Lots of schools have their own library but not many have one in a former bus!

Thanks to Heckmondwike, one of UK’s leading carpet manufacturers, St Andrew’s School, Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, now has hard-wearing, aesthetically pleasing Pure Care carpet in its new library bus, creating an environment perfect for pupils to enjoy reading.

The static library bus at St Andrew’s School, was gifted to the school by a parent who works for Moving People Ltd and refurbished by B&G Sears Ltd of Blackburn. The school wanted to create an interesting library bus interior that was hard-wearing, bright and easy to maintain.

Headteacher Mrs Wilkinson said: “We are so lucky to have this fantastic resource where the children can enjoy reading to their friends or with an adult. The shape of the bus is excellent for a whole class to sit around the edges and the addition of the colourful, hardwearing carpet makes the whole space so lively and fun. Just as it should be in a school!”

Michelle Burton, Sales Manager from flooring contractor Rishton Flooring, who managed the carpet installation for the bus said: “This was such an unusual and fun project, but the challenges for the flooring solution were considerable; high footfall, environmental contamination (mud/grass etc.) and fluctuations in temperature all meant that the carpet had to be very durable. But given that the bus was also a learning environment for young children, the school wanted a flooring solution that was colourful, contemporary and soft underfoot.”

Heckmondwike’s Pure Care offered the durability and visual appeal needed for this project. Available in 8 colours, Pure Care also offers high stain resistance and still feels comfortable, essential with young children. St Andrew’s was also keen to reflect its school colours in its choice of flooring for the library bus, so Pure Care in ‘Sapphire’ was the perfect choice.

Flooring design plays an important role in creating stimulating learning environments, which is why it is so important to find a hard-wearing carpet that can withstand the demanding school environment and retain its appearance for many years.

Pure Care and Total Care are Heckmondwike’s tufted carpet solutions; they are ideally suited to educational establishments, whether in classrooms, corridors or school office areas. Available in different pile weights, both types of carpet feature a fully impervious backing, are highly resistant to staining and cleaning products. They are also manufactured to meet all relevant flammability tests and offer antistatic properties.

Another popular carpet for schools is Supacord. Available in a choice of 42 colours and renowned for being able to withstand heavy wear and tear, it retains its aesthetics and performance properties for many years. Schools are also choosing colourful carpet for their entrance areas too and some schools also opt to have their school branding, colours and/or ethos integrated within their entrance area carpet to add impact and reinforce the values of the school, as soon as pupils or visitors walk through the door.

Sample cards are available on request by calling 01924 413637 or by using Heckmondwike’s online sample form.

The UK’s leading manufacturer of fibre bonded flooring, Heckmondwike FB, and Forth Valley College in Scotland, are celebrating their achievement in being shortlisted for an exciting Education Buildings Scotland award. The shortlisting is for the ‘Inspiring Learning Spaces’ award in recognition of the flooring solution at Forth Valley College’s flagship Stirling campus.

This new award recognises the project team that has successfully delivered either a new build or refurbishment project in a Scottish learning environment. The award has attracted a host of prestigious project entries and the final presentation event will take place on 21 November at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh.

Andrew Lawson, Associate Principal and Executive Director – HR ＆ Operational Effectiveness at Forth Valley College , said: “A great deal of creative thinking and hard work went into developing these new learning spaces at our Stirling Campus and we are delighted to have this recognised by this nomination in the inaugural Education Buildings Scotland Awards. This is the start of a journey to ensure all our main campus sites offer flexible spaces for our staff and students and I would like to thank the excellent efforts of my colleagues involved in the project and the contractors who worked on this project, especially Heckmondwike.

Heckmondwike’s Array carpet tile range features a mid-width rib design and a charcoal background enhanced with a subtle linear pattern. The range comprises 12 colour options including Peacock, Blue, Black, Red, Lime, Purple, Magenta, Copper, Emerald, Marble, Violet and Fuchsia.

