Measuring guide · Schools and universities
Measuring for school curtains and blinds
Classrooms mostly want blinds; halls, drama studios and AV rooms want dimout or blackout curtains. Both must be safe for children.
What is different in education
The curtains, roman blinds, pelmets and tracks and poles guides cover how to take every measurement. This page adds what is different about measuring in this sector and gives you the schedule we need.
Two things drive measuring in a school. First, child safety: every blind control and every accessible cord must comply with BS EN 13120, which affects where the control finishes and what we fit. Second, classroom windows are full of opening handles, trickle vents and radiators, so a blind inside the recess is often blocked and an outside fit or a curtain is the answer.
Classrooms and teaching spaces
Roman blinds: check the recess first
Measure the recess depth and note every handle and vent. If the recess is shallow, or a handle projects into it, fit the blind outside the recess: 75mm each side and the batten 100mm above. Inside the recess, measure the width at three points and give us the smallest.
Outside-recess fit on classroom windows
Runs of windows separated by narrow piers are common in schools. Check there is 75mm of wall between windows for each blind; where there is not, tell us and we make adjacent blinds to a shared width so they meet edge to edge.
Controls and child safety
Note the control side viewed from inside the room and the height the control should finish. Under BS EN 13120, in rooms children use, cords and chains must be tensioned or break under load and must not form a loop within reach; we fit the safety devices as standard and size them from the drop you give. Tell us if the room is for early years, where the rules are stricter.
Controls should finish out of reach of the youngest children who use the room.
Radiators under windows
Most classroom windows have a radiator or heater below the sill. Curtains finish 20mm above it (C); blinds inside the recess finish at the sill.
Halls, studios and AV rooms
Dimout and blackout curtains
Assembly halls, drama studios and lecture theatres need dimout or blackout curtains on tracks with overlap arms and returns. Measure the track width and give us the projection; on tall glazing allow 15% of the width each side for stack-back so the glass clears when the curtains are open.
Ceiling tracks on curtain walling
Where the glazing runs to the ceiling there is no wall to fix to. Measure the drop from the ceiling and tell us the track; ceiling tracks can also run past the glazing to give stack-back.
Stage and divider curtains
Stage curtains and room dividers are measured to the track and the floor, with a 10mm floor clearance or a 25mm clearance where the floor is sprung. Give us the track length, the drop, the number of curtains and whether they draw to one side or both.
Boarding accommodation
Boarding houses are sleeping accommodation and are measured like the student accommodation guide: one master measure per room type, blackout with returns, and BS 5867-2 Type C.
The schedule we need
One line per window, all figures in millimetres. Send it as a spreadsheet, a PDF or a photo of a marked-up plan.
- Room / window reference
- Room number and window position, e.g. 204 W1. Sewn into the curtain label.
- Fixing
- Track or pole; new or existing; overlap arm; returns and projection.
- Width and drop
- Track width; drop from track to finish point (smallest of three).
- Finish point
- A floor, B sill or C below sill / above radiator.
- Heading, lining and fabric
- As specified, with the fabric band and colourway.
- Blinds
- Inside or outside fit; recess depth; handles and vents; control side and finish height.
- Age group
- Early years, primary, secondary or higher education, for the safety devices.
Rather we measured?
For larger projects we can measure on site. Site surveys carry a fee that depends on the location, the number of windows and the stage of the build; we confirm it before anything is booked. Site surveys and installation.
Frequently asked questions
Curtains or blinds in a classroom?
Blinds where the window is clear of handles and the recess is deep enough; curtains where it is not, or where the room needs dimout for screens. Many schools mix the two: blinds in classrooms, curtains in halls and studios.
What standard do school curtains need?
BS 5867-2 Type B for teaching spaces, Type C for boarding accommodation. Blind controls must comply with BS EN 13120. All fabrics in the education collection are inherently FR.
Can we measure during term?
Yes; most surveys are done in a single day working room by room around the timetable. Site surveys carry a fee that depends on the location, the number of windows and the stage of the build; we confirm it before anything is booked.
Send the room list
A list of rooms with window counts and rough sizes is enough to budget; we refine it from your schedule or a survey. For larger projects we can measure on site. Site surveys carry a fee that depends on the location, the number of windows and the stage of the build; we confirm it before anything is booked.