Amazing furniture for amazing spaces at Te Waka Unua School
In 2014 School Principal Janeane Reid purchased some BFX furniture for her school that she absolutely loved. When Woolston Primary and Phillipstown School in Christchurch merged in 2015, Janeane decided she would like to purchase more of the furniture for their brand new spaces, however they struggled to find someone to supply it.
Enter OfficeMax. Already a customer for some time under the guidance of Account Manager Lisa Corkindale, Janeane got a quote on the BFX range from OfficeMax via Croxley.
BFX collaborates with leading Principals and Educators to deliver furniture that is innovative, agile and emphasizes real world pathways*. This furniture works to create flexible and innovative learning environments, designed to encourage learning that works for every student.
Janeane and Deputy Principal Susie Ward had an idea of what they wanted, however having not worked in the new buildings yet, they had some concerns – the first was that with the main space being so big, the kids would run around a lot and be difficult to contain. The plan for the BFX furniture was to set up very specific areas for the students, with some quiet spaces and some more collaborative.
The key pieces of furniture purchased were quite large. The Basepoint 3-tier stadium seating fits a large number of students, but also creates partitions in the big open plan classroom, easing Janeane and Susie’s initial concern; they now have the ability to split the large room into two distinct learning spaces. There is also flexibility to move the seating, so they can create the spaces required, changing the size of the ‘rooms’ to suit the task being completed. The seating has the added benefit of storage space, which is handy when it comes to keeping the area tidy.
Their second concern was whether they were buying enough or too much? With all the fantastic options available they wanted to make sure they were getting the balance right. Now that they have had time to reflect, Susie says
“The end product is spot on, and we’re really happy with the decisions that were made on which pieces to go with.”
Janeane and Susie did consider other options when they initially weren’t able to purchase more BFX furniture, however they weren’t convinced any alternative solutions met their specific requirements: “Because we’d already purchased BFX in the past, we just knew we already liked it and were keen to purchase more.” Three weeks after installation of the furniture the students are loving it, saying things like “it’s really flash”, with some even reporting it “reminds them of the Airport”. The staff are also happy, as it’s flexible and allows them to tailor the classroom to their teaching. For Susie it was a “great process from start to finish, it was seamless, and we were given options so we could really customise to suit our requirements. Everything was delivered on time and on budget, and everyone has been really happy with the outcome.” Susie’s personal favourite is the Cookie Mobile Tote Trolley seating; “I love the tote trolleys, they are really big and they have wheels, so you can move them about easily. They also have lovely cushioning, it’s nice to see students lying on them and doing their reading or writing – every student can find a way to use them.” Susie would definitely recommend OfficeMax and BFX – “It’s great furniture you can’t get anywhere else, and Lisa and Sarah (OfficeMax Furniture Specialist) were great to work with.”
To see more from Te Waka Unua School Principal Janeane Reid view this video
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