Schoolchildren have taken part in a ‘scream-off’ as part of a series of workshops to educate them about noise pollution.

The Comet: Stonehill School Year 6 students giving examples of anti-social behaviour to Gary Mallett, anti-social behaviour officer at North Hertfordshire HomesStonehill School Year 6 students giving examples of anti-social behaviour to Gary Mallett, anti-social behaviour officer at North Hertfordshire Homes (Image: Archant)

Pupils at Stonehill, Grange, St Thomas More and Garden City Academy primary schools in Letchworth GC took part in workshops which aim to educate them about the impact of noise on the wider community and ways to reduce it.

The sessions were hosted by housing association North Hertfordshire Homes, and as part of the day pupils were put into teams and challenged to scream into a noise monitor.

The winning team, from Stonehill School, reached 132.1 decibels – almost as loud as a jet plane taking off.

Pupils were also invited to suggest ways to reduce noise and create a soundproofed box.

Jenna Birkbeck, who teaches Year 6 pupils at Stonehill, said: “This is a great way for pupils to learn about sound as part of the national curriculum. The activities are encouraging collaboration and discussion and they are very engaged with the subject.”

Gary Mallett, anti-social behavior officer at North Hertfordshire Homes, said: “I’ve been very impressed with the students’ contribution and ideas. They are incredibly aware of what anti-social behaviour is and how it can affect others.

“These workshops help to show what is acceptable and what is not, so they can take their own constructive action to manage noise.”

Daniel Rose, environmental health technical officer at North Hertfordshire District Council attended two of the workshops.

He said: “The sessions were a great way to demonstrate to the pupils, in a fun and interactive way, what constitutes a noise nuisance and helped give them an understanding of how to prevent making disturbances themselves.

“We were also able to illustrate the work the council does with regard to noise monitoring and we hope the children had an enjoyable and informative experience.”