Temporary Classrooms

Temporary classrooms are used by schools and other educational institutes to provide temporary teaching space. This can be due to an expansion in the number of pupils or students using up all of the current space, or because part of a building is being renovated. Over filling current space can lead to a poor working environment as students can struggle to learn in a cramped environment. If you are running a school or other institution, it can be difficult to decide exactly when to commit to an annex and when to opt for a temporary classroom. If pupil numbers fall back, you may end up paying for space you don’t need. A temporary classroom can provide the ideal solution to this problem.

It is important to distinguish between a temporary classroom and other forms of portable/modular building. A temporary classroom can be built to bespoke requirement, depending on what level of education is being taught and also which subject (s). Secondary teaching of science or food technology may require specialist equipment to be installed. A wet area may be needed and so sinks and toilets can also be part of the build specification. Storage areas and cloakrooms can also be provided to reflect the facilities that you would expect to find in a bricks and mortar classroom.

A temporary classroom can either be bought by an institution or hired. If it is bought from new then the school is more likely to have the opportunity to add to the specification it needs. Whether to buy or hire a temporary classroom depends on how long the institution thinks it will need the building for. Often a school will get a high intake of pupils for one particular year if there has been a baby boom, with the numbers predicted to drop down in subsequent years. If this is the case it may be that the temporary classroom is only required for one year and so purchasing one may not make financial sense. In this instance hiring one for the duration of the academic year may be the most suitable option. If however, there are long term renovations required, particularly to older or more historic buildings, then buying a temporary classroom may make more sense.

Over crowding of classrooms restricts learning capacity and can fuel instances of bad behaviour, particularly in primary schools. This is why primary schools are more likely to acquire temporary classrooms. With schools under constant pressure to produce results and acquire praise from OFSTED, a cramped working environment is something they can avoid by opting for a temporary classroom. Not only do they provide flexibility and can be built in a short space of time, they can reduce the need for large capital expenditure on property. With schools budgets being cut from local authorities, it may make more sense to put on hold building expansion plans in the short-term and instead opt for a temporary solution.