5 steps to successful classroom preparation

Discover practical tips for classroom preparation, from organising supplies to setting up displays, to help you start the school year feeling calm and ready.

Sophie Bartlett is back to give guidance to ECTs, classroom movers and school shufflers with her top tips for classroom preparation. Find out why classroom prep can set you up for success, and what’s the best use of your time in the run up to the new school year.

Six weeks off! (Don’t say it too loud, or someone might come and scold you for being lazy). Or really, it seems to be more like five weeks these days.

If you’re lucky, you’re staying in the same classroom.

If you’re slightly less lucky, you’re moving rooms (and maybe even year groups).

And you’ve really given yourself a lot of work if you’re moving schools!

Now, we know, not everyone works over the summer - and nor should you have to. But everyone works differently. You may have been given some time at the end of term to sort your classroom out (time to pull the box of 12-year-old dusty and scratched DVDs from the back of the cupboard whilst you and your TA strip displays and pull goodness-knows-what from behind shelves and underneath storage units) - even if so, it’s never enough time.

As an ECT (or “NQT” when I started!), I was keen to get into my classroom to give it a huge clean and sort-out. I even asked for a tower of rainbow drawers for my August birthday (just imagine my unbridled joy for a moment labelling and sorting stationery into these) just to jazz up my classroom a bit.

Why is classroom preparation important?

Classroom preparation is important, but how much you do really depends on your personal style. At the very least, every classroom should be clean and tidy when children arrive in September (and teachers should be given time at the end or beginning of term to organise this). Beyond that, we all have different ways of personalising our spaces, and that’s part of what makes teaching so individual. It’s a wonderful opportunity to create a warm, welcoming environment that reflects your personality and helps children feel at ease. Ultimately, the goal is to make the classroom a calm, relaxing space where children can focus and thrive.

How do you prepare your classroom?

Firstly, rope in any friends or family that might help - the more people removing staples from walls and blue-tac from underneath tables, the merrier!

Secondly, consider how much of your own time you want to spend in school over the summer - can you have your own key to go in whenever you like or will you only have the choice of set days/times? Will it be open at all? Do you want to coincide it with a colleague (especially if they’re in the same year group) so you can work together?

Thirdly, consider which work needs to be done in the classroom (displays, set-up etc.) and which can be done at home (paperwork, planning, other admin).

Consider these five elements of classroom preparation before you get started - you could even use this as a checklist!

1. Classroom environment and displays

Here are tasks related to the physical look, feel, and layout of the classroom. Also consider whether your school has any policies related to the displays in your room (you may need to have particular working walls, or policies/posters displayed somewhere).

Visual timetable - where/how will you display this?
Self-portraits (a bit like these Julian Opie-style ones) - children love seeing themselves on the wall! If you’ve not done any yet, it could be a great activity at the start of term
School/class rules - where/how will you display this?
Book corner/display - do the books need updating?
Welcome door sign
Wall yearly calendar - these are great in A2 (or even A1, if it will fit!) size - both children and adults love seeing a year overview! And you can add children’s birthdays too!
Coat peg names
Tray names
Table set-up - will you have them in groups? Rows? A horseshoe? (My personal favourite)

17 get to know your class activities

Working with teaching assistants effectively

2. Teacher essentials

No, you shouldn’t have to buy any of your own stationery. But anyone who’s worked in a school for more than a few months will know how rare it is to find a decent pair of adult school scissors, let alone the sacred Staple Gun! These items are things you’ll find (or not) in a school that either a) never work, or b) are always missing. If you do decide to buy your own, label it with the most permanent pen you can find and only lend it to trusted people!

Staple gun (and the correct size staples)
Staple remover (no, you can’t just use a pair of scissors)
Stapler (and the correct size staples) - a long-arm stapler would be even better. Like gold dust!
Pair of adult scissors
Hole punch - if you can find one that goes through more than two pieces of paper at a time, you’re onto a winner
Calculator - especially if you’re working in KS2. You can get some really funky looking ones, just to make the kids smile!
Secret treat box for you - very important. We all need a bit of sugar at the end of the day
Water bottle - I see the five unfinished cups of cold tea on your desk. You’re not hydrated! Get a big water bottle and make your class moan at you if the water hasn’t all gone by the end of the day.
A wireless presentation clicker - the best gadget I ever bought for the classroom. I love walking around the room like a seasoned pro, changing my slides from the back of the classroom. Never fails to impress the kids

3. Cleanliness and hygiene

If you’re new to teaching, expect to be ill pretty much constantly for the first few months. And if not, these items are useful anyway for continued protection!

Tissues - yes, for the children - but also for you to tuck away for the year 6 leavers’ service. Or after that rubbish pupil progress meeting…
Wipes - you’re working with children. Enough said
Hand sanitiser - as above
Air freshener/diffuser - just adds a nice homely touch! Especially in year 6 where the classroom can get a little… odour-y, especially in summer term (check for no allergies in the class!)

4. Paperwork and planning

Consider any documents and plans you need to organise or review.

Class list
Handover data (family info, friendships, data)
IEPs, or any other SEND paperwork
Seating plans - perhaps worth creating this with their previous teacher, who could advise on combinations of children to avoid? Or you might want to give them all a blank slate!
Log-ins/passwords - both for you (laptop? Any websites or online accounts?) and the class
Schemes of work/plans
Timetables - is there a rota for the hall, or field, or laptops/iPads?
Plan for the first week back - are you going to dive straight into lessons, or have more of a ‘soft landing’? Here are some ‘getting to know you’ activity ideas you could use for that first week!

5. Classroom organisation and systems

Think about where things will live and how they’ll be used.

Stationery storage - will each table have a pot or basket, or will this all be stored in a central location? One thing I’ve found really works is assigning children the most high-value pieces of stationery (e.g. glue sticks and whiteboards!) and naming them - as in literally giving them a name! Children don’t care if they lose a glue stick lid, but they do care if they’ve lost “Gerald’s hat” - but don’t forget to label both the “body” and the “hat”!
Clean the desk and classroom (although this should be done by cleaners over summer really…)
Lost property box
Classroom jobs - who will sort out the bookshelf? Or send messages to other teachers? Or tidy the shoe rack? Or refill the fruit bowl? Of course these don’t have to be assigned, but I find children take a role much more seriously if they consider it their own responsibility
Inbox/outbox trays - for permission slips, homework etc
Think about daily routines - how do you want the class to come in after break/lunch? Will they have a lining up order? How will they tidy up after, or set up for, each lesson?

Preparing your classroom for a new school year can feel like a daunting task, but it’s also a great opportunity to set the tone for the months ahead. That said, it’s absolutely not necessary to work over the summer - rest is important, and you shouldn’t feel guilty for taking a proper break. Whether you’re moving schools or just tidying up your existing space, a bit of thought and planning can go a long way. A calm, welcoming classroom is the best start you can give your pupils (and yourself).