The Array range is often used in conjunction with Heckmondwike’s popular Broadrib range, as it has been at Forth Valley College. The combination of Array and Broadrib provides natural bordering to a room or zoning for a space, allowing for endless design possibilities.

Like all Heckmondwike’s products, Array can be cut on-site without the risk of fraying, allowing individual flooring designs to be created and installed with ease and as with the rest of Heckmondwike collection, Array carpet tiles offer antistatic and anti-slip properties and excellent acoustic and thermal performance.

Heckmondwike carpet tiles are British-made and provide outstanding performance, as well as being backed by a 10 year limited wear warranty, which means they can be specified in complete confidence.

Sample cards are available on request by calling 01924 413637 or by using Heckmondwike FB’s free online sample service.

The third edition of the “What Workers Want” survey, a joint publication from the British Council for Offices (BCO) and Savills, found that neglecting office design can have a negative effect on employer’s well-being and performance. A total of 25% of employees surveyed would be willing to commute an extra 30 minutes to work in the perfect office. This highlights not only the opportunity for occupiers to expand their potential labour pool but shows that employee loyalty increases if businesses fit out the office to their staff requirements.

Absenteeism among the existing staff could also notably decrease when a fit for purpose office is provided, while productivity would be on the up. This notion receives support from the 2015 guidelines of The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which stress the link between employee well-being and work output. UK businesses are losing 6.9 days a year per employee due to the absenteeism trend, which could be a contributing factor to the UK’s productivity being 27, 30 and 35 percentage points lower than in France, the US and Germany in 2015. The latest Stoddart Review research has revealed that an effective workplace can improve business productivity by 3.5%, which could add up to £70 billion to the UK economy, according to economist Duncan Weldon.

NICE’s recommendations suggest making employee health and well-being a core priority for top management to establish the link between employee productivity and health. But this is no easy feat, as ever denser office spaces pose a challenge for employers to provide an environment that promotes well-being. For example, standing desks, natural lighting, temperature, and air quality all have a bearing on staff health. Furthermore, open-plan offices are still the dominant choice of occupiers, but only 45% of respondents were satisfied with the noise levels in their office. Studies have found that poorly managed acoustics in open plan offices can have a negative effect on occupant comfort, causing changes in heart rate, breathing, and brain waves. Julian Treasure, author of Sound Business and chairman of the Sound Agency explains: “There is also a lot of research to demonstrate that noise in offices changes people’s behaviour- it makes them less helpful, more frustrated, absenteeism goes up and so does the rate of sickness.”

The occupants’ emotions and cognition are also affected and productivity can be degraded by up to two thirds when performing knowledge tasks within audible distance of other people’s conversations. A cost-effective and visually pleasing solution to decrease noise in an open plan office is to install carpets. Carpet is a sound reducer, offering an excellent solution in tackling the loud noises in the office. Some manufacturers offer carpet tiles that can reduce sound and impact noise by up to 30dB.

Generally, flooring is often one of the final features to be deliberated when it comes to building design and construction but does play a vital role when creating a future-proof, flexible office environment. When planning for a holistic appearance that takes employee health and productivity into consideration, it is important that all building elements are considered at the design stage to ensure that they integrate and work well together. As a result, the increased awareness of the role our surroundings play in supporting our health and wellbeing has resulted in architects, designers and manufacturers using design to respond to our human wants and needs. Biophilic design especially has become increasingly popular, as our sense of wellbeing is intrinsically linked to nature.

The Human Spaces report, published in 2015, showed that perceptions of wellbeing increased by up to 15% when occupants worked in surroundings that incorporate natural elements. Contact with nature and design elements which mimic natural materials have been shown to positively impact health, job performance and concentration, and to reduce anxiety and stress. Recent interior design trends utilise a mix of different textures, as well as the application of materials with aesthetics that lend themselves to the creation of a biophilic-inspired environment.

