by Nelo Neves, Ledvance Managing Director, UK and Ireland.

Lighting is integral to creating a comfortable and energising space for learning. Installations in education facilities should not just encourage an activating environment, but reduce energy and maintenance costs at the same time. At LEDVANCE, we are always looking ahead to design a product portfolio that lends itself to both the current and future needs of educational establishments.
The most recent regulation to impact on lighting in education is the amendment to the RoHS directive. This amendment launched a ban on bringing to market T5 and T8 fluorescent lamps and compact fluorescent lamps with plug-in bases (CFLni). When considering alternative lighting options, this change marks the perfect opportunity for schools to ‘make the switch’ to LED lighting and automated systems. LEDVANCE offers a range of LED retrofit and conversion options to support this change and ensure facilities managers are keeping in line with the regulations. However, there’s a number of additional benefits that educational spaces can secure with an LED upgrade.

Human centric lighting HCL
When considering the benefits of automated lighting systems to their spaces, facilities managers will generally note convenience and cost benefits. However, these systems can have an additional positive impact on wellbeing and productivity, as automated systems provide the valuable opportunity to adapt lighting to the circadian rhythms of students and staff.
The circadian rhythm is our 24-hour body clock that governs natural cycles of activity and rest by managing hormone levels. Humans are known to be heavily influenced by variations in natural light throughout the course of the day. A human oriented lighting concept uses smart controllable LED lighting systems to simulate the characteristics of natural daylight, combining the visual and non-visual biological effects of light through changing colour temperatures and illuminance levels.

Artificial light that synchronises with our circadian rhythms is proven to make us happier, healthier and more productive. It has been scientifically proven that spaces which use human centric lighting systems increase student wellbeing, concentration and performance during the day, improve the quality of sleep at night, and helps reduce sickness. Therefore, an automated lighting system with HCL programming will not only illuminate a school facility, but support the wellbeing of everyone within it, including students and staff.

The education sector is particularly well suited for the use of HCL because lessons in most educational institutions start at similar times in the morning. The room layout, the incidence of light, the arrangement of the furniture and the students’ and teachers’ lines of vision are usually also very similar – which makes conditions virtually ideal for a wide-ranging use of HCL.

Light management systems
To take full advantage of HCL lighting, facilities managers need to install IoT-controlled systems that adapt to students’ circadian rhythms. Whether controlled using Bluetooth, Zigbee or an app solution, IoT lighting solutions are a welcome alternative to touching shared surfaces after the pandemic, as well as a reliable means of reducing costs and saving energy in an education facility.
LEDVANCE’s own IoT system, VIVARES, makes adapting an existing school building to automated lighting very simple. Commissioning is done through the VIVARES portal with the support of QR codes. The system is configured and commissioned on site after installation of the components, using the VIVARES DALI commissioning app. The self-explanatory user guide makes commissioning extremely quick and easy – thanks to predefined rooms and situations via drag and drop. The system is ideal for modernising existing buildings where rewiring is often not an option, for example when a building is listed or has no suspended ceilings. LEDVANCE offers the necessary components and a well-assorted selection of compatible LED luminaires which allow the system to provide energy-saving lighting in existing buildings, ranging from small lighting projects to complete floor solutions. One such product is the Panel Comfort 600 with UGR<19. Besides offering CRI90 and up to 122 lm/W. This is a high-performance panel that offers impressive versatility due to its selectable CCT and power steps on its driver. Even after commissioning, expanding a LEDVANCE luminaires system with additional components is a simple task. Monitoring the health of the system is just as easy thanks to cloud services.

Conclusion
Just as schools must equip their students for the challenges of the future, facilities managers must adopt lighting solutions that are ready to embrace the latest innovations. When it comes to the lighting for education, let LEDVANCE teach you a thing or two!

www.ledvance.co.uk

After sixty years, residents in Oxford were delighted to welcome a brand-new school to ease some of the strain on the town’s educational resources.

