How To Create A Positive Learning Environment

This is your guide from Pentagon Play on how to create an interactive, engaging, and effective learning environment for your pupils.  

Discover how to design and layout your classroom to create a positive and effective learning environment for your pupils with our classroom installation and design service.

What is Positive Learning?

Positive learning is when a teacher creates a positive atmosphere for learning by focusing on three main factors - the physical environment, the social environment and the emotional environment.

Creating a positive learning environment involves establishing a setting where students feel safe, valued, and motivated to learn. This encompasses the physical, the emotional and mental aspects of learning space.  

Physical Space

Physical learning environments are the foundation of a positive learning environment. It includes the tangible aspects of the environment that can affect a student’s ability to focus and feel comfortable. This means considering factors such as lighting, noise levels, air quality, and temperature.

An organised and clutter-free classroom can help minimise distractions and foster an environment where student success levels are higher due to them being more attentive and engaged. Additionally, the classroom design and physical setup should be welcoming and inclusive, allowing all students to feel content and focused.

Mental & Emotional Space

Once a positive classroom environment is established, it can significantly contribute to creating a positive mental & emotional space. An emotional & mental space conducive to learning is characterised by a culture of mutual respect, encouragement, and support.

It’s a space where students are challenged yet know that their efforts are recognised and appreciated. Teachers can foster this by being prepared, responding positively to students’ contributions, and showing belief in their abilities. Doing this will help build positive relationships.

It's vital to support students and help them understand classroom rules and how to behave, helping them feel more comfortable in the classroom. It’s also important to create a sense of progress, helping students recognise their achievements and understand the value of their work.

In essence, a positive learning environment starts with creating a learning environment where the physical space and classroom design, sets the stage for a supportive and empowering emotional space and mental space. All these aspects work together to promote effective learning and personal growth.

Why is a Positive Learning Environment Important?

A good learning environment is pivotal for student success in academic and personal development areas. It encompasses not just the physical space and classroom design, but also the social and emotional contexts in which learning occurs.

Here’s how an effective learning environment impacts pupils and why investing in it is crucial: 

Effectiveness on Pupils

• Academic Performance: Research indicates that a well-designed learning environment help students succeed in their education and development. Factors such as lighting, temperature, and noise levels can significantly affect concentration, cognitive function and the overall student learning experience  
• Emotional Well-Being: A positive environment helps students feel secure and supported. Which is essential for their emotional and mental health. This, in turn, affects their motivation and engagement in learning.  
• Social Skills: An effective learning environment that promotes respect and inclusivity can enhance student’s social interactions and collaboration skills, creating positive relationships and preparing them for future social settings. 
• Personal Growth: An environment that encourages exploration and risk-taking can motivate students to push themselves and develop resilience and adaptability skills, key traits for lifelong learning.  

Importance of Investment

• Long-Term Benefits: Investing in positive learning environments can have long-lasting effects on student’s educational journey and future success.  
• Inclusivity: A well-thought-out classroom environment can cater to diverse learning styles and support students and their needs, ensuring that all students have equal opportunities to succeed.  
• Teacher Effectiveness: Teachers can perform better in environments that are well-equipped and supportive, leading to higher-quality instruction and increasing student motivation.
• Infrastructure Impact: Studies have shown that school infrastructure improvements can lead to better learning outcomes and provide safer, healthier environments for children. 

Therefore, an effective learning environment is a smart investment that pays dividends in the form of better-educated, healthier, and more well-rounded individuals. It’s not just about the immediate impact on learning but also about setting up a foundation for future success. 

Pentagon Play's Early Years Classroom Furniture Range

Pentagon Play’s Early Years Furniture Range has been designed to facilitate the creation of inviting learning spaces and interest zones, by combining learning and storage space, and enabling you to store your resources within learning environments using fantastic multi-functional products. 

Pentagon Play’s Early Years Furniture Range combines, seating, storage, and collaborative furniture packages, to enable teachers to create an effective learning environment suited to the children’s needs.

Our Classroom Furniture Range allows teachers to rearrange their classrooms easily and, in some cases, daily to create new and exciting positive learning environments where student learning is facilitated.

Our range of pre-assembled products allows teachers to easily mix up the classroom design daily, enhancing the learning environment for their pupils.  

Stack and Sit Packages

Pentagon Play’s Stack and Sit Packages are a huge success due to them being: 

• Accessible for children of all ages 
• Flexible and versatile classroom seating 
• Interactive and allowing children to interact with each other 
• Multi-functional seating and storage products 

The look and feel of our Stack and Sit Packages have been a huge hit with schools across the country and have been a valued addition to Early Years furniture within classrooms. 

Made from natural-looking, lightweight wood, children and adults can move the Stools and Benches around the classroom with ease, allowing flexible teaching options during lesson times to meet the needs of your lessons and children. 

Each Stool and Bench comes with a wipe-clean Sage Green or Grey removal cushion, making sitting on them comfy but also allowing children to remove the cushion and place it on the floor to kneel or sit on as they play and learn.

A bonus feature on all the Stool and Bench lids are games that the children can play with from small roadways and farmland activities to circular and square sorting activities.  

The versatility of each Stack and Sit Package enables teachers to change their classroom design daily, creating a space that is suited to the teaching needs of the children and if needed, more components of this range can be added to allow more seating and storage space as everything easily stacks together.  

If you need more room in your classroom to create an open plan effect, our Stack and Sit Packages help by simply lifting the lightweight Stools and Benches with ease and stacking them on top of each other safely to one side of the room. 

Plus, the wonderful clear windows at the front make it easy for all to see what has been stored within each Stool and Bench. Making resources easily accessible for future use, encouraging children to self-select and to be independent.  