Carpet manufacturers, such as Heckmondwike, have released decors that cater specifically for creating a biophilic workspace. The blue and green tones of the Array, Night Sky, Montage and Constellation collections are calming and create a peaceful environment, promoting wellbeing. Meanwhile, Heckmondwike’s Broadrib ‘plank’ carpet tiles offer stunning aesthetics and excellent durability performance, making them popular for office environments. Authentic timber decors with the properties of wider rib structure provide the required biophilic aesthetic but are significantly easier to maintain than the genuine article and offer cost efficiency.

Instead of waiting another ten years until your lease expires, contact Heckmondwike to discuss how your office and employees can benefit from a carpet upgrade.

At the close of 2016, the BBC reported that 944 local authority schools and 113 academy trusts in England are now in debt. In response to a parliamentary question, ministers revealed that 5 percent of council schools and 4 percent of academy trusts have budget deficits. Going further, Kevin Courtney, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, estimates that 92 percent of schools in England could face real terms budget cuts over the next four years.

On top of budget cuts, research by the Department for Education determined that a large part of the school estate in England was in poor condition or insufficiently maintained. In fact, 44 percent were rated as ‘unsatisfactory’, 23 percent were rated as ‘extremely poor’ or ‘very poor’ with more than two-thirds in need of refurbishment or renewal. It was established that about half of the schools were deemed ‘in need of improvement’.

The Government will spend £4.2bn towards essential school maintenance between 2015 and 2018. However, research by RIBA estimates that around £150 million is spent per annum on unnecessary services and maintenance due to poor school design which could be avoided. The study concludes that good design can have a positive impact on pupils and increase staff productivity by 15 percent.

Reducing these avoidable operation and maintenance costs can release significant savings which can be used to plug the funding gaps that many schools are facing. One way this can be achieved is by ensuring that the products specified for building new, and refurbishing existing schools, provide long-term value, high-quality, and durability. These products should facilitate good design principles, be functional, and help towards low operational costs.

Rising costs combined with funding cuts have left many school leaders in England considering drastic options such as shortening the school day or week, and cutting staff numbers. A reduction in staff at a time when pupil numbers are on the rise could have irreversible effects on the education system as a whole. It is, therefore, vital that schools have enough money available to pay their personnel, especially when you consider that staff costs make up 80 percent of a school’s expenditure.

The challenge of improving the school estate while balancing budgets means that schools must identify all the avenues available to them to save money so that they are able to provide high quality learning environments.

When designing for the future, it is crucial those involved consider the lifecycle of their buildings as well as the products within them. Considering all building elements at the design stage will ensure that they all integrate and work well together to achieve optimum building performance. Flooring is one feature that can be often overlooked at the design stage yet offers much more when it comes to design and maintenance. The best flooring materials feature contemporary designs and are made to be extremely durable and hard wearing to accommodate the high footfall and rigour of everyday use.

Sustainable flooring products should be able to help towards meeting international environmental standards such as BREEAM. Additionally, these products should be tested to meet or exceed industry standards for various elements such as flammability and sound absorption, two critical school building requirements. A crucial component to consider is using manufacturers that can provide long-term guarantees with their flooring solutions.

Interior design products that offer a wide range of colours, textures and finishes are an important part of the modern school environment. Researchers have found clear evidence that colour can have a stimulating effect on productivity, raising staff morale and aiding student concentration. As such, flooring solutions that offer these design elements must be highly considered when creating inspiring spaces.

If you are a Headteacher, Bursar, School Business Manager, Facilities Manager or Specifier, Heckmondwike would love to talk to you. To discuss how Heckmondwike’s carpet and carpet tile products can reduce your maintenance and installation costs, please call 01924 406161 or email sales@heckmondwike-fb.co.uk.

A UK population growth spurt has led to a bigger demand for school places than ever. Bob Mortimer, UK & Ireland Sales Manager of leading education flooring provider Heckmondwike FB, explains how good building design and specifying durable materials can future proof schools and even improve staff retention and productivity.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the UK population is projected to rise by 9.7 million by 2039. What impact will this increase have on education quality and provision? It is estimated that the number of primary and secondary school pupils will increase by an additional 729,000 by 2020. To cope with this influx, more than 2,000 new schools (24,000 classrooms) must be built in England during the same period.