The Swan School is a new Secondary School and Sixth Form in the northern suburb of Marston, which will provide education for 1,260 students of 11-19 years of age.

The main school building is designed over three floors, with a central atrium where students eat their meals, gather socially, and for group study as part of the wrap-around care. The scheme encompasses 62 classrooms, an assembly hall, drama and dance studios, office space, and an inclusion suite.

Architects utilised a clear colour scheme inside the building to help pupils feel welcome and find their way around the building. The modern concrete ceilings provided a challenge for designers as they are known to reflect rather than absorb sound.

Recent studies have shown that many classrooms have poor acoustics because of material selection. As a result, children cannot make out what is being communicated in class, and teachers suffer from voice strain.

 

The Zumtobel Group lighting brands Thorn and Zumtobel worked with LJJ Mechanical & Electrical Contractors to create a suitable lighting solution to address these important issues.

Thorn’s acoustic Arena Symphony LED raft luminaires have been integrated into the classroom’s concrete ceilings, helping to avoid all acoustic related issues, and creating an optimum learning environment.

Thorn’s innovative Arena Symphony luminaire was the ideal solution. Its sound-absorbing features minimise sound reverberation in classrooms, and it is fully compliant with BB93.

The linear raft luminaire offers a choice of infills; the system’s length has been specially adapted to match each classroom’s layout.

In addition, to the Arena Symphony luminaires, the brands delivered a complete educational lighting solution with Zumtobel’s ONDARIA wide area circular luminaires and MIREL recessed and surface luminaires in the circulation areas and classrooms and CRAFT high bay luminaires in the sports hall.

The scheme didn’t just incorporate the internal illumination. Outdoor learning featured heavily in the plans as it can have powerful benefits for welfare and academic performance. The scheme ensured that pupils could quickly move between the indoors and the outdoors.

Thorn’s R2L2 road lanterns and Orus low level mounting luminaires illuminate the car parks, and Urba Deco provides decorative pathway lighting.

The result is a lighting scheme, which met the specification, budget and has delivered an exceptional lit effect with high colour rendition to inspire tomorrow’s learners.

www.thornlighting.co.uk

Zumtobel website

A school in Falkirk relies on a substantial 6.2 metres high moveable wall to divide the main hall into two separate areas at different times of the day. Unfortunately, recent damage to the roller housing had caused one of the panels to become stuck, disrupting the day-to-day implementation of the school timetable.

A call to the Scottish service team at nationwide partitioning experts, Style, quickly had moveable wall technicians on site who were able to safely lower the panel, remove and repair the damaged part before reconstructing the wall at minimal cost.

Style’s fully employed team of specialist engineers is highly trained and able to offer service and repair of almost any moveable wall system.

“At over 6 metres high, this was a very sizeable moveable wall which is why it was so important to have trained and accredited moveable wall technicians carrying out the repair,” said Angela McGowan, sales and service manager at Style Scotland.

“Our in-house team of engineers has comprehensive health and safety training, including CSCS, PASMA, asbestos awareness, manual handling and risk assessments.”

The Style team at the Falkirk school first used a chain hoist to carefully drop the stuck panel to the ground.

They then opened-up the access to the roller housing, removed the damaged part and sent it to a metal specialist to be straightened, saving money by not having to order new parts or, worse still, replace a whole section of the moveable wall.

The panel was then reconstructed, the roller changed, and the panel reinstated to the track, enabling the moveable wall to operate smoothly once again.

“Our technicians will always carry out a thorough assessment when determining the best approach to repairing a damaged moveable wall. On this occasion, it was decided that the bent part could be repaired rather than replaced saving the school money.”

Style is the UK’s leading moveable, partitioning and folding wall specialist offering a complete solution from new installations through to service, upgrades and repair.

 

TO FIND OUT MORE

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE STYLE PARTITIONS WEBSITE

OR CLICK HERE TO EMAIL STYLE PARTITIONS

OR TELEPHONE STYLE ON 01202 874044

 

 

 

Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading fitout specialists, has provided bespoke furniture and fitout services for a new £14m primary school in West Lothian.

