Notice boards are an essential display solution for schools, offices, hospitals and public buildings. Whether you're displaying important announcements, health and safety information, staff communications or educational materials, choosing the right notice board can make a significant difference to how effectively information is presented.
With so many styles, sizes, materials and fire ratings available, finding the most suitable notice board for your environment isn't always straightforward.
From traditional fabric pinboards and aluminium framed displays to lockable notice boards and mobile display screens, each type offers different benefits depending on where and how it will be used.
In this complete guide, we explore the different types of notice boards, explain the main fire safety classifications and help you choose the best solution for your workplace, classroom or public space.
Types of Noticeboards
There are four main types of noticeboards: unframed, aluminium framed, tamperproof and mobile.
Unframed notice boards
Unframed noticeboards offer a simple, versatile solution for displaying notices, announcements and information. With no surrounding frame or external trim, multiple notice boards can be positioned alongside one another to create a larger, continuous display area. This makes them particularly useful in classrooms, staff rooms and training facilities where plenty of display space is required.
Available in a variety of sizes, colours and fire-rated options, unframed notice boards are a practical choice for both educational and commercial environments
- Frameless design for a clean, simple appearance
- Multiple boards can be combined to create larger displays
- Choice of fabric colours and sizes
- Ideal for classrooms, offices and staff rooms
- Fire-retardant options available
Aluminium framed notice boards
Aluminium framed noticeboards combine practical functionality with a smart, professional finish. Featuring a durable aluminium surround, these wall-mounted display boards are ideal for offices, meeting rooms, reception areas and educational facilities.
The aluminium frame provides a neat border around the display surface, while the pinnable fabric allows notices, posters and important documents to be attached and updated easily. Available in a range of sizes, fabric colours and fire-rated options, aluminium framed notice boards offer a versatile solution for everyday workplace communications.
- Sleek, aluminium trim
- Ideal for meeting rooms, offices and board rooms
- Variety of colours available
- Professional, refined finish
- Choose from a wide range of sizes
Tamperproof notice boards
Tamperproof noticeboards are designed to protect displayed information in busy or unsupervised environments. Unlike traditional open pinboards, these notice boards feature a protective glazed door with a locking mechanism, helping prevent unauthorised access, interference and damage to displayed documents.
They are particularly suitable for school corridors, hospitals, communal areas, public buildings and other locations where important information needs to remain securely displayed. Many models feature aluminium frames and clear, shatter-resistant glazing, allowing notices to remain visible while protected.
- Lockable doors protect displayed information
- Ideal for busy or unsupervised public areas
- Clear protective glazing maintains visibility
- Choice of sizes and configurations
- Fire-rated options available
Mobile notice boards
Mobile noticeboards offer a flexible display solution for environments where information needs to be moved between different locations. Mounted on wheeled frames, these freestanding notice boards can be repositioned without requiring permanent wall fixings.
They are particularly useful in schools, offices, training centres and meeting rooms where display requirements regularly change. Mobile pinboards can be used for presentations, staff announcements, temporary displays and collaborative working sessions.
- Freestanding, portable display solution
- Wheeled frames for easy repositioning
- Ideal for temporary notices and presentations
- Suitable for offices, schools and training rooms
- Available in different sizes and configurations
Accents Unframed Noticeboards
Decorative Tamperproof Noticeboard
Mobile Pinboard Display Screens Landscape
Ranges of Noticeboards
As well as choosing the style of notice board, it's important to understand the differences between the available product ranges.
At XL Displays, our collection includes FlameShield, Accents and Decorative notice boards, offering different combinations of fire performance, appearance and functionality.
FlameShield noticeboards
FlameShield noticeboard are designed for environments where fire performance is an important consideration. These specialist notice boards feature fire-rated materials and are available in a variety of styles, including unframed, aluminium framed and tamperproof designs.
FlameShield notice boards are particularly popular in schools, hospitals, colleges, corridors and other public buildings where suitable fire-rated display materials may be required.
Products within the range have been tested to recognised British and European fire classification standards. The exact classification and certification should always be checked for the individual product.
Accents noticeboards
Accents noticeboards offer a colourful alternative to traditional office and classroom display boards. Available in seven vibrant fabric colours, the Accents range is ideal for schools, nurseries, offices and other environments looking to create bright, engaging information displays.
Accents fabric finishes are available across selected notice board styles, including fire-rated FlameShield options and non-fire-rated Decorative models.
This allows businesses and educational establishments to choose a display that complements their interior colour scheme while meeting their specific requirements.
Decorative notice boards
Decorative noticeboards provide an affordable, practical solution for everyday information displays in environments where a specific fire-rated product is not required.
Available in a range of framed and unframed styles, these notice boards are particularly suitable for home offices, private workspaces and general workplace communication areas.
With a selection of sizes, colours and finishes available, Decorative notice boards offer a straightforward way to display important information without compromising on appearance. Before installing a non-fire-rated notice board, always check the fire safety requirements of the intended location.
Fire Ratings Explained
Decorative notice boards provide an affordable, practical solution for everyday information displays in environments where a specific fire-rated product is not required.
Available in a range of framed and unframed styles, these notice boards are particularly suitable for home offices, private workspaces and general workplace communication areas.
With a selection of sizes, colours and finishes available, Decorative notice boards offer a straightforward way to display important information without compromising on appearance.
Before installing a non-fire-rated notice board, always check the fire safety requirements of the intended location.
British fire safety standards
BS 476 is a series of British Standards used to assess the fire performance of building materials and products.
You may see notice boards advertised with a **Class 0 fire rating**, a classification historically associated with surface spread of flame and fire propagation performance under BS 476 Parts 6 and 7.
Class 0 indicates that the tested material achieved specified limits for these fire performance characteristics. However, it does not mean that the material is non-combustible or completely fireproof.
European fire safety standards
BS EN 13501-1 provides a European classification system for the reaction-to-fire performance of construction products.
Products are classified using Euroclasses, ranging from A1 and A2 through to B, C, D, E and F, depending on their tested performance.
Additional classifications may indicate smoke production and flaming droplets or particles.
For example, a product classified as **B-s1,d0** has achieved Class B reaction-to-fire performance, an s1 smoke classification and a d0 classification for flaming droplets or particles under the relevant test conditions.
The exact certification should be checked against the manufacturer's technical documentation.
Do You Need a Fire-Rated Notice Board?
Whether a fire-rated notice board is required depends on the building, its use, the proposed installation location and the applicable fire safety requirements.
Schools, hospitals, corridors, escape routes and other public environments may have more stringent requirements for the materials used in their displays.
A fire-rated notice board can be an appropriate choice for these settings, but the correct specification should be determined by the building's fire risk assessment and relevant fire safety guidance.
Whether you're looking for a fire-retardant notice board for a school, a lockable display for a public building or a simple fabric pinboard for your office, XL Displays offers a wide range of notice boards to suit different applications and budgets.
Our collection includes unframed, aluminium framed, tamperproof and mobile notice boards in a variety of sizes, colours and finishes.
If you have any questions about noticeboards, or if you would like a copy of the relevant fire certificates for any of our flame-retardant notice boards, please feel free to contact us or call us on 01733 511030.
