Government takes action to get schools right for children

The package means that acoustic testing will be a contractual requirement for all new schools built under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. In addition, Local Authorities will not get funds for more schools unless those recently built have passed an acoustic test.

This breakthrough came in response to evidence provided by NDCS earlier this year that a large number of new mainstream schools constructed under the Building for the Future programme do not comply with Government standards (2) on acoustics. As a result, the schools are unsuitable learning environments for pupils and are unfit for educating children with a hearing impairment.

Brian Gale, Director of Policy and Campaign at NDCS comments:
“Evidence shows that good acoustics can also help improve the learning and behavior of all pupils, and reduce health problems for teachers. They are nothing less than essential for deaf children the majority of whom are now being taught in mainstream schools (3). We welcome the Government’s commitment to take action as a result of our Sounds Good? campaign to ensure new schools cater for the needs of deaf children.”

“We are now calling on all schools, Local Authorities and other bodies involved in the building process to enforce the new rules quickly and to maintain vigilance over their school rebuilding programmes. These actions will help prevent taxpayers’ money being wasted, both on building new schools that are not fit for purpose, and on expensive retrofits to deal with poor acoustics (4).”

In a snapshot survey carried out by NDCS this year, only one in five local authorities could confirm that their new school buildings meet the government’s standards on acoustics (5).

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