The new Calderwood Primary was built by Morrison Construction Building Central and delivered by hub South East for West Lothian Council. It provides non-denominational primary education for up to 462 pupils and 128 nursery places – and was handed over ahead of the revised programme despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Deanestor manufactured and installed around 1,250 items of bespoke fitted furniture for this project, including learning walls, storage cabinets, adjustable shelving units, tilting craft tables, shoebox storage, and worktops.

Around 3,000 items of loose seating, furniture and equipment were also procured and fitted by Deanestor for this project – from sports equipment and dining benches to lockers, white goods, pinboards, soft seating, banquettes, and bespoke wooden huts to provide seating and storage in different areas around the school.

 

Greig Jamieson, Commercial Director at Hub South East Scotland, said, “Deanestor contributed greatly to the fantastic project that is Calderwood Primary School which was handed over early to West Lothian Council. This was a particularly impressive feat given the challenging market conditions.”

“Feedback has been incredibly positive, and it is encouraging to see how excited pupils and staff are to begin their learning journey in their new school. We look forward to building on this success with Deanestor on further projects including the new Winchburgh Schools.”

Leader of West Lothian Council, Lawrence Fitzpatrick said, “The stunning new Calderwood Primary is a flagship addition to our school estate, which is already one of the best in the country. It has been designed and built with the learning experience at its heart and will help to create a focus for the new Calderwood community. There have been many challenges to deliver such a fine school against the backdrop of a global pandemic, so huge thanks to the project team and all the other contractors for their efforts to complete it on budget and ahead of the revised schedule.”

Designed by JM Architects, the new school features semi-open plan classroom accommodation with adjacent break-out zones and a series of flexible, interchangeable spaces. This educational environment is designed to encourage collaborative learning and to allow pupils of all ages to interact and learn from each other.

A maple finish was specified for most of the fixed furniture which contrasts with a mixed palette of colours for the loose furniture. Some of the linear storage was finished in white or with lilac coloured fronts in the staff rooms.

The fitout contract at Calderwood Primary follows Deanestor’s successful delivery of a £1m project for Morrison Construction for the manufacture and installation of fixed furniture for Barony Campus in East Ayrshire – a £68m, 2,500-pupil school. Deanestor has since been awarded the £1.8m furniture and fitout contract for a new £60m multi-school campus in West Lothian – its 12th contract for Morrison.

Deanestor manufactures and installs bespoke, robust, and flexible loose and fixed furniture solutions for early years, primary, SEN, and secondary education, fitting out areas such as classrooms, science laboratories, ICT, design and technology, atria, social dining spaces, break-out areas, sports facilities and changing rooms. Its experienced designers and project managers work with architects, contractors and directly with schools and local authorities, advising on specification of furniture and equipment to help deliver inspirational learning environments.

 

www.deanestor.co.uk

Sloping ceilings at a Plymouth primary school feature Zentia products.

A new school for a new community in Plymouth has relied on ceiling solutions by leading UK manufacturer Zentia for delivering both form and function.
Some 1,200m2 of Zentia’s Perla OP 0.95 Tegular 600mm x 600mm tiles, which were the first mineral tile in the world to win Cradle to Cradle status, feature in the classrooms, offices, stores and communal areas at state-of-the-art Morley Meadows primary school.

Part of Persimmon Homes’ Saltram Meadows development in Plymstock, the £5.8 million primary school also features Zentia’s 100% humidity resistant Hydroboard 600mm x 600mm tiles with Prelude 24 non-corrosive grid in the kitchen, showers, toilets and changing areas.

Designed by Stride Treglown architects, and delivered by main contractor Halsall Construction, the two-form entry school accommodates 420 pupils, with part of it able to be cordoned off so it can be used by other community groups out of hours.

Specialist sub-contractor Vizion Interiors had a team of up to 10 on site for eight months, installing a total of 1,650m2 of the Zentia products on ceilings, that in the main part, unusually, sloped to degrees of 35® to mimic the sloping roof.

