Effective flooring for special needs school in Gloucester

Milestone School in Gloucester is one of the largest special needs schools in the UK, and arose from the amalgamation of three separate special schools. Milestone caters for over 280 pupils with a wide range of special educational needs and all degrees of disability. The school demands floor covering which not only looks good, but is also safe to walk on, hygienic and very durable. To meet these specifications, the school was given a flooring makeover with the installation of Flotex at the time of the refurbishment and rebuild programme. Flotex, a leading brand in Bonar Floor’s portfolio, has

been specified in the school for more than 10 years. So far, over 6,000m2 of it has been installed throughout all classrooms and corridors, in a variety of colours and designs. Flotex meets the requirements for any educational establishment when it comes to safe, hygienic and cleanable flooring. As well as being aesthetically pleasing, it possesses valuable hygiene properties because of its highly effective antimicrobial Sanitized® treatment and, being the only truly washable floor textile covering, Flotex will come up as good as new, year after year. Flotex is approved by the British Allergy Foundation due to the positive impact it has on allergy sufferers’ lives, helping maintain a clean and fresh environment by trapping harmful allergens out of the atmosphere and only releasing them when cleaned. This provides an essential benefit for Milestone School which has a number of pupils with allergies including eczema, asthma and respiratory problems. Tony Powel, from Milestone School comments on the installation: “About four years ago, Derek Slater from Bonar Floors came out to visit me to carry out a cleaning demonstration on Flotex. We came across an area where glue had been spilt and I just thought it was a mistake we would have to live with. But Derek soon put it right and I was astounded when he cleaned it and it came up looking as good as new. We even have Flotex which was fitted over 10 years ago which looks just as good as the newer flooring. “Flotex continues to exceed all my expectations and I have total confidence in the performance of the product which is why we’ve had it installed in all classrooms and corridors. As with any educational establishment, the care and well being of our pupils comes first, which is why Flotex was chosen not only for its cleaning performance and hygiene values, but also because it is safe to walk on and provides the warmth of a carpet, helping to create a ‘homely’ environment which makes our pupils feel safe and relaxed.” Derek Slater, sales manager from Bonar Floors, remarked on the valuable properties of Flotex: “Flooring can offer more than good looks. Flotex exceeds the requirements of current acoustic regulations helping create a quieter, calmer environment by soaking up the noise of echoing classrooms and noisy corridors. Safety is also paramount and stringent health and safety requirements means schools need to ensure that flooring will help reduce slips and trips by not tearing, buckling or wearing out, which is achievable with Flotex.”

Making improvements on a tight budget can be difficult which is why Bonar Floors offers Flotex Leasing, making it affordable for schools to find funding. Payments can be made monthly, termly or annually – whichever is most appropriate. Through the scheme, schools can now afford to upgrade the floor covering in a whole classroom block or even the whole school, rather than piecemeal when the budget allows, ultimately creating a more professional environment. Flotex comes in a wide range of colours and designs, is easy to maintain and a ten year wear guarantee ensures that it is a long-term investment.