According to a 2018 study by the University of Salford in Manchester, carefully considered classroom environments can improve students’ academic progress by up to 16%. Researchers and educators alike have increasingly emphasized how well-planned physical spaces can spark curiosity, nurture creativity, and enhance engagement. In other words, a school’s architecture and interior layout aren’t merely aesthetic choices; they can and should be powerful catalysts for better educational outcomes. The Australian International School (AIS Saigon) recently took this global insight to heart, embarking on an ambitious renovation project to ensure its facilities serve as an active partner in the learning process.

The Environment as the “Third Teacher”

“The environment is the third teacher,” says Meryl Fossey, AIS’s new Deputy Kindergarten Principal, echoing the Reggio Emilia philosophy that shapes the design of AIS’s Early Learning School. In this approach, the first teacher is the student, the second is the classroom teacher, and the environment itself is the third. Central to Reggio Emilia is the idea that young children learn through the relationships they form – with peers, with adults, and with the world around them. As we stood in the brand-new piazza at AIS’s Thủ Thiêm campus, Fossey explained how every furnishing, color, and texture is carefully selected to foster respect, responsibility, and community through exploration, discovery, and play.

In Reggio Emilia-inspired settings, aesthetics and organization are not trivial; they’re integral to the learning process. Classrooms are inspiring, spacious, uncluttered, with no assigned seats, and can be rearranged easily to support small-group discussions, STEAM activities, and teacher-guided lessons. Keeping materials clearly visible and accessible empowers children in their learning paths, enabling them to grow with confidence.

As we walked through a warm and inviting classroom, Fossey pointed out details that support AIS’s emphasis on a premium, child-centered education. For instance, illuminated tables displayed student projects from a unit exploring how we express feelings. This particular classroom took its inspiration from the artwork of Matisse. “We should always have consistently high expectations of even our youngest learners,” Fossey said, highlighting how kindergarteners at AIS are introduced to the colorful work of the 19th-century French painter early on.

“We give students ceilings, not floors,” added Bridie Anderson, Deputy Primary Principal for AIS. Indeed, she and Fossey share the view that students at AIS thrive because the facilities, teachers, curriculum, and community come together to build solid foundations early on for high-level achievement in school and the world beyond.

More than a Pretty Campus

These new kindergarten upgrades are just one aspect of AIS’s comprehensive renovations. Over the summer, the school invested 10 million euros to completely revamp all the primary and kindergarten classrooms across its three campuses, while also establishing a new multi-purpose room, theatre, dance studio, science labs, sports field, and playground equipment. Secondary school classrooms are currently undergoing technology upgrades and other refinements, ensuring consistent improvements across all grade levels. The school also added new staff in classroom and leadership roles, further enhancing the specialized attention available for students.

One of the first things visitors might notice at AIS’s renovated spaces is the gentle color palette. Avoiding highly saturated, primary colors, the interiors favor soft hues that create a calm atmosphere. This way, the child’s own creative “traces of learning” — their artworks, projects, and displays — take center stage, rather than being overshadowed by bright wall paint. Equally important is the use of varied textures, which provide a welcoming, sensory environment that encourages children to explore materials, ask questions, and feel more connected to their surroundings. AIS’s Kindergarten is designed to operate semi-independently from the main school buildings, featuring its own piazza, multifunctional hall, administrative area, and play space.

Jon Standen, the school’s Executive Principal, stressed that AIS’s approach is rooted in one simple question: “How do we give the students we have the best education possible?” Standen, alongside many on AIS’s leadership team, has extensive experience at top institutions worldwide and leveraged that expertise to identify and implement the most impactful enhancements.

From the state-of-the-art turf field imported from New Zealand to the soothing colors chosen for kindergarten walls, each improvement was introduced with this very specific objective: how to provide the best educational experience possible

Being part of Inspired Education Group – a global network of 119 premium international schools across more than 20 countries – gave AIS both the financial muscle and the design guidance to shape these upgrades in line with the highest international standards. Inspired’s global design practices, which AIS follows, underscore that educational environments should be rich, well-organized, socio-constructivist spaces that evolve alongside the developmental stages of childhood and prepare students with the best academic foundations.

Designing What’s Right for AIS’ Students

“It’s so important that we’re always thinking about how we’re meeting the needs of the children we have, and that we meet our children at their level,” Anderson said as we passed through flexible breakout spaces located between the primary school classrooms. These cozy areas, perfect for small group work and self-study, were designed collaboratively by each grade level’s teachers. They’re also easily modifiable to suit new class dynamics year after year. “The teachers are the ones using these spaces every day,” Anderson continued, “so it was crucial for them to be involved in the design conversations.”

This personalized approach extends to curriculum and activities as well. Fossey explained how students learn in different ways and thrive when their strengths are recognized and cultivated. Whether through art, performance, technology, or writing, children can become passionate about inquiry-based learning when they’re free to explore it in ways that resonate with them.

Moving away from a traditional, top-down model of teaching means students take an active role in their own education. Particularly for younger learners, this often looks like playing. “We are a research-based environment so that children are researching their learning through play,” Fossey clarified. “Learning through play can be seen as just playing, but they’re really doing so much more than that.”

Families Invited to ‘Live the Learning’

To help parents appreciate these modern approaches — from play-based early education to more advanced curricula in upper grades — AIS has introduced Parents Academy. This series of workshops, onboarding programs, guest speaker events, and opportunities for parents to participate in lessons allows families to “live the learning,” as Anderson puts it. By experiencing a phonics class as if they were the students, for example, parents can understand firsthand why AIS approaches literacy (and other subjects) in particular ways.

Parents Academy is just one way the school hopes to connect families to their children’s education. The renovated spaces themselves invite parents in as well. For example, the kindergarten piazza on the Thủ Thiêm campus is open for parents at drop-off and pick-up, allowing them to speak with teachers or connect with other parents while also admiring the student artwork that fills the walls. For children, seeing their work displayed so prominently fosters pride and confidence, reinforcing the idea that they’re at the center of their own learning process.

Another invitation to parents is the upcoming Open Day on March 15. Families are welcome to tour the new facilities, meet the community, and see all the behind-the-scenes thought and care that fuel the school’s warm, purposeful design. As Fossey noted, “This is the sixth international school I've worked at in my career and I can easily say this is the friendliest community in terms of the staff and the children. It's just a genuinely nice place.”

By combining global best practices with a child-centric philosophy and investing in spaces that truly support inquisitive young minds, AIS shows that every inch of a classroom can be a dynamic tool for learning. For anyone wondering if school design can make a difference, a visit to Australian International School seems to offer a resounding — and beautifully renovated — yes.