 

For form, the Perla OP 0.95 tile features a smooth, low-gloss monolithic visual with best-in-class fully painted edges for additional aesthetics as well as durability. The tile also features high light reflectance (up to 86%) to reduce reliance on artificial light and Class A acoustic performance to sound absorption 0.95aw.

For function, as well as its Cradle to Cradle certification, Perla OP 0.95 also provides optimum indoor air quality (due to ultra-low A+ VOC emissions) and is manufactured from up to 64% recycled content and fully recyclable.

Hydroboard also features Class A acoustic performance to sound absorption 0.95aw and light reflectance of 82%.

Vizion Interiors’ contracts manager Andy West said: “The Zentia products were already specified but we would have put them forward regardless because they are superior products which are more readily available, and we have a fantastic working relationship with the area sales manager”.

 

www.zentia.com/en-gb

Barry Roberts, National Specification Manager at Marshall-Tufflex explains what must be considered when specifying cable management systems for education settings to ensure they are fit for purpose, comply with the regulations, contribute to a safe and healthy environment and minimise the environmental impact of the new build or renovation projects.

The right cable management solution not only ensures the safety of staff and students but also protects the cables from accidental or intentional damage. When selecting trunking systems there are a range of factors that must be considered.

Regulations and Standards

For any specification or application, it is important to ensure that any system complies with the relevant regulations and standards. While the BS 7671:2018 Wiring Regulations provide specific guidance for installers, there are key requirements of which specifiers should be aware.
The regulations state that trunking systems should meet the IP4X requirements, meaning that objects 1mm in diameter or more cannot enter the trunking system. In addition, the BS EN 50085 standard states that trunking should be designed so the cover can only be removed by a tool or deliberate action.
The latest (18th) Edition of the Wiring Regulations also requires all cables to be adequately supported using non-combustible fixings to prevent premature collapse in the event of a fire. The heat of a fire can cause PVC-U and even some metal cable housings to fail. The result of this is falling and fallen cables that present a serious hazard to both those evacuating and the firefighters moving into and through the building. This means that the cables have to be fixed in place within the trunking using metal clips, such as the Marshall-Tufflex Firefly range, that have a melting point high enough to withstand the heat of a fire. This is a change from previous versions of the regulations that only required cables to be supported on escape routes.
Cable management systems must also comply with Approved Document M of the Building Regulations, which aims to ensure access to and use of the building for everyone. It is recommended that the accessory boxes and plates that house switches and sockets are specified in contrasting colours to make them more visible to those with visual impairments.

Cleaning and hygiene

Selecting the right trunking system can also help make school and college buildings easier to clean and more hygienic. One of the simplest steps is look for trunking that features a curved lid, or has a completely curved profile, such as our Sterling Curve or Odyssey trunking systems. This prevents items, including rubbish, being left on top of the trunking and makes cleaning easier.
There are also systems with anti-microbial properties, including several products from the Marshall-Tufflex range. When combined with a robust cleaning regime, these solutions can help protect those using the building from the risks of bacteria spreading. Incorporating silver ions within the material of the trunking can deliver ongoing antimicrobial protection that prevents 99.9% of harmful bacteria from surviving on its surface. This works by disrupting the key cell functions of bacteria and preventing them from reproducing – subsequently killing them due to their short lifespan. It is always recommended that specifiers look for products where the silver ions are integrated into the material during manufacturing, rather than added at post-production. This ensures a longer lasting protection and means that scratches or damage to the surface do not affect the anti-microbial performance.
Quality and durability
For educational facilities, cost is often a key consideration and although it can be tempting to choose more cost-effective cable management systems, the whole life cost should be factored in. Lower quality products are often more susceptible to wear and damage, meaning more maintenance work is required and the products have shorter lifespan before replacement. It can therefore be more cost effective across the lifespan of a building to select a higher-quality product that will stand the test of time.