The rise in pupil numbers will require more teachers to sustain a high quality of learning. The latest figures from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, however, show that 40 percent of those who enter initial teacher training were not teaching five years later. This equates to 14,000 new teachers leaving the classroom each year. A growing shortage of teachers and problems with retention means that future education provision, and ultimately quality, will suffer as there will be less qualified teachers available to teach, especially core subjects such as Maths, Science and English.

Teacher shortages in 2014/15 led to the cost of agency supply teachers to increase by £50m compared to the previous two years. Stress and overcrowding brought about by poor learning environments have been cited as one of the reasons teaching staff leave the profession. Research by RIBA, however, as well as Arup’s Building Use Survey Methodology Database, shows that good school design and comfort increases staff productivity, which delivers higher school outcomes. In fact, well-designed schools demonstrated a 15 percent increase.

To meet the impending demand, there needs to be a drastic re-think by government and local authorities to ensure there are enough school places and teachers to maintain quality levels. Standardised design (in the form of processes, dimensional co-ordination of buildings, components, assemblies and modules), classroom extensions and larger super-schools have been touted as possible options to deliver schools fit for purpose.

At present, around £150 million is spent annually on unnecessary services and maintenance, which would otherwise be avoided through better school design. Investing in quality school building and utilising the avoidable cost savings to train, employ and retain more teachers will be crucial if the government is to meet future demand. However, it is important to note that just like the housing crisis, the shortage of schools is primarily a supply-side issue and without extra capacity things will not get better.

When considering products and materials to facilitate quality school building, elements such as durability, comfort and performance must be at the forefront of the specification process. An often overlooked component in this regard is flooring. Here, heavy footfall and a susceptibility to stains and dirt requires a robust flooring solution. Fibre bonded carpets are ideal as they are stain resistant, withstand heavy wear and tear and also act as an interceptor, protecting floors from shoeborne dirt and moisture.

The best flooring solutions can help meet good interior design criteria by offering a range of colours and textures that can be combined to achieve bespoke spaces and create distinct, flexible areas. When combined with other classroom components such as furniture, flooring can help contribute to higher engagement thanks to better overall design.

Good school design is defined in the RIBA Top Marks School Report as simple, natural ventilation systems, optimum amount of colour in learning spaces, quality natural and artificial lighting, acoustics and flexible spaces. An optimum level of visual interest in terms of design and giving pupils a sense of ownership are also proven to be factors for a successful school building i.e. dedicated social or self-directed learning spaces, child centred furniture and imagery the pupils can relate to. Focusing budgets on well-designed and durable buildings saves money, improves staff performance and aids retention, all of which improves pupil outcomes.

To request samples of Heckmondwike FB’s carpet and carpet tile products, please use our free e-sample service, or alternatively, telephone 01924 413637.

Heckmondwike, one of the UK’s leading fibre bonded carpet and carpet tile manufacturers, is now offering a complete solution for the care sector through its Pure Care and Total Careranges.

Pure Care and Total Care are ideally suited to healthcare environments or sheltered housing, whether that be in communal areas, corridors or bedrooms.   Available in different pile weights, both types of carpet feature a fully impervious backing, are highly resistant to staining and bleach and are also extremely durable. They are also manufactured to meet all relevant flammability tests. Available in four metre widths, these carpets are very easy to fit and offer low installation costs. They also offer antistatic properties.

Both Pure Care and Total Care are available in eight different attractive colour options.

Jeremy Broadhead, Commercial Manager for Heckmondwike, said: “Demand is strong for our high performance, stain resistant carpets for care homes and sheltered housing. With a wide choice of colours within each range, there is something to suit all tastes and applications.”

Heckmondwike also offers a range of entrance products, which are suitable for care homes and sheltered housing. This includes Vanquisher, with its alternative rib and velour surface pattern. Vanquisher is ideal for protecting carpets from outside soiling and moisture. It also offers thermal and acoustic properties and low maintenance.

