The Impact of Noise in Classrooms
Did you know that excessive noise in classrooms can cause students to miss up to 25% of information? By incorporating solutions like acoustic flooring, such as acoustic-backed carpet tiles, schools can create a calmer and more effective learning environment. This is because acoustic flooring helps alleviate challenges posed by disruptive noise, promoting a quieter, more focused atmosphere for learning.
Research highlights the detrimental effects of noise pollution in classrooms, which can disrupt students learning, attention span, memory, and motivation. Beyond cognitive struggles, constant noise exposure can lead to higher stress hormone levels and increased blood pressure in children. This issue is even more pronounced for children with ADHD, as they are particularly sensitive to distractions, resulting in heightened hyperactivity and a decline in academic performance, according to findings from the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Therefore, addressing excessive noise levels in the classroom benefits all students, even those with special needs.
What is Acoustic Backing in Carpet Tiles?
Acoustic backing refers to a specialised layer added to carpets that is specifically designed to improve sound insulation and reduce noise transmission.
Sound travels in waves, and when these waves hit a soft, dense, or porous material, part of the sound energy is absorbed and converted into heat, reducing the amount of sound that passes through. By absorbing sound waves, acoustic flooring helps minimise noise.
At Heckmondwike, acoustic backing is made from felt, which boasts a dense structure that helps absorb sound waves and reduce noise transmission in a room. This makes acoustic tiles particularly beneficial in environments like lecture theatres in schools, where sound control is essential.
Beyond its acoustic benefits, felt offers several additional advantages. Its soft, cushioned feel underfoot enhances comfort and contributes to thermal insulation, making the space slightly warmer compared to other backing materials. The dense fibre structure also makes the felt highly resilient, preventing matting and compression and ultimately increasing the carpet’s lifespan.
Moreover, since the felt is made from synthetic fibres, it is more moisture-resistant than other materials, helping to prevent the growth of bacteria and mould under the carpet. This is especially important in schools, where maintaining hygiene is a priority. In the long run, these qualities not only support the upkeep of the carpet but also save schools money by reducing the need for frequent replacements.
Benefits of Acoustic Backing in Schools
- Noise Reduction: Acoustic tiles help reduce ambient noise in educational spaces. This limits distractions, especially in open-plan classrooms, as the acoustic tiles prevent the noise from travelling between areas, allowing students to focus better.
- Enhanced communication: In large classrooms, understanding instructions and engaging in discussions can be challenging without good acoustics. Also, for environments using microphones, acoustic-backed carpet tiles improve sound quality, making it easier for students to hear audio without distortion. Consequently, acoustic tiles can reduce airborne noise.
- Improved focused and learning: A study revealed that participants studying in low-noise environments showed better academic performance than those in high-noise environments, reinforcing the notion that excessive noise can negatively affect concentration and information processing. Therefore, acoustic-backed carpet tiles are a beneficial investment in students’ learning outcomes.
- Support for special needs: For students with sensory processing disorders, the noise-reducing qualities of acoustic tiles can help create a more calming environment. This makes it easier for these students to focus and participate in classroom activities without being overstimulated.
Additional Features of Acoustic-Backed Carpet Tiles
In addition to noise reduction and improved focus, acoustic tiles provide other features:
- Comfort: Acoustic-backed carpet tiles provide a soft surface, making classrooms more comfortable, especially for children who may be sitting on the floor for extended periods.
- Durability and Easy Maintenance; Acoustic-backed carpet tiles are specifically engineered to endure high traffic and regular use. They’re also low-maintenance and resistant to stains, making them an excellent choice for active classrooms.
- Safety: Hypoallergenic carpet tiles can help create a healthier and safer environment by reducing the risk of allergic reactions, respiratory issues, and other health concerns. If you would like to learn more about creating a cleaner, allergen-free environment in the classroom, look at this article on how to reduce allergens in the classroom.
How Acoustic Tiles Reduce Impact Noise in Schools
Impact noise is the sound generated by physical impacts, like footsteps, dropped objects, or moving furniture. This kind of noise can be particularly disruptive in educational environments, especially in multi-story buildings where noise from the floor above can be heard below.
Supacord and Broadrib acoustic-backed carpet tiles are popular choices in schools for reducing impact noise because they have a felt backing that is designed to absorb and reduce vibrations caused by impact noises. This helps prevent the noise from traveling through the floor structure and into other rooms or areas.
- Supacord, often specified for its superior ability to reduce impact noise, makes it an ideal solution for noisy educational environments. For example, Supacord’s tiles can achieve a 23dB impact. This means that the tiles can reduce the intensity of impact noise by 23 dB, resulting in a noticeable reduction in the volume of footsteps, dropped objects, and other physical impacts.
Heckmondwike’s Supacord carpet tiles in Kingston Grey and Blue Moon were used as part of the new build development for Lord Williams’s School. The high-performance tiles are designed to reduce noise levels, helping to minimise distractions in busy school corridors. The combination of stylish colours and noise-reducing benefits create an ideal balance of functionality and design in the school’s interior.
