Silencing an Echo-Filled Classroom
in Just One Day
A new school extension in North London was rendered unusable by excessive echo and reverberation. PanelHush Sky acoustic ceiling panels restored clarity and calm — without disrupting the school term.
Project Overview
A Brand-New Room That
Nobody Could Use
During the summer break, a North London primary school completed a new extension — a purpose-built classroom designed to relieve pressure on the main building. The construction was delivered on time and on budget. But within weeks of the new term starting, a serious problem emerged.
The room had been built with hard parallel surfaces: a bare concrete soffit, block walls, and a polished screed floor. Without any soft furnishings or acoustic treatment, sound had nowhere to go. The reverberation time was so long that teachers couldn't hold a class, and conversations were almost impossible to follow.
The school contacted ModernGlide looking for a fast, minimally disruptive fix that could be installed without closing the school or undertaking major construction work. Our recommendation: PanelHush Sky suspended acoustic ceiling panels.
The Challenge
Hard Surfaces, Impossible
Reverberation
The newly built extension was architecturally sound but acoustically disastrous. Every hard surface — the bare concrete soffit, block masonry walls, and polished screed floor — reflected sound energy back into the room with almost no absorption.
After a few weeks of use, the school quickly realised the room was too echoey to hold a class or even have a normal conversation. The reverberation time far exceeded the BB93 guidelines for school acoustic performance, making teaching effectively impossible.
The Solution
PanelHush Sky — Precision
Acoustic Ceiling Panels
ModernGlide specified PanelHush Sky suspended acoustic ceiling rafts — a range of high-performance, lightweight panels designed to be hung directly from the structural soffit using adjustable wire suspension systems.
The panels are manufactured from high-density PET acoustic felt, offering excellent mid and high frequency absorption. By positioning them at an optimal height below the concrete ceiling, we maximised the absorption area without compromising the room's natural light or overall height.
The installation was completed in a single day during a school holiday, meaning the room was ready for use the following week with no disruption to the school timetable.
The Result
From Unusable to Outstanding
The PanelHush Sky installation transformed the acoustic environment entirely — and the school had their classroom back within a week.
Echo brought within BB93 compliance for teaching spaces
Completed during a school holiday, zero term disruption
Acoustic performance meets Department for Education guidelines
Previously unusable space now fully operational for teaching
The room echo was so bad after a few weeks of use that we couldn't hold a class or have a conversation. After the PanelHush Sky panels were installed, the difference was immediately noticeable. The room is now a pleasure to teach in.
Product Used
PanelHush Sky
Acoustic Ceiling Panels
PanelHush Sky is ModernGlide's range of suspended acoustic ceiling rafts, engineered to absorb mid and high frequency sound in spaces where wall-mounted panels are impractical or insufficient.
Manufactured from high-density recycled PET felt, the panels offer outstanding acoustic absorption coefficients while remaining lightweight, easy to install, and visually refined. Available in a wide range of colours and sizes, they can be tailored to suit any interior aesthetic.
Why It Works
Ceiling-Level Absorption
Is Uniquely Effective
Sound travels upward first. Ceiling panels intercept the primary reflection path before sound can bounce back down, dramatically reducing reverberation time.
In rooms where walls are occupied by displays, whiteboards, or windows, the ceiling often offers the largest unobstructed surface for acoustic treatment.
PanelHush Sky panels suspend from the existing structural soffit using a simple wire system. No plastering, no wet trades, no significant downtime.
Helps schools meet the Department for Education's BB93 acoustic performance standards for teaching and learning spaces.
Explore Further
Related Resources
PanelHush Sky Ceiling Panels
Explore the full PanelHush Sky range — sizes, colours, absorption data and installation details.
View productAcoustic Solutions for Schools
Discover how ModernGlide helps schools meet BB93 acoustic standards across new-build and retrofit projects.
Explore education sectorPanelHush Installation Gallery
Browse photography from completed PanelHush acoustic installations across the UK.
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