Higham Lane School is a very high-performing 11-18 comprehensive Academy with approximately 1,430 students on roll, based in Nuneaton. The school is judged as Outstanding by Ofsted. They were awarded the prestigious World Class Schools accreditation in July 2021, and they were designated a Lead School for School Direct
in 2018.
They wanted a solution to help them manage the site and control student, staff and visitor access in, out and around the school’s grounds. The school also wanted a full audit trail of who is entering and leaving the site. They also wanted a single company who could install, integrate and maintain all the systems as they didn’t want to
manage multiple contractors in relation to fire alarm, cctv, gates, ground works and fencing.
We initially listened to their problems, explained some possible solutions then quoted for a couple of options which suited them. We ended up installing a 5-meter automated cantilever vehicle gate, controlled by automatic number plate recognition technology, two access controlled pedestrian gates, mesh security fencing and paved access routes. We also installed a site wide HD CCTV system with a control room, and we integrated the systems to ensure they all worked in harmony. The vehicle gates open automatically for designated vehicles and the entry/exits times are recorded in the Paxton Net2 software. Staff and visitors are also issued with proximity fobs to
allow them audited access to specified areas. In addition, the system produces a roll call report in the event of a fire alarm activation so they can check that everyone onsite is accounted for.
Students, staff and parents now have peace of mind knowing that unauthorised visitors cannot enter the site and the students, staff and visitors can now come and go safely using the systems. The systems have also reduced the risk of theft and vandalism ensuring the protection of valuable assets and property. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are on hand to provide remote support to the school’s maintenance team, and they arrange engineer visits where necessary at a time which suits the schools timetable to minimise disruption.