- Broadrib, celebrated for its market-leading acoustic properties and wider rib structure, offers exceptional noise reduction, achieving an impressive 25dB impact. Consequently, Broadrib is ideal for high-traffic communal spaces such as receptions, corridors, and break out areas.
Broadrib tiles were installed in St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School’s corridors and communal areas. The school required a new flooring solution that was not only hard-wearing but also capable of enhancing acoustics and reducing disruption in heavy footfall areas. The combination of excellent acoustic performance and long-lasting durability made Broadrib the perfect choice for the school’s busy spaces.
With a BREEAM A* rating, both Supacord and Broadrib contribute to schools’ sustainability efforts by supporting low-carbon, energy-efficient designs. These high-performance commercial carpet tiles not only enhance environmental credentials but also deliver exceptional durability and functionality, making them an ideal choice for schools seeking both performance and sustainability.
Transform your School with Acoustic Solutions
Designed to enhance focus, improve acoustics, and create a safer, more productive learning environment, our acoustic-backed carpet tiles are the perfect solution for fostering a better educational space for your students.
Contact us today to discover how we can help transform your school with our high-quality acoustic-backed carpet tiles.
Every student has a bright future ahead of them, so why should your school’s design settle for any less?
Experts at the University of Salford have found that classroom design contributes to 16% of students’ learning rates. Therefore, it may be time for you to inject some more colour into your classrooms. What better way to do this than to invest in new fibre bonded carpet designs?
1. Creating Zones and Breakout Rooms
Implementing certain colour schemes throughout schools can influence students’ mood and mindset in positive ways. It may also be worth creating certain zones and breakout rooms with different carpet colours.
For younger children who have carpeted learning, different colours can be used to signify dedicated reading, play and learning zones. Use blue tones in areas that require focus, green to motivate and pink to associate fun in the play zones.
In secondary schools, the same concept can be used but with breakout rooms for students to relax in, work together or study independently. Not only does this create an inspirational space for students, but it will also help to add a pop of colour into their day to boost morale.
2. Use Shapes and Patterns
Using shapes and prints on carpets can help to encourage creativity, especially with early years. Shapes such as stars can be added to carpet tiles, to make going to school even more fun.
It may also be beneficial to add numbers or letters onto carpet tiles, to help younger children learn and improve their memory recall when learning the alphabet and mathematics. In the same way, numbers can advise on classroom numbers without additional signage.
When you opt for our Fusion range, we can brand any logo, shape or print into our carpet tiles. Available in a range of colours, it has never been easier to personalise your space.
3. Make a Lasting First Impression
Every school is different and has its own unique logo and branding. Why not show this off by building your logo into entrance halls and welcome mats? As well as adding a splash of colour to grab attention, it will also help give a professional and welcoming feel to prospective students and parents.
4. Bespoke Entrances
At Heckmondwike, we can manufacture a host of custom solutions for your entrance, so you can make an impact on your visitors, potential students and new pupils. Research shows that creating a strong brand helps to build unity and it fosters a sense of belonging.
5. Creative Walkway Solutions
Walkways are arguably one of the most important areas within a school. They are essential to ensure students can get between lessons and breaks both easily and safely. Naturally, these walkways might be one of the first places that are forgotten about in the sea of students travelling around the school. Imagine how nice it would be to brighten these up with some colour, and put an efficient system in place?
Different coloured carpet tiles or arrows can be used throughout walkways to create a handy system so that students don’t bump into each other during changeover times.
Our fibre bonded Array and Broadrib carpet tiles are perfect for creating walkway borders, and are super reliable to use in areas like corridors, where there is heavy footfall.
Get in touch with us today to discuss any bespoke requirements for your school or classrooms.
Classrooms are bustling, lively environments. Students and teachers are constantly coming and going, but the space still needs to be calm and tranquil enough to allow students to thrive.
What’s more, a classroom needs to be designed to inspire and foster big ambitions. Therefore, it should incorporate colours and patterns that stimulate learning, without distracting students from their studies.
Flooring is one of the most important decisions when it comes to classroom design. Underfoot all the time, the right flooring can make or break a learning environment.
Commercial carpets are an ideal choice for the classroom for so many reasons. From acoustics to cost-effective design options, we’ve listed 6 benefits of installing commercial carpets in the classroom.
1. Amazing Acoustics
Commercial carpets are ten times more efficient at reducing sound than other flooring types. In fact, experts believe that commercial carpet can reduce airborne noise by up to 35%.
In the classroom, absorbing noise is crucial to maintaining a calm learning environment. From conversation, to scraping chairs, to moving desks, there is so much background noise that needs to be minimised.
Our fibre bonded carpets have been carefully designed to absorb as much noise as possible. In fact, our Supacord commercial carpet sheets can absorb 22dB of noise! This can be improved even further with our special acoustic backing.
