Fulford School in York is a leading secondary education institution with an OFSTED rating of ‘Outstanding’. Committed to providing high-quality learning environments, it embarked on a project to replace its long-standing temporary classrooms with an exciting new build for art, science, and English. Recognising the importance of tough, ergonomic, and attractive furniture in fostering creativity and productivity, the school partnered with APMG for its high-quality furniture solutions.
Fulford School’s commitment to academic excellence extends beyond traditional classroom settings. The construction of the new block aims to provide students with dedicated spaces for artistic expression and creativity, focus, and scientific exploration. It is also designed to give educators a teaching environment supporting their students’ aspirations.
Central to this endeavour was the selection of classroom furniture that complemented the architectural design and supported each department’s teaching objectives.
The collaboration between Fulford School and APMG illustrates the transformative impact of innovative furniture solutions on educational environments. Through engagement with the Fulford team and thoughtful design, APMG has helped deliver educational furniture that creates vibrant and inspiring areas that support Fulford School’s commitment to nurturing creativity and excellence in education.
Strategic partnerships and tailored solutions can enhance learning spaces for the benefit of students and educators alike.
APMG’s design team collaborated closely with Fulford School’s stakeholders to understand their specific requirements and vision for the new block. They initially planned, designed, and costed the internal furniture to allow the school to assemble its business case and successfully bid for funding.
Once the finances were in place, the comprehensive solution tailored to the school’s needs went ahead. The innovative APMG laboratory design team are experts in school furniture projects and storage design and has developed customised furniture solutions for each academic discipline.
APMG’s designers are well-versed in the needs of an art department. The art rooms benefit from taller tables to facilitate artistic activities. Perimeter benching is tailored to fit the angled walls and houses several plan chests to store precious coursework safely. Tall units accommodate different paper sizes and also display some of the artworks created. At the teachers’ request, APMG’s powder-coating department added colour to the table frames, and darker grey cabinets and drawer fronts were chosen to contrast.
The new English classrooms all feature a teaching wall perfect for the school environment. They optimise space utilisation and can accommodate many educational activities. With a teaching wall, the teaching staff can choose methods to engage with their students, and the whiteboards are a useful part of their toolkit. The storage behind the whiteboards is enough to make any teacher happy, and it can be customised with trays, shelving, etc.
The school lab furniture is manufactured with resilience and durability in mind. Trespa worktops and strong RHS steel frames ensure our science lab furniture is tough enough to withstand the heavy demands placed on furniture in the classroom. The winged bench design optimises the space, ensuring every pupil can focus on the teaching wall. Of course, the science team also asked for teaching walls – a tidy lab is safe!
APMG supplied rise and fall tables for the art and science departments and several English classrooms. These height-adjustable desks and tables support inclusivity within classrooms, science labs, CDT, and food tech classrooms. Any services available on a typical school bench can be incorporated into one of these tables. Link to Adjustable Height page
APMG worked closely with Fulford School’s project team to ensure a seamless implementation process. This involved meticulous planning, coordination, and furniture installation within the designated timeframe. One of APMG’s expert installation teams fitted the bespoke school furniture with professionalism and efficiency and minimal disruption to ongoing school activities.
The installation of APMG’s furniture in Fulford School’s new block has yielded numerous benefits:
We’re delighted with our newly built facilities. We received funding from the local council to support the expansion of the school, and even at the start of this project, APMG supported our bid with designs and quotations. The range of school furniture they’ve supplied has hit the mark for us. From a business and facilities perspective, we’ve invested in high-quality, attractive, resilient furniture that will last us a long time.
“Our teaching staff are very pleased with their new classrooms and the amount of storage the APMG designers were able to provide. The teaching walls, particularly, are a hit with our students and teachers. The teachers love the ease of use of the sliding whiteboards and the huge amount of shelving and cupboard space, which they are even struggling to fill! And our students enjoy learning in a bright, clutter-free environment.
“Our new art rooms are a fantastic resource too. The art team asked for some colour and chose turquoise blue for the tall table frames and dark grey for the door and drawer fronts. They were surprised at how much room they had to keep coursework and supplies – the plan chests, paper store, and cupboards have been very well received. The science lab is another success. I was surprised at the difference the winged benches make – even the students at the ends of the benching get a great view of the teaching wall and can focus on their learning.
“The new furniture was delivered on a working school day, and the delivery and installation went well. The APMG fitters were professional and polite and couldn’t have been more helpful. We’ve had a great experience with APMG from start to finish, and I hope to be working with them again soon.”
Gary Hennigan, School Business Manager, Fulford School