Sustainability

Sustainability and environmental impact are now key factors on many education sector projects. Selecting cable management systems that are manufactured from recycled material is a simple way of reducing the use of virgin grade PVC-U and helping to prevent waste from being sent to landfill. For example, Marshall-Tufflex uses recycled PVC-U window frames within its manufacturing process. As these frames were designed to withstand external conditions, they are more than up to the demands of everyday interior use. In 2020, the proportion of recycled material in our products reached an average of 74%, with all white conduit and white mini and maxi trunking manufactured using 100% recycled material. In 2022, Marshall-Tufflex celebrates it’s 80th anniversary and in line with this we are aiming to achieve a figure of 80% usage of recycled product across our PVC-U range.
When selecting a cable management system for an educational building, it is important that it meets the needs of students and staff and is suitable for the demands of the environment. Choosing the right manufacturer, that can offer a range of solutions as well as support throughout the project, will help ensure the right products are specified.

www.marshall-tufflex.com

Overcoming design challenges for Gateshead’s new flagship state-of-the-art special school

 

The lighting design of Gibside School, Gateshead’s new flagship state-of-the-art special needs primary school, wasn’t without its challenges. Vaulted and unique ceiling designs were soon overcome by the design team at Thorn Lighting. The team prepared a full interior and exterior lighting design layout to Wates Construction and McVickers Electrical Contractors for the £12.1 million design and build project that was subsequently approved by Gateshead Council.

 

Gibside is a primary school for pupils with a range of special needs (moderate learning disabilities (MLD), severe learning disabilities (SLD), profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and autism spectrum condition (ASC). The new school accommodates 170 pupils, and the specially designed building includes a hydrotherapy pool with hoists, two halls, an internal sheltered courtyard so children can play outdoors in all weather, a multi-use games area with accessible gym equipment, sensory and soft playrooms, specialist changing facilities and offices for physiotherapy.

The classrooms initially posed a problem as the ceiling is vaulted and also flat in places, making uniformity an issue. Thorn’s IQ Wave range was the ideal solution. A combination of the suspended and surface mounted luminaires, provide great uniformity and illumination levels for the classrooms. IQ Wave incorporates Thorn’s unique MV-Tech light optic and the highly reflective back, creates a smooth, homogenous illuminance with great lighting quality and high user comfort. Low glare (UGR 19, <3 000 CD/m2 at 65°) ensures a comfortable ambient light while high efficacy (>100Llm/W) achieves significant energy savings when compared to traditional light sources. IQ Wave benefits from a modern wave design and the flexibility of several installation options including the possibility of recessing the luminaire in exposed and concealed grid systems as well as plasterboard.

For the swimming pool lighting, a unique ceiling had to be incorporated into the design. This obstacle was overcome with the use of Thorn’s Areaflood Pro floodlights mounted directly and indirectly over the pool area. Areaflood Pro is a general-purpose area floodlight with superior optical performance, control and efficiency. Optimal light control (0cd at 90°, minimal spill light) provides a comfortable low glare lighting for swimmers and its 100k hours rated lifetime on both drivers and LEDs ensures minimal maintenance costs.

Thorn’s extremely efficient Hipak Pro high bay illuminates the sports hall, with a dedicated asymmetric optic, sports bracket for extra security and a high light output of up to 18500 lumens. The innovative design of the body ensures optimal thermal management and a long LED life up to 50 000 hours. With significantly reduced maintenance.

Beta has been installed in the offices to provide a flexible, efficient, and long-lasting solution with a prismatic diffuser in square and rectangular variants suiting the traditional modular ceiling dimensions (600, 625, 300×1200).

The corridors have been lit using Thorn’s Chalice LED downlights and slim, circular Novaline luminaires. Chalice is a complete range of LED downlights with two diameters (150mm and 200mm) and a SMD-LED module providing lumen package options from 1200lm up to 2700lm. Novaline LED offers a wide variety of lighting options with four lumen packages; 1 250, 1 800, 2 500 and 3 500 lumens, and a choice of two colour temperatures; 3000K and 4000K, for lighting design and application flexibility.

