When deciding what type(s) of notice boards to purchase and where to place a notice board there are several things that require careful consideration, not least when placing a board within a school.

Hence, it is worthwhile asking and carefully answering the following questions in order to ensure you purchase the correct board, or most appropriate selection of notice boards when buying for a school.

• Are You Making the Best Use of Colour?

Depending on the age range of the children likely to see or use the board, colour is a fantastic means of communicating without using complicated language systems – i.e. written language when dealing with children too young to read it.

Vividly coloured felt boards can also not only add vibrancy and fun to a classroom or brighten up a school corridor but also be brilliantly used to denote that different boards have different uses. For example, a red board might feature timetables or detail the week’s daily dinner menus. Meanwhile, a blue board might be used to post memos or even who’s bagged which part in a school play.

The point is that even secondary schools can benefit from making use of felt cork boards as children will associate and process colours over complex symbol systems and written messages far more easily, especially within school when their brains are often being crammed with so much day to day.

Then, to view a wide range of felt boards, as well as white boards and external boards for use by schools and institutions, look no further than Noticeboards Online.

• Is It Safe?

Safety is of course of paramount importance when introducing any item of equipment into a school setting. Hence, most UK schools and even colleges and universities have strict guidelines and regulations as to what notice boards can be used, where they can be placed and who is permitted to use them. Some educational institutions, such as Birkbeck University of London go as far as to publish their guidelines concerning the use of bulletin boards on their website.

For this reason, it is not just the safety aspects of a board itself (and every notice board you consider buying) you will need to consider; you will also need to think strategically as to how to safely place a board and whether the accessories used in conjunction with a notice board are age appropriate. Suffice to say, pins used upon a felt board are not items young children should be permitted to use or gain access too.

• Is It Well Positioned?

Another area that requires special thought when buying and mounting a notice board within a school, specifically when intended to be enjoyed, used or read by students, is where to put it. Firstly, you will need to locate an area that experiences footfall (if no one passes the board no one will see it, of course), but which provides sufficient space to allow students to stop and use the board without causing an obstruction. Hence, nooks, crannies and classrooms are great areas for school notice boards. Meanwhile busy and narrow corridors and hallways are not.

Further, where the board is placed on a wall is likely to matter, and for two major reasons. Firstly, consider the eye level of your student as when it comes to notice board the old adage ‘out of sight, out of mind’ really does apply – and rather literally. That is, the further away from eye level information is the less likely it is to be seen, noticed or paid attention to. That said, if you are placing a notice board in a communal passageway of any kind, there is a real danger that the items on the board may be rubbed off, knocked off or otherwise damaged by those passing.

Meanwhile, for a wealth of exciting ideas as to how to decorate, create and design notice boards to ensure that they get noticed and used by students, give the Shrock Classroom Bulletin Boards Guide a browse.  

• Is It the Right Size?

Mainly for the reason given in the previous point, the size notice boards opted for also matter; the larger the notice board the more likely it is that information will get lost on it. This is contrary of course to the popular misconception that the bigger the board the better as it will permit staff and students a larger space to use. The reality is that information is likely to tussle for room within the centre of the board while anything which ends up on the peripheries of it or too far from the centre and eye level is likely to go entirely unnoticed.

Fortunately, this scenario be easily avoided; simply opt to budget for several smaller notice boards and as advised in the first point, colour code boards. Felt is wonderfully colourful material and can be used to cover an entire board. Meanwhile, white boards can be purchased in brightly coloured frames.

• Is It the Right Type of Notice Board for the Job?

White boards are ideal modern alternatives to blackboards. Cleaner, clearer, longer lasting and negating the need for messy, dusty and brittle chalk, they are in 2016 the most popularly opted for classroom boards. Increasingly popular, interactive white points are also now a common feature in classrooms, especially in secondly schools. The more sophisticated the students become, the more sophisticated often the technology and equipment is required to be.

This does not mean though that white boards are likely to be the only boards used within a classroom. The aforementioned felt cork board is ideal for pinning up children’s work, creating displays and as a memo board children and teachers can refer to when needed.

As already discussed and emphasised, just remember when placing any kind of notice board within a school setting to observe safety protocol; items and accessories such as pins need to be kept somewhere safe and well out of reach of younger students.

For more information, guidance and advice as to the different kinds of notice boards available for use within schools and educational institutions continue your research via the Boards Direct Best Notice Boards for Schools Guide.