School Gym Acoustic Panels

The Challenge

School gyms are some of the most challenging spaces to manage acoustically. They are large, open and full of hard reflective surfaces. Timber floors, high ceilings, painted walls, brickwork and large open volumes all allow sound to bounce around the room. When students are moving, playing, talking or gathering for assemblies, the noise can quickly build up and become overwhelming.

At Kingsville Primary School, the gym had a significant reverberation issue. Before treatment, the average reverberation time was 2.43 seconds, which meant sound was staying in the room for too long before fading away. In practical terms, this can make speech unclear, instructions harder to hear and the whole space feel louder than it needs to be.

The problem was not the students or the activity in the space. It was the gym acoustics. Without enough sound absorption, everyday school activity was being amplified by the room itself.

For a school gym, this matters because the space is used for more than sport. It may also support assemblies, presentations, indoor learning activities and community events. The room needed a solution that could reduce echo, improve speech clarity and make the gym feel more comfortable for both students and staff.

The Solution

SoundFix Acoustics recommended a combined acoustic treatment using polyester wall panels and ceiling foam panels to achieve the best possible result across the gym. This dual approach was important because large school halls and gyms often need sound absorption across more than one surface. Treating only one area may improve the room, but treating both walls and ceilings helps control sound reflections more effectively. The polyester wall panels were used to absorb sound reflections across the long wall surfaces. In a gym, walls can act like large reflectors, sending voices, whistles, footsteps and impact noise back into the room. Adding acoustic wall panels helps reduce this reflection and creates a more controlled sound environment. The ceiling foam panels were installed to target overhead reflections. Because gyms usually have high ceilings and large open roof areas, sound can continue travelling upwards and across the room before returning as echo. Ceiling foam panels help capture this sound energy and reduce reverberation from above. Together, the wall and ceiling treatment created a stronger acoustic outcome than either product could achieve alone. The solution was designed to improve noise control, reduce echo and support clearer communication in a busy school gym environment.

The Installation

The installation was carefully planned around the structure and use of the school gym. In spaces like this, acoustic panel placement is just as important as product selection. Panels need to be positioned where they will absorb the most problematic reflections while still working safely and practically within the room. SoundFix installed polyester acoustic panels along the walls to provide strong sound absorption across the main reflective surfaces. The wall panels were positioned to reduce the side-to-side bounce that often makes gyms sound harsh and noisy. This helped soften the acoustic environment without interfering with the everyday use of the space. The ceiling foam panels were installed overhead to treat the upper volume of the gym. This was especially important because the ceiling area plays a major role in how long sound remains in a large room. By adding absorption above, SoundFix helped reduce the reverberation tail and improve the overall balance of the space. The final treatment worked with the gym’s existing layout, including the timber floor, blue wall section, high ceiling and large open area. The aim was not to change the function of the gym, but to make it more comfortable and usable. With both wall and ceiling absorption in place, the gym gained a much stronger acoustic foundation.

The Outcome:

The acoustic improvement at Kingsville Primary School was clear in the before-and-after data. Before treatment, the gym had an average reverberation time of 2.43 seconds. After the polyester wall panels and ceiling foam panels were installed, the reverberation time reduced to 1.06 seconds.

This represents an overall reverberation reduction of approximately 56%.

n practical terms, the gym now has less echo, better sound control and improved speech clarity. Teachers can give instructions more easily. Students can hear more clearly. The space feels less harsh and more comfortable, even when it is being used for active school activities.

This project shows how the right combination of polyester wall panels and ceiling foam panels can transform a loud school gym into a more usable, balanced and comfortable space

Acoustic Solutions to Your Loud Classroom

Good acoustics are essential in school gyms because these rooms are rarely used for one purpose only. They support sport, assemblies, performances, indoor learning, presentations and community gatherings. When reverberation is too high, every sound stays in the room longer, making it harder for students and teachers to communicate clearly. In a gym, noise can build quickly. A single voice, bouncing ball or group activity can become much louder once it reflects off walls, ceilings and floors. This can increase vocal strain for teachers and make listening more tiring for students. For younger children, students with hearing sensitivities, neurodivergent learners or anyone who finds noisy environments overwhelming, better acoustics can make a significant difference. It is also important to understand that this type of treatment is not soundproofing. Soundproofing blocks sound from travelling between spaces. Acoustic treatment improves the sound inside the room by reducing echo and reverberation. For most school gyms and halls, this is the real issue.

Does Your School Have a Noise Problem?

If teachers are straining to be heard, students are struggling to focus, or your hall is avoided rather than used – SoundFix Acoustics can help. We offer a free on-site acoustic assessment with a written report, no obligation.

Contact SoundFix Acoustics today to book your free noise assessment and discover how our ceiling acoustic panels can solve your school’s noise problems for good.

Before

Professional Noise Control

Before installation: 2.43 seconds

After installation: 1.06 seconds

Overall reduction: 56%