Glacier efficient decorative LED pendants with high lumen packages have been installed in the halls, creating a modern fresh appearance.

Other interior luminaires installed include Cetus recessed downlights in the toilets and Aquaforce IP66, dust and moisture resistant LED luminaires in the plant area.

For the exterior, Piazza II LED robust IP65 rated luminaires with a unique light distribution have been mounted on to the external walls. Piazza II LED offers 3 metre forward light throw and 12 metre spacing with a very low upward light throw with less than 2.5% ULOR and excellent 116 lm/W efficiency. DCO-LED bollards have been installed on pathways to provide comfortable visual guidance via an ambient white light with no glare. Civiteq LED lanterns have also been incorporated with 120 LEDs driven at 350mA and a wide optic.

David Wingfield, business unit director of Wates Construction in Yorkshire & North East comments: “The handover of this project is a fantastic achievement for all involved. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, our teams and partners have worked tirelessly and used huge amounts of initiative to deliver this state-of-the-art facility, within budget and to the specific design requirements of the school”.

 

For more information on Thorn Lighting please CLICK HERE FOR THE WEBSITE:

Working on a brief to deliver a first-class facility for students and teachers at St. Patrick’s Special School in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Zumtobel Group brands Zumtobel and Thorn have supplied a number of luminaires throughout the €14 million project. In conjunction with building engineers Semple and McKillop Ltd, the project involved the supply of custom made linear SLOTLIGHT infinity light lines that had to be the exact size of the radiant panels and be able to incorporate 3rd party lighting control sensors. The lighting installation was carried out by electrical contractor, Ronan Burke Electrical Ltd.

Designed for students with special educational needs, the 5,940m2 building, mainly single-storey and part three-storey, consists of 20 classrooms with ensuite toilets, junior and senior dining areas, a general-purpose hall, specialist teaching rooms, and clinician facilities. The school provides a much needed, high quality facility for 400 students from Enniscorthy and the surrounding areas. In addition, the building incorporates a hydrotherapy pool with an extensive range of support facilities onsite, including a fully equipped speech and language suite, horticulture room, ICT suite, home economics room, and physio services.

To achieve the required light levels and customised client requirements, Zumtobel’s SLOTLIGHT infinity has been installed extensively throughout the facility – custom versions for the main classrooms, corridors, and the GP Hall. The SLOTLGHT infinity modular light line offers practically unlimited options, with freedom and flexibility of design, not just in straight lines but even around corners. The unmatched, consistent light quality with virtually end-to-end illumination is available in runs of up to 20 metres in length without any joins to fulfil every lighting requirement. An unusual and eye-catching, customised SLOTLIGHT infinity ‘ring’ was created primarily to illuminate the main foyer.

Zumtobel’s CLEAN recessed linear luminaires have been installed in the swimming pool area to meet the exact specification requirements of swimming pool and clean area lighting, using the latest lighting technology with a three-level luminaire concept. An important feature of CLEAN is the cover which has a high-quality anodised aluminium frame and toughened glass to ensure maximum safety for pool users. Zumtobel’s versatile CAELA illuminates the changing rooms, with a depth of only 55 mm and a diffuse cover that delivers the perfect light distribution.

Thorn’s Beta 2 LED luminaires have been used to illuminate the office spaces, providing low glare (UGR 19<) and ensuring a comfortable ambient light.

Other luminaires installed in the interior of St. Patrick’s include Zumtobel’s HELISSA in the toilet and stairwells, Thorn’s Duoproof LED in the kitchens, ForceLED in the plant rooms, and Linn modular, wall recessed luminaires in the interconnecting space. Thorn’s long life and low maintenance Voyager Star provides the addressable emergency lighting throughout the school, thanks to its specialised optics, Voyager Star sends light exactly where it is needed in the event of an emergency. Its wide spacing values reduces the number of luminaires required compared to other solutions and therefore reduces the costs involved.