Also for entrance areas, Heckmondwike offers mats featuring bespoke logos and designs for care homes and healthcare environments that are DDA approved. These can be either incorporated into a loose lay mat or inlaid into the floor in entrance areas. Heckmondwike offers 20 different colour options and mats are available in bespoke sizes to suit specific applications.

Sample cards are available on request by calling 01924 413637 or by using Heckmondwike’s online sample form.

Heckmondwike FB, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of fibre bonded carpet, has reported an increase in demand for its renowned heavy duty Supacord range for use in educational environments.

The company attributes this rise to schools seeking carpet with anti-fraying properties.

Kat Keshmiri, Marketing Manager for Heckmondwike FB, said: “With pressure on schools to choose durable, long lasting carpet solutions, Supacord is becoming more popular than ever. Schools and colleges have seen how some type of loop pile carpets can ravel and fray and there’s a noticeable trend towards fibre bonded carpet as it’s known for being so much more durable.”

Heckmondwike FB has supplied the education sector with Supacord for over 40 years and now the range is more comprehensive choice than ever. There are 42 shades available and the option of tile or sheet, to suit project requirements. Supacord is renowned for not ravelling or fraying, even in the most heavy-duty environments. It also provides good acoustic properties and reduced noise transmittance, which is really important in educational environments.

Like all Heckmondwike FB’s carpet, Supacord has anti-static and anti-slip properties, it also offers low maintenance. Great thermal performance is another property attributed to Supacord, which is warm and comfortable underfoot.

Schools like the fact that Supacord is available in all primary colours to match their branding or classroom themes. Supacord can also be complemented by bespoke entrance matting in Heckmondwike FB’s Diamond, with integrated logos or customised designs. This is widely used in schools to create a striking entrance area or reinforce an education establishment’s ethos.

To request further information or to request a sample card, please call 01924 410544 or alternatively, use our online Sample Request Service.

Jeremy Broadhead, Commercial Manager at Heckmondwike FB, looks at why carpet is being widely specified for its acoustic properties.

“Managing noise in a building continues to present a challenge for designers, which is why there is specific legislation covering different building types and uses. Schools should be designed in accordance with Building Bulletin 93 (BB93) Acoustic Design of Schools, the latest version of which was updated in 2014.

One of the most common complaints for those working in educational environments is the inability to work effectively due to high levels of background noise. Although the acoustic insulation of external structural elements may have been given adequate consideration, noise created internally from floors is often not taken into account. For instance, it is not uncommon for measures such as triple glazed windows to be specified to reduce external noise and then overlook the fact that most noise disturbances come from inside the building, with incorrect choice of flooring being the main cause. Hard flooring, such as timber, tile or laminate, can contribute to the problem, especially where a building is open plan or has several storeys.

This is why carpet – and particular fibre bonded carpet with its excellent attenuation properties is being specified more frequently for schools and colleges.

The characteristics of carpet mean it is effective at absorbing sound and the conduction of impact noise can be reduced by up to 30dB, just by the right selection of product. The human ear perceives a reduction of 10 dB (A) as halving the volume. The comparative values for some hard floorcoverings is between 5-15Db.

Array’s fibres have a high surface area and therefore offer good levels of sound attenuation. This range of carpet can reduce sound transmission by 22dB and has a dampening effect on the sound waves which transmit from a floor above to one below.

As a result, Array from our Creative range is now being specified in educational environments where noise can be an issue. It is perfect for use here because research has shown that background sound from inside and outside the classroom negatively affects learning, especially for young children who require optimal conditions for hearing and comprehension.

As well as offering excellent acoustic properties, Array is also renowned for its aesthetics with a smart linear pattern in a choice of 12 accent shades.

With the ever present issue of foot traffic and human voices, carpet will continue to play a key role in reducing noise transmission within schools and colleges.”

For more information contact Heckmondwike FB on 01924 406 161 or to request a sample, please fill out a sample request e-form.

