Why good classroom design will improve my education by Imogen Young

When we were asked to create our own 'That's amazing project' it wasn't completely clear to me what I wanted to focus on. I thought about the places that I find inspiring - castles and palaces - and what I like to do - drawing floor plans and creating buildings on Minecraft. The same word kept coming up in my head - architecture. So, I chose school architecture as my theme because the space I spent seven years of my life at, my school, really needed a fresh lick of paint.

I researched a range of schools and found that some had adaptable furniture and clever storage with lots of colours. These were very much unlike the dark and crowded school I was used to where, as pupils grow and get bigger, the classroom with the need for the largest chairs and tables was the smallest, making it even more cramped. I found that magnolia walls and four legged chairs with rectangular tables aren't the only options for classrooms - alternative colours such as green or blue and textures such as cladding work just as well. By the end of the project I had created a design portfolio for my school with the design features that I believe would improve education.

So I think we should get rid of rectangular tables with sharp edges from classrooms and instead create spaces that use colour, light and adaptable furniture that inspire me to use my imagination. Schools are trying to copy the world of work with tables and chairs and working through lots of textbooks. But my 'That's amazing project' taught me that it doesn't have to be like this because everybody deserves a smarter space to learn in.

My conclusion is that education isn't just about what you learn; it's also about where and how you learn. Are you going to get full marks in a dark cluttered classroom or one with you have an interactive learning environment with stimulating colours and lots of light? You would probably agree with me that the second option is best.

Imogen Young is 11 and a former pupil at St Margaret's at Troy Town Primary School, Rochester.