External illumination is provided by Thorn’s Isaro Pro robust and high-performance LED street luminaires, D-CO LED Bollards offer comfortable visual guidance, and square recessed Linn LED luminaires the pathway lighting. Thorn’s Eyekon energy efficient, robust, and impact resistant LED bulkheads and Olysys LED floodlights with asymmetric distribution have also been incorporated into the exterior lighting design, including illumination of the amphitheatre space.

“From start to finish, we partnered with ZG Lighting Ireland, as we have done for many of our educational projects in Ireland. The brief was complex, and we needed to ensure that we delivered a state-of-the-art lighting solution for a state-of-the-art school, and ZG Lighting Ireland did not disappoint. The bespoke circular fitting that greets you when you enter the school is a testament of the hard work undertaking by all parties involved. I very much look forward to working with Niall and his team on future projects in Ireland,” comments Declan Smyth, Senior Associate and Project Engineer at Semple & McKillop Ltd.

Zumtobel and Thorn have delivered a flexible and adaptable energy efficient, low maintenance solution to create a 21st Century learning environment for the pupils of St Patrick’s Special School. Principal Lee Rogers commented, “Because of the difficult year that everyone has had in terms of activities and outings being curtailed by COVID 19 restrictions within the school, the new campus is effectively ‘a light at the end of the tunnel’”.

For more information on Zumtobel, please visit the website https://z.lighting/en/zumtobel/ and for Thorn www.thornlighting.co.uk

Education has never been higher on the national agenda, and steps are being taken to improve access, outcomes and opportunities for children across the UK. Naturally, the focus is on resources and teaching quality. But the immediate environment also has an important role to play in helping children learn. Here Roy Gleiwitz, regional sales manager for Zentia – formerly Armstrong Ceiling Solutions – looks at how ceilings can help.

We all know the importance of a formal education, so we owe it to children and young people to ensure the best possible support. While the quality of teaching and resources are clearly the most critical aspects, the learning environment plays a big part too. This is captured in the notion of building wellness, which seeks to create optimal conditions through design and construction.

In education, one of the best ways to do this is to ensure that pupils can hear clearly and see properly. This means paying attention to noise and light, and here the choice of ceilings can be a big factor.

Schools are noisy places, and the students actually account for most of it (40% of the total according to some studies). Other sources of background noise include kitchens, grounds maintenance, road traffic and even airplanes, especially when windows are open. All of which means that most schools routinely exceed the recommended noise levels of 35dB set by the World Health Organisation.

A high level of noise can have serious consequences. It can increase blood pressure, affect nervous systems and potentially lead to mental health issues. Sustained exposure to anything above 65dB increases the risk of myocardial infarction significantly, and there’s evidence that factors such as these might be affecting the life expectancy of teachers.
Equally, even relatively low levels of noise – or poorly designed acoustic spaces – can force teachers to speak louder, straining their voices and affecting enunciation. At the very least, it can hinder concentration or the ability to hear and learn. And in a post-pandemic world, when classrooms may need to increase in size to give individual students more room to social distance, volume control could be even more compromised.

Schools don’t always present the best acoustic environments, with reverberation a major culprit. The harder the surface, the stronger the reverberation, and schools are full of hard surfaces, including walls and whiteboards. For teaching, an ideal reverberation time (essentially, how long it takes for the sound to become inaudible) would be 0.4–0.7 seconds. The surest way to achieve this is to introduce sound absorbing material such as acoustic ceiling tiles which can help create the optimal conditions.
For example, in a recent project, Zentia supplied ceiling tiles to a new build and renovation project at Mill Hill School, Derbyshire. This project complied with Building Bulletin 93, which stipulates low ambient noise levels and high levels of sound insulation. Ceiling tiles were specified with a reverberation time of 0.6 seconds in a typical 200m3 classroom.
These solutions can be customised to each space. So, while assembly areas and classrooms need sound to carry clearly, libraries and study areas need a different approach. Equally corridors, inevitably the source of high noise levels, should be designed to minimise sound as much noise as possible.

