Why We Recommended a Different Blind Fabric for Rendell Primary School
A school blinds case study from Barlow Blinds, Leicester
School: Rendell Primary School, Loughborough, Leicestershire
Project: Manufacture and installation of 78 roller blinds
Completed: Summer 2026
Supplier: Barlow Blinds, Leicester
The School Knew What Colour Blinds It Wanted. But Would They Help with Overheating?
When Rendell Primary School in Loughborough contacted us about new classroom blinds, they had a clear problem they wanted to address.
Their classrooms were getting too hot, and they wanted blinds that would help manage the sunlight entering the building.
They also had a preference for how the blinds should look. The school liked a fairly dark-coloured fabric.
But during our discussions, we raised an important point.
The colour you see inside a classroom isn't necessarily the only colour that matters when choosing blinds to help with overheating.
And that led to a conversation about the fabric specification.
Why We Suggested a White-Backed Fabric
When most people choose roller blinds, they naturally focus on the colour they'll see when the blinds are lowered.
That's understandable. The blinds need to look right in the room.
But when you're trying to manage solar heat gain, it's also important to consider what happens on the side of the fabric facing the window.
Darker surfaces generally absorb more solar radiation, whereas lighter, more reflective surfaces can reflect a greater proportion of it.
So rather than simply supplying the darker fabric the school initially preferred, we suggested looking at a fabric range with a white backing.
This meant Rendell Primary School could still have the darker colour it wanted facing into the classrooms, while the white backing faced towards the glazing.
The aim was to choose a fabric with more suitable solar properties without compromising the school's preferred appearance.
Of course, a white backing alone doesn't guarantee that a classroom will stay cool. The actual performance of internal blinds depends on the fabric's solar characteristics, the glazing, window orientation and other factors.
But these are exactly the details worth discussing when overheating is one of the main reasons for buying new blinds.
Manufacturing and Installing 78 Classroom Roller Blinds
Once the fabric specification had been agreed, we manufactured 78 roller blinds at our Leicester factory.
Our own installation team then fitted the blinds at Rendell Primary School during the summer of 2026.
The completed installation provided the school with the darker classroom-facing fabric it had chosen, combined with the white window-facing backing recommended during our discussions.
Manufacturing the blinds ourselves and using our own installation team meant the project was handled by Barlow Blinds from manufacture through to fitting.
Can Internal Roller Blinds Really Help with Classroom Overheating?
This is an important question, and one worth answering properly.
Internal roller blinds can contribute to managing solar heat gain, but they aren't a complete solution to overheating.
External shading is generally more effective at preventing solar heat from entering a building because it intercepts sunlight before it passes through the glazing.
With internal blinds, some solar energy has already entered through the window before reaching the fabric.
However, the solar properties of the blind fabric can still influence how much radiation is reflected, absorbed or transmitted. Internal blinds can also be useful for controlling glare, particularly in classrooms with interactive whiteboards and screens.
The right solution depends on the building, its windows and the problems the school is trying to solve.
That's why we believe it's important to understand what a school wants its blinds to achieve before recommending a particular product or fabric.
What Other Schools Can Learn from the Rendell Primary School Project
One of the most useful lessons from this installation is that two roller blinds can look almost identical from inside a classroom but have different solar performance characteristics.
If you're responsible for buying blinds for a school, particularly where overheating is a concern, there are a few questions worth asking before making a decision.
1. Does the fabric have a reflective backing?
Some fabrics are available with different colours or finishes on the window-facing side. It's worth understanding how these affect solar performance.
2. What are the fabric's solar performance characteristics?
Ask about solar reflectance, absorbance and transmittance. These help explain how the fabric interacts with sunlight.
3. Are internal blinds the most appropriate solution?
Depending on the building, external shading or other measures may be more effective at tackling overheating. Internal blinds can still have a useful role, but it's important to understand their limitations.
4. Are you choosing the blinds for appearance, glare control, privacy or heat management?
Different priorities can lead to different recommendations. Being clear about the problem you're trying to solve makes it easier to choose the right specification.
Why We Think the Conversation Matters as Much as the Blinds
At Barlow Blinds, we manufacture and install blinds for schools and other organisations across Leicester and Leicestershire.
But we don't believe choosing blinds should simply be a case of selecting a colour, taking measurements and placing an order.
Sometimes, it's worth asking a few more questions.
At Rendell Primary School, the school already had a clear idea of the appearance it wanted. By discussing the purpose of the blinds and the properties of different fabrics, we were able to recommend a specification that also considered its concerns about overheating.
We haven't measured the effect of the installation on classroom temperatures, so we wouldn't claim that the blinds have eliminated the school's overheating problem.
What the project does demonstrate is the value of considering how a blind will perform, not just how it will look.
And sometimes, the most useful advice we can give is to suggest something a little different from what a customer originally had in mind.
Helping Schools Think About Overheating and Sustainability
With schools increasingly looking at ways to improve their buildings and respond to warmer weather, choosing the right solar shading is one practical consideration.
Initiatives such as Let's Go Zero, which supports schools working towards zero carbon, are helping to bring greater attention to sustainability across the education sector.
Although blinds alone won't solve classroom overheating, choosing fabrics with suitable solar performance characteristics can form part of a wider approach to managing sunlight and improving classroom comfort.
The Rendell Primary School project is a good example of how a conversation about something as simple as fabric colour can help a school make a more informed decision.
Looking for Classroom Blinds in Leicester or Leicestershire?
If your school is considering new blinds, whether to help manage sunlight, reduce glare, improve privacy or replace existing installations, we're happy to talk through the options.
We manufacture blinds at our Leicester factory and install them using our own team.
Our aim is to help you understand the available choices and find a suitable solution for your classrooms, rather than simply supplying the first fabric you select.
Contact Barlow Blinds to discuss your school's requirements or arrange a survey.
About Phil Coleman
Phil Coleman is the fifth generation of his family to run Barlow Blinds, a Leicester business that has been making blinds since 1887. With over 30 years of hands-on experience, Phil has played a leading role in shaping industry standards including being part of the team that wrote the only NVQ qualification for blind and shutter installers. He also serves on the Management Committee of the British Blind & Shutter Association (BBSA), helping to set best practice across the trade. Under his leadership, Barlow Blinds has remained true to its founding principle: “It’s not our job to find customers for our blinds, it’s our job to find the right blinds for our customers.”
Article Review & Accuracy
Reviewed by: Phil Coleman, Managing Director, Barlow Blinds
Last reviewed: October 2026
Our promise
If new evidence, products or British Standards change our advice, we'll update this article. If we make a mistake, we'll correct it.
This article forms part of the Barlow Blinds Knowledge Centre and is written or personally reviewed by Phil Coleman, drawing on more than 35 years' experience, guidance from the British Blind & Shutter Association (BBSA), British Standards where applicable, manufacturer technical information and real customer feedback.
Major updates to this article are shown at the top or bottom of the page.
