7 points to be considered when choosing school lockers for your academic centre

Order is essential in any school. Lockers allow both students and staff to keep books, computers, tablets, or other personal items such as schoolbags or coats on hand and in perfect order. But there are so many materials, finishes, accessories, and types of lockers that you may not know where to begin. So we provide you with the essentials to making the right choice of school locker.“

Choose the locker finish based on the environment in which they will be installed

There is a wide variety of finishes: aluminium, metal, phenolic laminate lockers, wood effect, or plastic lockers.

The main advantage of metal school lockers is their strength. Their cost is lower than all other finishes, they are easy to clean and barely require any maintenance. This type of locker is suitable for daily and frequent use. If they are to be installed in a schoolyard or changing room the use of aluminium or plastic lockers is recommended, thanks to their better water-resistance.

If the school requires a more sophisticated finish and to present a more modern style, phenolic laminate or wood effect lockers would be the choice to make. This type of locker is ideal for meeting rooms, staff rooms, offices, etc. Because their design can offer homogeneity and integration with the rest of the furniture in the room.

Customise each space

The wide range of colours offered by the different types of lockers provides for fun colour combinations, adapting to the aesthetic of the centre or to use different colour compositions for each school grade.

Consider the most appropriate type of lock

Lockers will be used differently by a primary school pupil and a secondary school student. Therefore, another key factor for consideration is the type of lock to install on the lockers, based on who will be using them.

Therefore, for infant or primary school lockers, we will choose a lock that closes the door just by turning it, but designed so that if teaching personnel wish to add extra safety at any time, they can incorporate a padlock.

For secondary school students, we can use a lock with a key. And if we want to avoid the loss of keys we can choose a combination or digital combination lock.

Choose the height of the lockers according to the age group

POLYPAL has a wide range of lockers that are configurable in width, depth and height to adapt to any requirement. There are also specific lockers according to age. We will choose our lockers based on whether they will be installed in a nursery, primary school facility or high-school.

Lockers must be installed so that access to the compartments is easy and convenient. For health and safety reasons avoid placing lockers at a height that requires users to stretch to access the compartments. For school use, we will make sure that the height of the lockers is appropriate for the age of the students. This illustration can serve as a guide.

Do you need to store electronic devices?

Teachers and students can safely store their computers and tablets at the same time as charging their devices. Charging lockers are configurable with a power socket, with USB charger sockets, or with power and USB sockets.

In addition to the different locker measurements based on the device to be stored, it is also possible to configure the lockers for access to all compartments through a single door, or to configure it with separate doors for each compartment.“

Accessories for increased functionality

POLYPAL lockers allow for different internal distributions based on requirements. Depending on the use of the locker, we can add accessories such as hanger bars, hooks, divider trays, etc.

To add dressing room convenience, we can also provide the lockers with dressing room benches. These can be anchored to the lockers or separate with backrests and hooks for hanging clothes on.

Guarantees locker hygiene

POLYPAL lockers come with the patented ActiveCoat  protection. It is an antibacterial finish that is incorporated in the locker production process and allows constant protection to be provided against moulds and bacteria. This coating reduces the risk of cross contamination from surfaces with a high frequency of contact and supports existing hygiene protocols, helping to create a cleaner, safer and more hygienic environment.

• The ActiveCoat protection is of natural origin, green and sustainable (based on silver ions).
• It inhibits the growth and formation of moulds and bacteria.
• It is effective against a wide range of microorganisms: MRSA, MSSA, E.coli, Legionella, Pseudomonas, Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, etc…
• Its efficacy will be preserved throughout the locker’s useful life.

In addition to the ActiveCoat antibacterial coating that comes as standard with all POLYPAL lockers, there are optional accessories that help to maintain hygiene:

• Roofed lockers. The roof incline prevents dirt from accumulating and makes it easy to clean. It also helps to avoid students leaving things behind on the top of the locker.
• Locker supports. These supports raise the lockers above floor level to facilitate cleaning and at the same time reduce damage through collisions with the locker base. Locker supports also avoid damp and overcome unevenness of the floor.

At POLYPAL we design storage areas for more than just keeping items, promoting order and hygiene in the school, facilitating teaching activities, and creating colourful spaces that stimulate creativity. We can help you to find the best locker solution for your school.