Pioneer School in Basildon, Essex, is a specialist school aimed at providing pupils with severe learning and physical disabilities with a range of facilities that will enable them to prepare for independence in adult life.
Formerly two separate special needs schools – Elmbrook School and Moat House School – the schools amalgamated to form Pioneer School based on the existing two campuses of Elmbrook and Moat House. The school then moved to new, purpose built premises on its current site and Pioneer became an academy in June 2012
School security is probably one of the most sensitive issues facing today’s head teachers and trustees. Given the disabilities of the students at the school, the aim was to provide an environment that gave the school the required level of security and staff control, without unnecessary restriction of movement for students within the building.
To achieve this SALTO Certificated Partner Allgood plc provided a truly integrated package of access control, ironmongery, automated doors and CCTV. For the access control element of the security package SALTO XS4 stand-alone escutcheons were selected fitted with Allgood’s own FSB lever handle range.Michael Spoors, Regional Sales Director of Allgood plc, said “Included within the package was a special system for children with severe physical disabilities. RFID fobs were supplied which students could wear or carry that would automatically open the SALTO XS4 controlled doors on movement around the school, providing pupils with the freedom to proceed around the school unassisted, an important step in their development. The result is a facility where the integrated security package supplied provides the school with the control needed to manage the circulation of students around the building safely.”
Rex Palmer, SALTO Systems Area Sales Manager, says “Working in consultation with Allgood and the school we have provided a secure and highly flexible access control system to meet all of their security needs.The XS4 solution is a state-of-the-art electronic lock system that programmes keycards or fobs to allow access to specific areas or class rooms with the doors auto locking at pre-specified times if required. And if key security is breached due to the loss or theft of a keycard or fob, it can be instantly deleted from the system without the need or cost of changing any locks – saving the school time and money.
This provides a flexible access control system enabling the school to get the maximum benefit from the technology whilst providing a secure environment for all the pupils and staff.”
