When a chair is not just ‘a chair’

Published: 28 February, 2012

Ray Barker, Director of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) looks at the importance of spending on the right furniture.

For many schools faced with the prospect of purchasing their first new furniture for years, the problem is lack of experience and advice on what to buy. As heads scan educational furniture catalogues they looked at prices that did not compare with the high street and unfortunately a proportion decided to buy ‘cheap’. They purchased household quality furniture, for as little as a third of the price of equivalent educational products and thought they had a good deal.

Educational furniture manufacturers however, will tell you that the school environment is about the most hostile imaginable for a chair or table. Furniture members of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) will normally manufacture to the European educational furniture standards educational EN1729 which recognise the importance of both ergonomic excellence and durability in use. BESA members have been at the forefront of the development of new products to match this standard – delivering products which support improved lifelong back care for our children, better academic outcomes through comfort which leads to improved concentration and outstanding value for money through product durability and life cycle

At BESA, our recent ‘Resources in English Maintained Schools’ research (January 2012) shows that schools are still investing in furniture, and hopefully adhering to the EN1729 Standard, with an estimated £78m spending across 2012/13.

When you are looking for furniture, please visit www.besa.org.uk for details of the standards you should buy to and the companies to buy from (all BESA members must annually sign up to abide by the BESA Code of Practice).

British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA)

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7537 4997

Fax: +44 (0) 20 7537 4846

Web: www.besa.org.uk

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