There’s no magic bullet in a seating plan and no such thing as a perfect arrangement – but it is all too easy to get it wrong. Clinical psychologist Dr Asha Patel, CEO of Innovating Minds, offers some advice to schools…
Seating plans for a classroom are even more complicated than organising who sits where at a wedding reception. Like so much else in education you need to define your objectives. It is not just about making sure sworn enemies are not seated side by side. Instead, you have to think about the individual needs – is the child with ADHD better sitting right in front of you where you can keep an eye on them, or by a wall where they only have a child on one side of them?
Is it best to have a child who experiences sensory overload in a quiet area on a separate single table or put them with a small sympathetic group who may be able to provide support? Seating plans should not just be about dealing with incipient discipline problems but about making sure every pupil is going to get the best out of the lesson.
To get some help with seating plans visit MINTclass- don’t forget to check out how they can help.