Acoustic Design in Scottish Schools

In responding to the Scottish Government consulation on updating school premises regulations (SPR), the IOA have taken the opportunity to emphasise the importance of good acoustics in schools. We are supporting the recommendation to retain Regulation 24: Acoustic Conditions, in particular, welcoming the proposed inclusion of a link to Building Bulletin 93: Acoustic design of schools - performance standards (BB93). Members of the IOA regularly work on school design and refurbishment projects in Scotland, and have made additional comments on equality impacts, highlighting the requirement for additional guidance to cover a number of audibility aspects that are encountered in schools - including pupils with hearing impairment, and speech, language and communication difficulties, quoting BB93 which states that school senior leaders “…should anticipate the needs of deaf and other disabled children as current and future users of the school”, and the Equality Act 2010/Disability Discrimination Act which states schools and local authorities have a duty to make ‘reasonable adjustments’. We also reference the Acoustics of schools: a design guide produced by the IOA and ANC which states “Favourable acoustic conditions will benefit large numbers of pupils within mainstream schools who have special hearing requirements.”

Full response on our consultation page