School Noticeboards: Which Type Do You Need?
School Noticeboards: Which Type Do You Need?
Choosing a school noticeboard comes down to three questions: what you are displaying, where it will go, and who needs to update it. Answer those and the right type, size and fire rating follow. This guide gives you a quick decision tree, the main board types compared, the two compliance checks, and what to budget.
A noticeboard is a fixture that stays on the wall for years, not a quick buy. Choosing the right type first time means it fits the space, meets the fire rules where it has to, and does not need replacing the first time a display is pulled apart.
How to Choose a School Noticeboard in Three Questions
The quickest way to land on the right board is to answer three questions in order. Each answer narrows the choice, and together they point to a single board type.
The Main Types of School Noticeboard
Most school noticeboards fall into five types. The table below compares what each is best for and what to watch out for, so you can match the type to the space.
| Type of school noticeboard | Best used for | What to watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Open felt or cork | Classrooms, staff rooms and supervised areas that change often | Notices can be removed, covered or overfilled |
| Lockable tamperproof | Corridors, reception, safeguarding and statutory notices | Costs more, and a key is needed to update |
| Fire-rated (Class B) | Escape routes, corridors and stairwells | Confirm the certification on the specific model |
| Combination (felt and dry-wipe) | Staff rooms and planning areas that pin and write | A larger footprint to fit two surfaces |
| External weatherproof | Entrances, gates and covered walkways | Higher cost, sealed for the weather |
Felt comes in colours such as grey, blue, red and green, so you can code by department or key stage. On a fire-rated board the fabric is fire-retardant whatever the colour, so colour-coding does not affect compliance.
Felt or cork? Felt is usually the better choice for schools: it stands up to constant pinning, hides old pin holes and comes in more colours for coding. Cork still suits light-duty or traditional displays, but it wears faster in busy classrooms and corridors and offers fewer colours.
Which Board is Best for Which School Area?
Based on the placements we have supplied to UK schools since 1978, here is the board, and a typical size, that usually suits each area. Treat it as a starting point, and confirm the fire rating and access for the specific position.
Fire-Rated or Lockable: The Two Compliance Checks
Two questions decide whether a board has to do more than display. Both depend on where the board goes, not on the room it serves.
Only on escape routes. Corridors, stairwells and lobbies should meet BS EN 13501-1 Class B; ordinary classrooms usually do not.
Lock anything the public can reach. Reception areas and busy corridors suit a key-locked, glazed board; a supervised classroom is fine open.
Fire-rating guidance follows the Department for Education's Building Bulletin 100 (BB100) and Approved Document B, the primary references for school fire-safety design.
How Much Does a School Noticeboard Cost?
Open boards are usually the lowest-cost option. A lock, a Class B fire rating, a larger format or a weatherproof external build each add to the price, because of the door, the certification, the frame and the weather sealing. Size and frame finish move the figure too. A single classroom board is the cheapest starting point, while fitting a public corridor to Class B, or an entrance to a weatherproof board, sits at the higher end.
At the time of writing, open felt and combination boards typically start from around £100, lockable tamperproof boards from around £110, and fire-rated or large external boards from around £175 upward. Prices change, so always confirm the current figure on the product page. School purchase orders are accepted from schools, academies and colleges on 30-day credit terms.
Three Boards We Recommend
These three map to the main decision: an open felt board for everyday classroom display, a lockable board for managed and safeguarding notices, and a fire-rated board for corridors and escape routes.
Best for classrooms and large wall displays. A big, aluminium-framed felt board for everyday pinning, the classic school noticeboard.
View Board
Best for reception and safeguarding notices. A key-locked, glazed best-seller that keeps managed notices in place.
View Board
Best for corridors and escape routes. A fire-rated board (BS EN 13501-1 Class B) that locks, for circulation and stairwell walls.
View BoardBrowse more in the felt noticeboards, lockable noticeboards and fire resistant boards ranges, or the full education display and storage range.
See how schools put these displays into practice. Scroll through the examples below.
A board on a corridor lined with lockers and classroom doors. A corridor like this is usually an escape route, so a Class B fire-rated board is the safe choice.
A classroom board carrying pupils' work above the learning tables. A supervised room that changes often suits an open felt board.
A noticeboard in a modern corridor with lockers and classroom doors. A lockable board keeps notices in place where pupils pass all day.
A cork display board in a primary cloakroom above the coat hooks. Cork suits a light-duty corner pupils can update often themselves.
A red noticeboard on an upper-floor corridor by a glass balustrade. An upper corridor like this is usually an escape route, so a fire-rated board fits.
Displaysense supplies felt, fire-rated, lockable, combination and external noticeboards to UK schools, with certification documentation, free UK mainland delivery, and purchase orders on 30-day credit terms.
Choosing a school noticeboard comes down to three questions: what you are displaying, where it will go, and who updates it. Those answers point to a type: open felt for supervised classrooms, lockable tamperproof for corridors and reception, fire-rated Class B for escape routes, combination boards to pin and write, and external boards for outdoors. Lock anything the public can reach, specify Class B where a position sits on an escape route, and budget from around £100 for felt, rising with locks, fire rating and size.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose a noticeboard for a school?
What are the main types of school noticeboard?
Do all school noticeboards need to be fire-rated?
How much does a school noticeboard cost?
What size noticeboard do I need for a classroom?
What noticeboard is best for a school corridor?
Where can I buy school noticeboards in the UK?
Fire-rating points in this guide follow the Department for Education's Building Bulletin 100 (BB100) and Approved Document B. Confirm the final specification with your fire risk assessor.
When BB100 and Class B fire ratings apply, and where boards need them.
Lockable and fire-rated boards for busy, high-traffic corridors.
Choosing the right channels to reach parents, pupils and staff.
More in this series: Mental health displays · Attendance displays · Safeguarding boards · Reception ideas · Reception best practice · British values displays
