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Furniture & Storage Solutions
constraints. We have invested heavily in
computer-aided design (CAD) to help us respond
quickly and economically.”
“Designing classrooms with more functional
flexibility means that a teacher can easily vary
instructional methods to accommodate different
learning styles and course topics simply by
utilizing reconfigurable furniture,” agrees Hindle.
“For example, teachers can arrange seating into
rows for test taking, circles for group discussions,
semicircles for lectures and presentations, or
several smaller groupings for collaborative team
projects.”
Morleys also produces individual pieces that
can be used in a number of environments. The
company’s Academy Tables have solid laminate
tops for a multitude of lessons (including
science and technology) that are resistant to
scratches and chemical spillages.
And if the lessons and environments have
changed in the last few decades – so it seems
have the children! “The range of children’s
heights in the classroom is greater now and
children are still growing in height for their age.
This means furniture needs to have more
adjustment built in to cover the existing and
future pupils, due to the length of time the
furniture will be in the school, which is down to
its build quality,” points out Hayley Watson.
Finding the right quality of furniture that is
both comfortable, flexible and affordable is of
course the challenge. they look after their furniture (and other cover dimensional suitability and strength and
Rob Minshull from Nortek furniture is equipment),” says Jeremy Mills. “Robustness is a stability,” she says.
astounded at the lack of thought schools often big issue for schools and we work closely with our “Testing is very expensive but necessary to
put into choosing their furniture. “It seems schools to learn from the issues they face and ensure compliance. A lot of suppliers cut corners
incredible that people can spend £15 million to adapt as their demands change. We will also work by only having one chair out of the range tested
build a beautiful new school with great to make retrospective changes wherever possible and then say that the whole range conforms to
architecture, as green as can be, with every to ensure that the product keeps working for the required standards,” she adds.
conceivable feature and then put complete them even after they have purchased it.” Doing good research will pay dividends in the
rubbish into it,” he says. long term. Jeremy Mills suggests asking to see –
“The situation went wrong because while the or test – a sample of the furniture. “Flexibility and
education authorities held the purse strings they robustness are the key criteria. Assessing the
simply put out tenders for chairs lets say for three
"The range of children’s
build quality of furniture by looking at website
years - and the only thing that mattered was cost.
So you got cheaper and nastier furniture,” he
heights in the classroom is
pictures is a gamble - much better to ask to see a
sample product and see for yourself if the
adds. “You got to a situation where people in
greater now and children
product is likely to stand up to daily life in your
schools thought that was the norm, well, it isn’t
the norm. It’s the norm in this country but if you
are still growing in height
school. Also check how easy it is to supply power
and data to the equipment, and ask for
take a look at the rest of Europe, the quality of
for their age. This means
references from other schools that have used the
the furniture is fantastic and lasts a long time.”
Nortek chairs are ergonomically designed to
furniture needs to have
furniture.”
Finally, the environment must also be
minimise back problems and increase
more adjustment built in
considered when buying new furniture for
concentration in the classroom – so they actually
help students to achieve better results. “I know it
to cover the existing and
schools. Morley’s uses timber and steel as these
are both recyclable. Water based lacquers are
sounds strange but the fact of the matter is when
future pupils,"
also desirable as these do not put so many
kids are comfortable they don’t fidget and they volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere.
concentrate more. It’s a win/win situation,” adds
Hayley Watson
Innomensa uses wood-based products such as
Minshull. MDF and MFC to offer the best balance of cost,
In order to ensure that you are investing in the functionality and sustainability, together with
best quality furniture that will last the course, it is Another consideration should be industry kite steel and aluminium for strength and rigidity.
worth considering companies that offer marks. Morley’s furniture conforms to EN 1729 It is incredible to think that for so many years,
guarantees. Morley’s furniture carries various part 1 for dimensions and part 2 for strength and school furniture was an afterthought. And yet
guarantees carries from 5 to 25 years. “We stability and FIRA’s School Certification Scheme our children spend so many hours of every day
expect the furniture to last at least 5 years and KI’s furniture has all the necessary BSEN using these items. It is believed that there is
looking good for the whole period. Certain standards. already a generation who will struggle with bad
products will wear, tops and seats, but these can Hayley Watson believes, however, that many backs due to cheap chairs and heavy school bags,
be replaced reusing the frames,” says Watson. other companies are not as scrupulous in their let’s hope this will be the last. Think of furniture
KI also offers up to ’Lifetime’ warranties on some quality and testing standards. “Very little of the as an investment and choose well and you will
of their products, especially if very durable items furniture schools buy conforms to any current not only have to replace it less often, it can
are requested. standards, either general tests for strength and contribute to students’ concentration and
“We expect our furniture to last well beyond 10 stability (i.e. BS EN 15373) or specific tests for improve results – and that really is the kind of
years, though schools differ widely in how well Schools such as BS EN 1729 parts 1 and 2, which support every school needs.
November 2009 www.education-today.co.uk
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