Teddington Secondary School Audio Visual Project

As part of the Building Schools for the Future project, PEL Music & Media was invited to tender for the Drama, Theatre & Music Department’s Audio Visual package.  With the consultant’s specification pushing the budget to over £140,000 it was not long before Headmaster Richard Meeks and Deputy Headmaster Jeremy Law had to re-evaluate their requirements for these demanding areas.  During regular meetings with contractors Mace Plus, M7 and Validus acting on behalf of the Richmond Borough Council, PEL were invited to re-design the AV system to accurately reflect the school’s syllabus at a cost that would not exceed budget.

PEL’s design satisfied all of the school’s requirements, providing a multi-functional system for the Drama, Theatre & Music Department with overall control provided by a wireless Crestron solution incorporating:

• Crestron Wireless control and automation

• 24 Channels of Dimmable Lighting for each Drama Suite

• 48 Channels of combined Lighting control for stage production

• Local & Remote Control Of Stage Lighting Desks

• Large Scale Projection Systems for each Drama Suite

• Local Audio Engineering Point for Live Productions

• Outboard Processing for Live Performances

• Full Digital Recording & Editing Suite for Live Productions

• Turbosound Front of House PA System with Full Stage Monitoring

• 24 Channel Mixing Console for Production & Recording

• 24-Track HDD Digital Recorder

• Firewire Interface for Editing Suites such as Pro-tools, Garage Band, & Nuendo etc.

• Flat Response Studio Monitors

• Instrument & Vocal Microphones

• Quad Audio Compressors

• Quad Audio Noise Gates

• Reverb Processors

• Audio Input Panels c/w Headphone Interfaces for Music Ensemble Rooms

• Audio input Panels c/w Headphone Interfaces for Music Practice Rooms

• Patch Panel interfaces to allow simultaneous matrix configurations of audio signal routing

• Local & remote control of Audio, VGA & Video signals in each Drama Suite

• RS-232 Control of the Venue House Lighting for Theatre use

• Track & Curtain system

• RS-232 Control System with easy to use GUI

Teddington Projection Screens

Due to the complexity of the system a Crestron Control with Wireless Touch Panel was included within the design and PEL’s in house programming team provided a user-friendly GUI (Graphical User Interface) enabling easy access to the system.

With guidance from the Deputy Headmaster on operational requirements, PEL programmed set commands that would automatically switch the systems to the correct state for events such as Stage Performance, Live Bands, Recording, Assembly and Theatre by a simple press of a button. Crestron controls Stage Lighting Dimmers, DMX Signal Routing, Data & Video Projectors, Projection Screens, BSS DSP Audio Processor, Kramer VGA & Video Matrices, DVD Players and the Drama Suite’s House Lighting System.

The school has already staged many high class performances and the pupils are set to continue achieving high standards with the future productions that they have planned and both pupils and staff are enjoying the full functionality of the  AV package that PEL has installed.

With a saving of over £42,000 from the original design set out by the consultant, PEL has delivered all the required disciplines above and beyond the schools expectations and delivered a system that was on time, within budget and fit for purpose.

Teddington Audio Visual Project Lighting Bar Arrangements

For over 35 years PEL Systems has been a leading UK systems company that designs, supplies, installs and commissions sound, fire, security & communications systems.  For sales information, please contact PEL Services Ltd on 020 8839 2100 or go to www.pel.co.uk.

Download Teddington Secondary School PDF

Teddington Secondary School Foyer

Kelsey Park

PEL Music & Media has designed, supplied, installed and commissioned a Bose Professional sound system at Kelsey Park Sports College in Beckenham, Kent that provides superb sound quality, is easy to use and highly versatile.

The school, which only recently became a sports college, is open to boys from Years 7 to 13 with 940 students currently in attendance. To ensure they get the best from their students, Kelsey Park decided it was time to replace the existing, overly complex sound system in the main hall with one that combined quality, simplicity and flexibility.  The latter was important because the school wanted to be able to use the system across two areas: the hall being the priority, but with the option to use the system in the dining room partitioned off from the hall by a moveable wall.

Kelsey Park Sports College turned to world leading sound system manufacturer Bose for a solution, who recommended they work with Bose Pro-Partner PEL.  Bose and PEL worked closely on the project and, after giving the school a demonstration of the quality and ease of use of Bose Professional systems, PEL were awarded the contract.

PEL has now installed a comprehensive Bose sound system throughout the hall and dining area based on a Bose ControlSpace Digital Signal Processing platform. ControlSpace is ideal for this application as it provides the flexibility and ease of use the school requires, allowing different areas to have sound at different times, all at the touch of a button.

Two double stacked Bose Panaray MA12 loudspeakers have been fitted at the front of the hall with two Bose Panaray MB4 bass loudspeakers and a further four Bose FreeSpace Model 32SE loudspeakers under the mezzanine.  Two L1 portable line array systems extend the system to the dining room area.

