School’s out for summer!
And while the kids are away it is great time to make some improvements to your school environment. Something that can be particularly beneficial is the installation of a folding wall system. Here are five reasons why you need them in your school.
1. Manage space
Schools are no different to other organisations: space is always at a premium. And this is where folding walls come into their own. They allow you to open up a room or divide it up depending on the requirements.
In a school there are some obvious places where this can help to manage space effectively. For instance a school hall is often multi-use, and may host PE lessons in the morning and afternoon, and act as a dining room during the lunch hour. Folding walls are a perfect solution for sectioning off the food preparation and serving area while lessons take place so the catering staff and children have no distractions.
2. Manage sound
Space may be the most apparent aspect that can be ‘partitioned’ but folding walls can also be surprisingly effective barriers of sound.
We doubt the old English dictum ‘Children should be seen and not heard’ ever truly existed in practice. But one thing is for sure now: schools can be noisy places.
Installing folding walls can help you manage this. There is lots of choice so you can choose the system most appropriate to you. Fabric concertina partition systems for example can be spec’d to provide 15 decibel reduction – where normal speech is still audible, up to 35 decibel reduction – where loud speech is difficult to distinguish. Then there are more heavy duty systems which can completely cut out shouting!
3. Engage the children
We have already alluded to the fact that there is a great deal of choice in folding wall systems. One thing you can do with them is to make them a feature of a classroom, rather than just fulfil a function.
This can be achieved by printing a bespoke design on them to match the environment – the periodic table in a chemistry lab, stretching and warm-up routines in a sports hall, or famous quotations in a drama studio.
What a great way to make a classroom feel special, as well as be practical!
4. Health and safety
Getting a bespoke sliding wall or folding wall system installed means that the installers work with you to fulfil your health and safety obligations. Latest technologies can give you some impressive features. For instance, the fabric partition systems of today have antimicrobials built in to them that protect against moulds and fungi – a useful feature in say a food preparation area or somewhere that houses messy little eaters!
5. Ease of use
Finally, it is well worth touching upon the simplicity of folding or sliding walls. They can normally be operated by one person in a matter of seconds, and when opened, fold away discreetly. Your staff are there to teach and care for the children – with folding walls they can effortlessly transform the classroom or school hall leaving them unencumbered to focus on their pupils.
Do you think folding walls could enhance your school?
The summer really is a great time to explore the benefits of folding walls – they can be installed at a time that causes the least disruption.
Building Additions’ end-to-end service takes all the hassle out of getting them installed. We survey, advise, design, build and install the systems. Not to mention providing a one year guarantee and a quality aftersales service.
For more information, or if you have a question, speak to one of our friendly advisers on 01373 454577.
