Safer
by design

In several of the schools developed by Bristol LEP, bullying had been a problem and was often focused around difficult-to-monitor toilet areas. So the new schools incorporate many features designed to reduce bullying and create a safe environment for students, staff and the community.

Toilets are now unisex, with full height cubicle doors visible from the main school ‘street’ to ensure privacy for users while making the areas easy to control. On each floor, teachers’ rooms with full height glass windows allow maximum visibility for staff on duty.

Bristol Brunel Academy’s Executive Principal David Carter said: “This is one of the most intelligently designed schools I’ve ever worked in.

“There’s a whole range of design features to allow passive supervision of the students by the staff and make sure everyone can move around safely, from the width of the corridors and open plan toilets to the floor-to-ceiling windows.”

The effects of these design features have been dramatic. In a survey of students at Bristol Brunel Academy carried out around six months after the new school opened, the number of students saying they felt safe at school went up 30% to 87%.