For Kelsey Park Sports College, the result of all this professional state of the art technology is superb sound that can be put to good use by the school. Estates Manager Grahame Morton comments:

 ”The installation was first class, without fuss and fitted around the College requirements.  I was impressed by the level of detail in getting the system to perform exactly as we wanted it, the sophistication of the controls and the lengths that PEL went to ensure that we were happy with the end product.

“Overall, I feel we got good value for money in comparison to other less sophisticated systems we were offered for similar cost.”

The new Bose sound system installed by PEL is, in fact, so good that the school is now able to hire out the hall, generating extra revenue.

For sales information please contact PEL Music & Media on 020 8839 2100 or go to www.pelmusic.co.uk.

Download Kelsey Park PDF

Cranbury College

PEL Services Ltd. has installed comprehensive fire alarm, intruder alarm and access control systems throughout Reading’s newly refurbished Cranbury College secondary school.

PEL is a preferred systems supplier for Reading Borough Council, but still took part in the competitive tender process in which it was successful.

PEL has now completed the installation of the various systems to protect the school.  The fire system features Hochiki detectors controlled by Advanced Electronics panels – a highly reliable and cost-effective solution.  It operates alongside a further alarm system installed by PEL that is designed to indicate class change 12 times a day, five days a week, using a separate, distinct bell tone.

An electronic proximity access control system was also installed by PEL Services Ltd on all external doors and selected internal doors such as classrooms and staff rooms.  PEL used a Datasec access control system for which it is the UK distributor.  The system allows authorised personnel, such as the teaching body and cleaning / maintenance staff, to access the protected doors by presenting their tag to the reader by the door.  If the code on that tag is valid for that door at that time, the electronic lock is released.  This is achieved using radio frequency and does not require the tag to have any physical contact with the reader, thus preventing wear and tear.

PEL Services Ltd. is one of the UK’s foremost providers of commercial fire, security and communication systems.  For sales information please contact PEL Services Ltd on 020 8839 2100.

Download Cranbury College PDF

City Academy

Funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) as part of the Academy programme, City Academy provides eleven-hundred 11-19 year olds from the Bermondsey area with high quality, state-of-the-art facilities. The City of London is a prime sponsor, working in collaboration with London Borough of Southwark.

The Academy has a full range of teaching accommodation with all attendant support facilities. This includes halls for dining and assembly, sports halls, dance and drama studios, with sufficient space for school support and administration.

Selected as a specialist contractor, PEL Services was pleased to design, supply, install and commission a comprehensive range of systems to protect this prestigious building which won the Prime Minister’s Public Building of the Year Award in 2006.

PEL’s package of systems included:

• Fire Detection & Alarm

• Public Address

• Intruder Alarm

• CCTV

• Refuge Call

• Access Control

• Disabled WC Alarms

• Door Entry Intercom

Please download this case study for an overview of all the systems used.

 Download City Academy PDF

Building Schools for the Future

Building Schools for the Future represents a new approach to capital investment. It is delivering significant investment in school buildings and ICT over the coming years to create a step-change in the quality of education provision and to support the Government’s education reform agenda.

Through this investment, Building Schools for the Future aims to drive reform by promoting: academies, new options for 14 – 19 year olds, provision for special needs and extended schools.

This is an exciting and inspirational programme of which PEL are pleased to be selected as a specialist contractor to apply its skills in fire detection and alarm systems to ensure ongoing protection of life and property in many of the projects.

The extent of PEL’s involvement is determined by the overall project and includes:

• Enabling Works to allow refurbishment and building work to take place

• Provision of fire detection and alarm systems in temporary school accommodation

• Extensions to existing fire detection and alarm systems

• New fire detection and alarm systems

• Linking of buildings fire detection and alarm systems, including the use of secure radio technology where ground works make cable routes prohibitive

During the various projects, schools have to be kept operational. This requires a strict schedule of out-of-school hours and school holiday working to deliver a safe working environment for teachers and pupils upon their return. PEL’s policy of allocating the same Systems Engineer throughout all stages of a project ensures the customer has one knowledgeable and ‘up-to-speed’ point of call to ensure the close co-operation needed for delivering such demanding schedules.

Under the Building Schools for the Future initiative, projects that PEL are currently working on include:

• Bentley Wood High School

• Rooks Heath High School

• Harrow High School

• Hatch End High School

• Cannons High School

• Park High School

• Nower Hill High School

• Whitmore High School

To service its nationwide customer base, PEL operate a nationwide network of engineers who are experienced in working with various types of manufacturer’s equipment. This is enhanced by the extensive use of manufacturers training facilities and ensures existing fire detection and alarm equipment found on the various school sites is most likely to be familiar.

Compliance and working to British Standards is ensured with PEL’s membership of the Fire Industries Association (FIA) and full use of their comprehensive training programme.

Download Building Schools for the Future PDF