This session will explore how educational environments can be both high-performing and inspiring, balancing functionality, creativity, and long-term value. Drawing on Department for Education guidance and RIBA best practice, the discussion will move beyond generic design principles to focus on how they can be adapted to meet the unique needs of individual schools.

The panel will examine:

• How to reconcile standardised design frameworks, such as the DfE’s technical standards and pattern books, with the specific ethos, operational requirements, and community roles of each school.

• Approaches to genuinely inclusive mainstream design that meet the needs of pupils with a broad range of abilities, including those with SEND.

• Strategies for creating personalised learning environments that respond to local context, pedagogy, and culture.

• The merits and limitations of different national approaches, comparing England’s highly standardised model with the more bespoke Welsh system and also Scotland's approach.

The session will feature a panel of architects and education design specialists, interactive audience discussion, and the development of actionable design principles for future projects.