Pentagon Play has designed a range of Stack and Sit Packages to suit your classroom furniture needs:

• Stack and Sit Package 1 (fully assembled):  

The Stack and Sit Package 1 features four Stack and Sit Stools that can be stacked together for easy storage and to free up valuable floor space. Each Stool has a removal cushion and a different game on top of the lids. With clear windows in each Stool, children can self-select what to play with.

If you need higher seating just stack two lids on top of a stool to create a taller seat for adults or taller children. Whether being used as a seat, storage, or both, this space-saving Package is a welcome addition to any classroom furniture.  

• Stack and Sit Package 2 (fully assembled):  

The Stack and Sit Package 2 features two Stack and Sit Benches that can be stacked together to help with storage and save space in a classroom. With PETG clear windows on the front of each bench, children can peer inside and self-select what they want to use.

Each bench is big enough for two children to sit on which encourages communication and language development. Like the Stools, each Bench has a wipe-clean and removable cushion that can be placed on the floor for the children to kneel on.

Once the cushions have been removed the Bench lids reveal a unique game for the children to play with.

If the Benches need to be higher like the Stools just stack the lids on top of each other. This versatile Package is a great added resource to any classroom and helps with maintaining a positive learning environment.  

• Stack and Sit Package 3 (fully assembled):  

The Stack and Sit Package 3 features two Stack and Sit Benches and four Stack and Sit Stools, where children can sit individually or in pairs, allowing space for group work or independent learning. This Package has all the same features as the Stools and Benches above.

Yet having both Stools and Benches gives teachers different-sized storage spaces, giving them more options for storing their resources and providing a great Early Years furniture storage solution.  

Pentagon Play's Classroom Installation Service

Pentagon Play’s Early Years Furniture Bundles are designed to enhance classroom learning by designing break-out learning zones for group work, independent learning, or quiet time within the classroom.

Pentagon Play’s experts will work alongside you to create new classroom designs and different zones where children can play, learn, and explore – whilst including much-needed storage for classroom provisions. Our team of experts will create a positive learning environment that will improve mental health and suit your space, no matter how big or small. 

There are two online Breakout Space Packages that we offer. However, they can be completely tailored to a school's needs from scratch. 

Breakout Space Package 1 in Wooden Effect

What’s included in the Breakout Space Package 1: 

• 3 x Stack and Store Double Doors Storage Unit 
• 3 x Stack and Store Open Storage Unit 
• 4 x Stack and Sit Stools 
• 2 x Stack and Sit Benches 
• 1 x Art Easel 
• 1 x Chalkboard Easel 
• 1 x Whiteboard Easel  

This is a great Package with 6 x low-level Storage Units that can be pushed together to create walls, create room for class discussions and making learning zones. They also allow resources to be either on display for children to self-select or tidied away to create a clutter-free effective learning environment.  

The Package also includes enough seating for group work and individual play, with the Stack and Sit Stools and Benches. This also provides additional storage facilities as they can be stacked on top of each other and placed to the side!

The Stack and Sit Stools can also be pushed together to provide a tabletop for children to work together at . Just place the chalk or whiteboard from the Easel on the top to form a workable tabletop! The Easel can be used in isolation with the remaining board. It can also be raised by stacking it on top of the Stools and can be used for interactive activities for the children to enjoy! 

This versatile Package can be installed into any classroom in any configuration you want creating a positive learning environment.

All you have to do is speak to one of our expert team members, who will design it to your needs. Helping revolutionise your way of leading small group activities within your classroom community. 

Breakout Space Package 2 in Wooden Effect

What’s included in the Package: 

• 3 x Stack and Store Double Doors Storage Unit 
• 2 x Stack and Store Open Storage Unit 
• 3 x Stack and Store Doors Storage Unit  
• 3x Stack and Store Back Panel (different sizes) 
• 4 x Stack and Sit Stools 
• 2 x Stack and Sit Benches 
• 1 x Art Easel 
• 1 x Chalkboard Easel 
• 1 x Whiteboard Easel  

The fantastic Breakout Space Package 2 is larger than Package 1 and helps tackle storage issues within a classroom as well as offering a great breakout space for the children to enjoy.

How Our Breakout Space Packages Create a Positive Environment

Your classroom design can be revamped by using the Storage Units and arranging them as you like using the 11 low-level Storage Units provided. These Units are mixed, (some with doors, some without) so that children can self-select easily whilst other resources can be tidied away. Thus, creating an effective learning environment. 

The seating remains the same offering where 8 children to be seated within the breakout zone. With easily removable cushions for them to kneel on and enjoy the unique games found on each of the Stool and Bench lids.

The clear windows allow the children to self-select what games and items they want to use and play with. If space is needed the Stools and Benches can easily be stacked and placed to one side to offer more room within the breakout zone, therefore creating an effective and positive learning environment.  

The Art Easel is a wonderful addition to any Early Year’s furniture. It is on wheels so that it can be moved around the breakout space with ease. Allowing the teacher to use it to hold class discussions, write down classroom rules, teach to a small group or remove it and stack it on top of the Stack and Sit Stools to make an interactive tabletop for the children to use.

The Easel comes with plenty of storage behind the mark-making panel, a removable paper roll, and can be stacked on top of the Stack and Sits to make it higher.  

Use Pentagon Play To Help You Create Positive Learning Environments

To help with your classroom design and to create your very own unique breakout zone contact one of our team of experts who will help you create the perfect breakout space using one of the above versatile Packages.  

For more information on Pentagon Play’s Classroom Furniture, how to create a positive school environment or how to keep kids motivated for learning, contact us where one of our expert advisers will be happy to help!