News
Education Furniture Trends
August 2024
As we approach the start of the new school year, it’s important to focus on the evolving trends of education furniture for 2025.
The 2024 / 2025 new school year is here! Team BOYCO has already noticed a particular focus on flexibility, technology integration, and sustainability.
Keeping up with these trends can be tricky, however, we are here to offer a supportive guide on how to incorporate these learning space requirements in your next project…
Flexible Learning Environment
Classrooms are an evolving, dynamic space which demand adaptable solutions, tailored to the needs of both students and teachers. Furniture must be flexible for all to use, supporting multiple activities and teaching methods, such as group work or independent study.
A fantastic example of this is our project at Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi in Cardigan, where we incorporated a bespoke ‘Sawtooth Benching’ design into the school’s IT suite. This unique design allows students to face towards the front and effortlessly turn to each other when needed during lessons. This encourages collaboration between the teacher and other students, which is essential in lessons for effective learning. The specific design of the IT Suite has an additional benefit; increasing capacity of seating due to the angled table utilising space.
Technology in the Classroom
The rise of digital learning tools has created a demand for furniture that seamlessly integrates with technology. From teacher walls that incorporate SmartBoards, to having dedicated ‘trunking’ in the middle of tables to accommodate plugs for laptops, there is no denying how much learning spaces have had to adapt to the evolving digital world.
On the other side of this, there has been an increased need to remove digital distractions, such as mobile phones, when students are learning. BOYCO’s cube lockers are an ideal solution for this. Tailored to fit your space, we offer Single tier ‘cube’ lockers that can be used to securely store small digital gadgets when required, offering teachers a solution to preventing interruptions during lessons.
Need support with your locker selection? Discover our guide here.
Sustainability for Schools
Increasingly, education spaces are seeking eco-friendly furniture solutions that reflects their ethos on sustainable practices and responsibility for the environment.
Providing options in projects, such as FSC-certified and PEFC-certified timber and recycled plastics, offers schools opportunity to select more environmentally conscious options. Not only is this good for the planet, but in the case of the FSC-certified wood, it also supports the communities it’s sourced from.
Did you know all BOYCO’s timber is FSC and PEFC Certified? Learn more here.
Going beyond the materials, we understand the importance that the products used to coat the furniture are not just safe for students, but also safe for the environment, including coatings. Here at BOYCO, our ‘hot dip’ nylon extracted from castor oil; a waste product, it’s 100% renewable and non-toxic. We also offer it in 9 standard colours, making it bespoke for you but supporting sustainable practices.
Is Wooden Classroom Furniture Outdated?
We spoke to our design manager, Ola, about his thoughts on wooden furniture’s place in the modern classroom setting…
“Wooden furniture still does have its place. In cloakroom furniture it’s a great material to use. Not only does it create a comfortable and natural aesthetic to furniture, but it’s also the most practical choice to use. Students use the cloakroom frequently, especially during busy periods such as the morning, lunchtime, or end of the day. Materials such as Solid Grade Laminate is too heavy and hard to use, but timber is softer, especially in case of accidental bumps that could happen.
For the durability of timber, BOYCO uses White American Ash as a standard, which is known for its resilient strength. This is then twice coated in our lacquer, protecting the wood further from scratches and scrapes. It also offers anti-microbial protection, as 99% of all known bacteria can’t survive when coming into contact with the surface.
Mentioning our cloakroom furniture, supporting the timber is a steel frame. This is coated in our ‘hot dip’ nylon. Pre-heated to 300 degrees, it’s ‘dipped’ rather than sprayed on which allows the specialist coating to go all the way through, coating the inside and outside of the metal. This offers unparalleled abrasion resistance protecting the structure from damage and rust in even the busiest environments, such as the school changing room.”
“There are specific environments, however, where we must move towards Solid Grade Laminate. There is wooden furniture, which is durable, but SGL is a premium material.
Especially when it comes to worktops, SGL is an alternative to wood. Providing unparalleled abrasion resistance, unlike wood which occasionally chips when used as worktops, it can withstand even the most rigorous environments. It also holds together with a ‘dog and bolt’ joint which creates a seamless finish to the worktop.
SGL comes in several bright colours, which is perfect for a school environment as it offers a light reflection grade – this contributes towards creating a well-lit area.”
Eager to discover more about the impact of colours in the classroom? View our full insight here.
What Education Furniture do I need?
Cloakroom Furniture for Organisation
Maintaining a neat and organised school environment can be a large task, especially considering the average class size continues to grow with each year. Students need a designated space to store their coats, bags, and in some cases outdoor shoes. Not only does this reduce clutter and keep the school changing areas tidy, but it also promotes better organisation for students, giving them a sense of responsibility for their items.
Discover BOYCO’s full cloakroom guide here.
Door Barriers for Safety and Control
A practical solution which can secure doors and control the flow of students is the use of door barriers. BOYCO’s door barriers range is complete with options that offer a catch, which automatically stops the door when opened against it, and a buffer which protects the door when opened against it. The catch in particular stops the door from swinging open constantly and keeps it free for students to pass through; this is important, especially in high-traffic areas like the entrance of a building as the door could swing back which is a potential health and safety issue.
Lockers for Secure Storage
Already popular in American schools, Lockers are appearing more and more in learning spaces across the UK. They provide a secure storage solution for student’s personal belongings, especially in communal spaces where entrance doors can’t be locked. Our lockers come with different material options depending on the environment or purpose they are required for. An example of this is BOYCO’s Wet or Dry Area – Aluminium Carcass, SGL Doors ‘Z’ Locker, this is both heavy duty and vandal resistant, as well as providing ‘clean and dirty’ areas for clothing. This is a popular choice for sports and swimming changing rooms, as items can be separated which keeps uniforms clean.