Heckmondwike FB, the UK’s leading fibre bonded carpet manufacturer, is showing how the sky really is the limit with its bespoke entrance area carpet designs.

Over the past few years, Heckmondwike FB has created some truly inspirational carpet designs by integrating bespoke logos and customised colours into entrance areas, ranging from football clubs to top hotels, schools and universities.

Kat Keshmiri, Marketing Manager at Heckmondwike FB, said: “We can do pretty much anything to create a logo design or branding message as we have a wide choice of shades and can closely match corporate colours. Some really well-known brands have chosen our bespoke logos and it’s great to see the impact they make. Our bespoke entrance area carpet is also known for being very durable, which means it creates a great impression in a building – for the long term!”

Heckmondwike FB offers bespoke logos and designs in its Diamond heavy contract carpet, which can be incorporated into a mat or inlaid into the floorcovering. All the customer needs to do is to decide on their design, then they can choose from 20 colour options, which can be closely matched to corporate colours and logos.

Kat Keshmiri continues: “Customers often choose subtle or neutral colours for their entrance areas, which are then incorporated with bespoke designs of logos and emblems to reflect the personality or branding of the organisation. Schools and colleges often choose ‘special’ colours or designs which have particular meaning for their organisation.”

Heckmondwike FB’s fibre bonded carpet is ideal for ensuring the designs within the entrance area remain practical because they can be cut on site and will not ravel or fray.

Not only do these bespoke designs provide an attractive appearance, but Heckmondwike FB’s range is produced using heavy weight fibres, which offer a tough, durable surface that acts as an effective barrier and interceptor for dirt, grit and moisture.

A bespoke entrance area sample card is now available from Heckmondwike FB, which showcases the company’s full range of designs, textures and colours, specifically for entrances.

Heckmondwike FB’s sample cards are available to order via the website www.heckmondwike-fb.co.uk.or by calling+44 [0] 1924 406161.

Heckmondwike FB, the leading specialist in heavy contract fibre bonded carpets and carpet tiles, has worked with over 26,000 schools to provide tailor-made carpets suited to their specifications. With the recent RIBA survey confirming innovative products and strong materials – like Heckmondwike’s Supacord – positively impact teacher and pupil morale, soft-furnishings are becoming an even more important part of school renovations and should be prioritised at the start of any new project.

Following the release and review of RIBA’s˟ survey looking into the impact on performance pre and post re-design, the research shows that both teachers and pupils reap the benefits when it comes to a thoughtfully designed building. The design of an education building, or rather the poor design of it, has been linked to peer on peer bullying, low performance and a decline in teacher morale. And, with secondary school places due to go up by an estimated 105,000 by 2025˟, good design is needed to suit all demands.

Achieving this in practice with limited budgets and numerous people to cater for can remain a challenging task. Interior fitting needs to reflect the atmosphere of a school and create an environment to suit everyone. With different levels of traffic and different levels of performance required, carpet specification is a tricky business. With the ability to choose one of 32 readily available colour options and unique designs available, Supacord makes choosing the carpet simple.

Supacord is available and produced in the UK, and can be ordered in either a fibre bonded sheet or as carpet tiles, making it unique for spaces of any shape or size. Heckmondwike is renowned for making sure complete satisfaction with all installations, and offer a guarantee of up to 10 years with Supacord and many of its other products. With 85% of its annual flooring turnover laid in Education buildings, Heckmondwike FB has done what it does best and put that knowledge and legacy to good use by making a product designed specifically for buildings and projects that are looking for a long-term product at a reasonable cost.

Sharni Verity, Marketing Manager at Heckmondwike, says: Heckmondwike has been working in education buildings for a long-time and has used all of this experience to create a product we’re proud of and we know is fit for purpose. Supacord is durable and designed for long-term benefits, as well as being made in Britain, allowing quick delivery times. When Supacord is fitted, Heckmondwike make sure this is done exactly to customer specification, and guarantee every area for 10 years.

For more information about Supacord and to view the latest designs, please visit Heckmondwike’s website.