2. Incredible Insulation
Commercial carpet is a very good thermal insulator, as the fibres in the material trap heat, keeping rooms warmer for longer and stopping heat from escaping through the floor. In the winter, this is a huge plus for schools looking to save on heating costs.
What’s more, even if the classroom is cold, Heckmondwike fibre-bonded carpets will still feel warm to the touch. This is a must for primary schools where children have to sit on the floor.
3. Safety is the Top Priority
In classrooms, students’ safety and well-being have to come first. Unlike hardwood floors, our fibre bonded carpets prevent slips and falls. They are hard-wearing, and will not ravel or fray, so you can have confidence in classroom safety for years to come.
Heckmondwike also offers a range of entrance and transition area products, to make sure that corridors and entrance halls are just as safe as the classrooms in an education building.
4. Inspiring Design
Commercial carpet is a great, low-cost way to introduce a pop of colour, or an interesting pattern into the classroom. By choosing a captivating carpet, classroom designers can save money by making the rest of the classroom fairly simple, so as not to distract or overwhelm students.
Our Array and Odyssey ranges feature engaging patterns in a broad variety of colours, to brighten up any classroom environment. They can be interchanged with tiles from our bestselling Supacord range to create a checkerboard pattern, break out areas, walkways and anything else you can come up with!
5. Better Hygiene
Since the pandemic, hygiene has become a renowned focus in schools. Hygienic classrooms can reduce the transmission of illnesses, which improves attendance, helping students learn.
Contrary to popular opinion, installing fibre-bonded carpet can actually improve classroom hygiene, if it’s cleaned regularly. This is because commercial carpet traps viruses and bacteria in the gaps between fibres, reducing the likelihood of transmission.
6. Comfort
Last but certainly not least, comfort is key in the classroom. Students can’t learn to the best of their ability if they don’t feel relaxed and reassured in the classroom. This is where our fibre-bonded carpets come into their own, making any classroom space feel cosy and welcoming.
Not only are they comfortable, Heckmondwike commercial carpets for education come with a seal of approval from those who count.
If you’re looking to renovate your education space this summer, why not request a free carpet sample, by contacting 01924 406 161 or emailingsales@heckmondwike-fb.co.uk.
When analysing student performance, classroom design is not often considered an important contributory factor. However, attentively designed classrooms can improve students’ well-being, focus and communication skills.
In fact, a study by researchers at the University of Salford found that learning environments could impact pupils’ performance by 25%.
How classroom design can impact student learning
Colour
Different colours affect the way we see and process information. Filling a classroom with colours that promote learning, communication and confidence is a great way to boost student wellbeing and help children concentrate.
- Bold vs muted
Bright colours such as red and yellow can inspire energy and creativity, but can be easily overstimulating for children who have attention issues or are neurodivergent.
Therefore, a great strategy is to use bright colours to direct attention to specific areas of interest in the classroom. Then, you can pair them with more calming, muted colours like dark blues and greens to create a learning environment that is both relaxing and inspiring.
All of our fibre bonded carpets come in an impressive range of colours. The education industry’s long standing favourite Supacord range comes in 42 colours from bright Emerald to earthy Pebble.
- Patterns and textures
Understanding how patterns and textures can work to provide different effects is a key part of sensory development for young children. Smooth, shiny textures can be interesting, but for flooring, a softer surface will be more comfortable.
Patterns can provide pockets of inspiration, especially in hallways and transition spaces. Different types or colours of carpet can be used to make creative patterns that can also function as break out areas or queuing prompts. Our Array and Broadrib ranges can be combined to do just that, like in this corridor space from St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School:
Acoustics
The noise level in a classroom can significantly impact how well children can learn.
A study from the Centre for Educational Neuroscience found that children under 8 years old with low selective attention skills struggled to concentrate in a classroom environment with loud levels of background noise.
Furthermore, high levels of classroom noise can be frustrating as well as distracting for both students and teachers, and lead to less engagement and proactive teamwork.
Flooring is a cost-effective way to make a space as quiet as possible. Fibre-bonded carpet can absorb airborne noise by up to 30%, improving classroom acoustics.
Our bestselling Supacord range reduces background noise by up to 22dB with specially designed acoustic backing.
This noise reduction can improve children’s ability to focus on their work, and allow them to feel relaxed and nurtured in their learning environment.
Comfort
Children in England spend on average 635 hours in the classroom every year. Therefore, classrooms must be comfortable inviting spaces that children are excited to be in.
Our fibre-bonded carpets provide a layer of cushioning that forms a comfortable surface for children sitting on the floor. Its anti-ravel and anti-fray technologies prevent slips and falls and make it a hard wearing and cost-effective flooring option.
Many different choices go into creating the perfect classroom design. Flooring is key to maximise possibilities in a space, as it is a cost-effective way to insert colour into a room whilst making the classroom more noise-absorbant and comfortable.
Heckmondwike FB is one of the UK’s leading commercial carpet manufacturers with over 40 years of experience in the education sector. To learn more, or request a free carpet sample, please contact 01924 406 161 or email sales@heckmondwike-fb.co.uk.