Knauf AMF Ceilings transform primary school classrooms into calm learning environments

Knauf AMF has helped transform a primary school reception classroom and a reading room into calm learning environments where both pupils and teachers are benefiting. St John’s Church of England Combined School, Princes Risborough, was once like many schools suffering with high noise levels in their classrooms. Once Knauf AMF Thermatex Alpha ceiling tiles and Sonic Sky Rafts were installed, staff noticed big improvements straight away, not just with the noise levels but with the behaviour of the children too, as head teacher, Gillian Grimsey, explained: “Before the ceiling was put in the noise levels got incredibly high as one child started talking, then the next, until many had to shout to be heard. This has stopped and the feel of the room has changed, it is much calmer which has helped staff deal with behaviour issues and staff no longer suffer with headaches.” Paul Maunder, Palm Interiors Ltd, who installed the ceiling explained why AMF ceilings were the chosen solution: “The classroom was suffering with echoing and the Thermatex Alpha ceiling tiles provide high sound absorption and reduce the reverberation times helping to minimise the amount of noise bouncing around and travelling through the adjoining walls.” Thermatex Alpha ceiling tiles provide high sound absorption and the perforations of the core board create a Class A sound absorber. Thermatex Alpha has a strong white surface creating a smooth and elegant finished look. The tile is made of bio-soluble mineral wool which contributes to its excellent acoustic performance and also offers outstanding fire protection. Circular and square Sonic Sky Rafts were installed in the main reading room of the school to help absorb sound and reduce reverberation, creating a comfortable acoustic environment suitable for reading and quiet work. The rafts are available in a range of different colours and shapes and hung on adjustable hangers for an elegant floating appearance which makes them visually appealing, particularly to young children. Thermatex Alpha tiles and Sonic Sky Rafts are both lightweight and very easy to install enabling all the installation work to take place at the weekend so the school was not inconvenienced. Staff at the school are delighted with the improvements the new ceilings have made to the atmosphere in the rooms. An additional benefit is that the classroom is warmer. The insulating properties of the Thermatex Alpha ceiling tiles help retain and reflect the heat back into the room which the school has noticed: “In the very cold weather we have had, the room has retained much of the heat from the day and the temperature doesn’t seem to have fallen as much as the previous winter.”