• How is space allocated? Who has space

All staff have a space whether that be a classroom or a desk to themselves or a room to do work in. It depends on the job of course and how much space they will need but each member of staff in the school has their own space to do work. Outdoors space is vast with the school owning a lot of property within Moulsford and land in Moulsford itself. The land is mainly used for activities/games/outdoor learning, as is the river.

• What is displayed on the walls?

There are lots of coulourful bright displays like the one oppostite, whether it be of the childrens work, pointers to help the children remember facts or about growth mindset which the school (and I) think is really important. As well as this, there are lots of things about British culture, as this is not a very diverse school due to the catchment area, it considerably helps to teach the children when the staff can display posters and boards expressing British culture in modern life. Many teachers choose to have a small display of posters or pictures about them so that the pupils know them a bit better. For example which football teams they support, photos of goals they are proud to have acheived, their favourite theatre production or a book they enjoyed as a child. Furthermore, in the dining room there is a huge display of every single school photo ever taken since the 60’s along with the house trophies which I think is really nice because it means a lot to the children as many of their own fathers may have gone to Moulsford and it shows just how long the school has been around for. Additionally, as you walk into the schools entrace there is a huge (and I mean huge) cabinet of awards that the school have won through sports, academics and music. This shows just how proud of its pupils Moulsford is.

• Bulletin boards with positive messages, general information, promotional contests, expired information

Bulliten boards and messages for the teachers are just outside the staff room as this is where everyone congrigates at break and lunch times. Inside the staff room there is a huge whiteboard where the teachers write on a calendar of events over the coming weeks and can add to it as things crop up and trips/matches get booked. After looking, there is no expired information on the boards. If something has happened it is either wiped off or taken down, the school are really good with this.

• What is displayed on desks? Lockers, other areas

Desks in the classrooms vary from room to room. For example some classrooms have ordinary tables and chairs, in music the are chairs with a small flat peice of wood that comes up for the boys to put work on, in Year 3 they are “old fashioned” desks where the lid lifts up for the boys to store their work and in design technology there are some stools (like in the art classroom) and their desks which have equiptment built in to help the boys in lessons. When it come to games, the boys store their things in the home changing rooms in lockers. If there are lots of games or like when it comes to cricket season there is a lot to carry around and store, the school may also suggest use of the away changing rooms if there is not a match on. Moreover, in the dining hall, there are tables and long stools going along the width of the hall for easier access for teachers to be at the head of the table when it comes to family service.

• How are common areas used

The staff use the staff room on a daily basis, it is very rare that a member of staff wouldn’t go to the staff room at least once in a day. Another common area is the lunch hall which, again all members of staff will use in a day, especially the boarding staff and boys who will have breakfast, lunch and dinner there. The outside areas (astro turf, fields, river etc) are used daily for playing at break and lunch and then in the afternoons for games, p.e. and then junior/senior after school activities. The boarding boys and staff often use the outdside area as well after school. The boarding area has two seperate common areas on with a tv and sofa and another area with a small kichen and table games, which they are welcome to use at any point after 5.30 when boarding begins.

• What is the norm for communications?

Communications are usually done via email or via conversation in the staff room. As everyone congrigates there, it is really easy for staff to discuss any concerns or to praise a pupil to one of two members of staff, however if there are lots of members of staff needing to be told something this would be done via email or staff meeting. There are regular staff meetings where information may be shared where the headmaster will attend and there will also be an admisitrative staff member taking notes. Communitcation for the boys is generally done in assembly 3 times a week or during registration where it is vital the boys know where they are to go at the end of the day (games, bus, prep or home etc). Furthermore, at the end of each assembly there is time given to all members of staff who need it to just quickly say anything they need to to a whole year group, house or school.

• Conversation vs. email – tone of messages

Everything in email is done very professionally. Everyone is polite, however some of the members of staff are married or related and therefore I would imagine that it would become a more realxed tone. Everyone at Moulsford is really friendly and conversation is really informal unless discussing a pupil. Although, I am saying everyone is friendly and relaxed, nobody ever crosses the line when disucssing pupils or situations within the school, everything remains really respectful. Aditionally, I would however say the staff are a lot more relaxed and informal than you might find in other state schools, but this is just because of that family feel, friendly tone the whole of the school gives off and I think it is really nice to be somewhere that feels so warm and welcoming. All staff members converse throughout the day in the staff room at breaks and lunches so it is very easy to communicate with members of staff throughout the day. Every member of staff also has their own email as well, most of which are hooked up to their phones so if they get an email from a parent they can answer straight away.