St. Catherine's Primary School enhances the learning experience

When it came to the specification of ceilings for a £5m new build primary school in Kidderminster, acoustic performance and aesthetic appeal were at the top of the list of priorities for Worcester County Council architect, Elizabeth Devas, who turned to us for a solution.

Kier Construction was the main contractor for the build, which was completed for Worcester County Council as part of the West Midlands Construction Framework. Since the start of the 2012/2013 academic year, the staff and pupils of St Catherine’s have experienced an improvement in school life thanks, in part, to our Gyptone® Quattro ceiling products installed throughout the building.

A better learning environment

Sub-contractors Roskels were on site at St Catherine’s to install the products. British Gypsum Gyptone Quattro 41 – a ceiling board – was used in the classroom to meet the requirements of BB93 and create the desired seamless, monolithic appearance, along with a Gyptone access panel to make technical installations easy to reach. Gyptone Quattro 50 and Gyptone Quattro 20 tiles were also used elsewhere in the school.

All Gyptone tiles and boards have an eye-catching design coupled with an integral sound absorbent tissue backing, making them a popular choice for acoustic ceilings in schools, office spaces and retail environments. 

“Ceilings are a vital part of any school building as they play a major role in determining the acoustic qualities of a room. Acoustics can have a huge effect on day-to-day school life, particularly in the classrooms. Here, it is important to optimise sound absorption, which helps to eliminate echo, and minimise sound transmission between spaces to prevent disruptions from external sources which could impact on learning.

“Another factor to consider, secondary to the acoustic needs but also of great importance, was the appearance of the ceilings. As a new-build school, a lot of consideration has gone into the overall aesthetic of every room and the ceilings are no different. With this in mind, I turned to British Gypsum and specified a number of the Gyptone Quattro ceiling products. These not only had the acoustic qualities that we required, but were also available in a variety of patterns and designs, widening the choice.

“In the classrooms, I was keen to use a product that gave a seamless, monolithic appearance fitting in well with the other aspects of the rooms. Some of the ceilings were sloping, which could have presented a challenge, but having used the Gyptone Quattro range before, I knew it would work well.”

Elizabeth Devas, architect for Worcester County Council

Sarah Power, Headteacher at St Catherine’s, added: “The ceilings look amazing so we’re very pleased. Good acoustic performance is of vital importance in a school as it has an impact on a pupil’s concentration and therefore learning. The ceilings have really helped to improve the sound quality in our classrooms.”

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