and outside were monitored.

Sandringham Primary School in east London, with its high ceilings and echoing corridors typical of its Victorian design, took part.

"It's much, much, quieter out here than when we were inside," said Ms Goldenberg, deputy director at the Institute for the Science of Early Years and Youth at the University of East London.

"It feels a lot less intense as well, because we haven't got that reverberation. The noise levels are just much easier to manage."

The study found noise fell by about three decibels, enough to make a noticeable difference.

Being outside did not just have a positive impact on noise levels, the study found.

Heart rate monitors showed children's stress levels had dropped, with an average of three beats per minute lower compared to indoors.

Reception teacher Sabira Akhtar said the difference was clear.

"Inside, children often tell me 'it's too loud in here'. Outside, they don't have to hold their ears: they can use their voices without being told every two minutes to keep the noise down. That autonomy is amazing," she said.

"Outside there's a lot of space for children to move around and that really helps their attention," she said, adding: "Outside they can regulate themselves and focus better."

Ms Goldenberg agrees, saying researchers observed children were staying with an activity for longer rather than flitting from one to another.

The children who, if they were inside had shown to have challenging behaviour, were calmer outdoors as well, the study found.

But what about the weather?

"Adults often worry about rain, but children aren't bothered," Ms Goldenberg said.

"We collected data across all four seasons. Being outside is healthier – germs spread less outdoors."

The school's headteacher Robert Cleary was impressed with the results.

"We've seen children become intrinsically motivated - learning for themselves rather than just to please a teacher. They have great self-esteem and self-agency," he said.

He has now rolled out outdoor learning for all year groups.

"There's a time and a place for learning inside – and a time and a place for learning outside. We just need to be open that children learn in different ways," he said.

Mr Cleary said they were working with the university to consider how things inside the classroom can impact children.

"We're open to having a policy about what does outdoor learning feel like for reception children and all the way up to year six, when they leave to go off to secondary school."

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