It can be nerve-wracking for parents finding out which primary schools children have been accepted in to. Getting the uniform, taking the obligatory first day of school photo, and waving goodbye at the gate, are all moments that will be on parent’s minds at this time. What they won’t be thinking about, is whether the signage in their child’s new school is any good.
However, good primary school signage has several benefits and can make a big difference to how welcoming and educational a primary school can be. These benefits can affect both pupils and staff for the better. Navigating the corridors of even a small school can be challenging, and as children enter this intense learning phase, signage plays an underestimated, but crucial role in creating a safe, nurturing, and educational environment.
In this blog we’ll explain how primary school signage works and then go into detail on the benefits of good primary school signage.
What makes for great primary school signage?
Signage can be categorised in three ways; identification, directional, and warning. Each category are crucial parts of a wayfinding strategy and must be adapted to different environments and audiences.
In primary schools the audience is a small number of adults, but mostly children ages 4 to 11, who are all at different stages of cognitive development. The environment aims to foster a sense of belonging, security, and inspiration. A thoughtful signage strategy combines all these elements and creates primary school signs that have a big impact.
Good primary school signage can:
- Develop A Sense Of Direction,
- Encourage Independence,
- Teach About Safety,
- Make Inclusivity Normal,
- Echo School Values,
- Create A Unique Educational Space.
Develops A Sense Of Direction
Clarity is important for learning and a well-designed school sign system should help pupils navigate around a school without confusion and mixed messages. To be effective, wayfinding means eliminating unnecessary an excessive information, showing only what is needed. By keeping primary school signage simple, children are in a better position to learn and remember navigational cues.
Encourages Independence
With clear, concise, and attractive designs, primary school signs can make the students feel more comfortable in their environment. Fostering an atmosphere where students feel like they can confidently move between classrooms and facilities without constant adult supervision, develops their independence and assertiveness.
Teaches About Safety
Warning and safety signs should always be included in a signage strategy for primary schools, even if the pupils are very young. In times of emergencies or practice emergency drills, health and safety signs are there for adults, whether they are staff or visitors, and children. It is crucial that everyone, no matter how young, have safety signage in their environments so they can become accustomed to their purpose and recognise them easily.
Makes Inclusivity Normal
The meaningful integration of inclusivity in the fabric of a school’s walls reflects the ethos the institution holds. Inclusive signage are signs that incorporates features like braille, tactile surfaces, pictograms, other languages, and specialised signs like our patented Talky signs. When a school incorporates inclusive signage, it communicates their overall commitment to inclusivity and makes it the norm for the students to experience.
Echoes School Values
As we mentioned above, school signage gives an institution the opportunity to express their values and commitment to inclusivity, but it’s not just inclusivity that signage can help communicate. Primary school signage is an opportunity to reinforce the school’s values and brand identity. Through thoughtfully designed signs that include school colours, mascots, and mottos, a sense of belonging and community is cultivated, and pupils of all ages are exposed to the shared principles and aspirations.
Creates A Unique Educational Space
At this vital learning point in children’s lives, signage can be used to enhance the learning environment. With endless design possibilities, vinyl graphic signs can be used to turn corridors, playgrounds, classrooms, and even bathrooms into interactive learning tools. Well designed signage for a primary school is not only an important learning tool but also frees up time for teachers, removing the need for updating the same displays each year and spending their own time making wall displays.
Whether you are reading this as a building contractor, architect, primary school administrator, or parent, you can see the benefits that a well-designed, thoughtful, and education focused signage strategy has in a primary school environment.
Learn more about primary school signage in our signs for schools section.