Light is another key factor in learning environments. It’s well known that light affects mood, reduces stress, and aids reading and comprehension. For example, a study by Randall Fielding found that naturally lit classrooms increase students’ scores by 20% (maths) and 20% (verbal). Many ceiling tiles have excellent reflective properties that can work with natural light to create ideal learning environments.

Finally, there’s the question of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Given off by certain building materials, these compounds include many toxins or allergens which can be detrimental to human health. Specifying low or no-VOC ceiling tiles can therefore contribute to a safer and healthier learning space.

Clearly, there are many factors impacting on a pupil’s ability to learn and develop. But for those elements within the control of specifiers and contractors – essentially all the key design decisions – it’s important to specify solutions which optimise conditions and enhance the experience of students and teachers.

For more information on Zentia’s capability in educational design, visit the below website.

www.zentia.com

 

Creating a school environment teachers and students can be proud to work in is essential for a sense of school spirit and motivation. Yeoman Shield products help to keep a school smart, clean and tidy, with long-term benefits for a school’s hygiene, maintenance budget and accessibility.

Saving school budgets
Many schools are under strict budgets, with large chunks of these budgets annually going to maintenance, repairs and redecoration of the school building. The high levels of foot traffic daily in schools means that walls and door quickly receive wear and tear from bags, cleaning trollies and more. This means schools are constantly needing to redecorate, costing valuable time and money.
Fitting a wall and door protection system vastly increases the lifespan of a school’s interior design, shielding against everyday scuffs and scrapes and allowing more of a school’s budget being set aside for where it’s needed in other areas of your school’s education.

 

Flying the school colours
Yeoman Shield protection products are also fully customisable when it comes to colour, shape and design. This allows schools to add more design and excitement to interiors with the ability to emblazon walls with the school crest or add signs and department names onto your wall protection, for example. Whether practical or aesthetic, this allows a school’s interior design needs to be met without compromising on function and durability.
Maintaining hygiene
Being manufactured from a “rigid” PVCu material Yeoman Shield’s products do not support the growth of bacteria or mould. This helps stop the spread of germs or viruses across surfaces within a school and helps provide an overall higher level of hygiene.
The damage to walls and doors caused by every traffic in school life also harbours and promotes bacteria, with scratches, dents and imperfections in surfaces making cleaning more difficult. This can be avoided with protection products, which prevent damage to walls and doors and thus contribute to a more hygienic environment.
In addition, these products are designed to be easy to clean, with wipeable surfaces that can withstand years of daily intensive cleaning regimes, helping create a more hygienic school environment and easing the strain placed on cleaning staff.

 

Accessibility
Yeoman Shield’s range of handrails are ideal for increasing the accessibility of a school. Durable handrails provide support for students who may require help traversing the school, especially on stairs and sloped areas. Like all products the handrails provide also a durable, easy to clean, practical solution.
Taking the Guess Work out of Fire Doors
Yeoman Shield’s newly launched Fire Door Services can help to take the guess work out of fire door maintenance within an education facility.
As a FIRAS accredited company with directly employed, accredited, fixing operatives Yeoman Shield can offer fire door condition reports as well as being able to carry out the repair of minor to moderate damage that has occurred to a fire resisting doorset, in such a way as to restore the fire resistance performance to what it was before the damage occurred and if applicable, to install new fire rated doorsets where maintenance is not an option.
Yeoman Shield can also provide a complete fire rated door protection system to ward off damage caused by impact helping to keep fire doors in good working order for longer,  minimising the need for remedial work in the future.

 

Summer holidays
With the Summer Holidays ahead for schools, the perfect time is approaching to install new wall and door protection and give thought to the condition of fire doors throughout the buildings.
To request more information, a free wall & door protection site survey, free samples or a fire door assessment (charges will apply for this service) then please get in contact on
0113 279 5854 or info@yeomanshield.com

www.yeomanshield.com