Case Studies

 Staff number: 22    Pupils: 918    Special Features: Edu-Reg web based suite

Assisting School increase security, ensure safety and track attendance

City of London School in the heart of the Square Mile. It is a City school in the truest sense, benefitting from the diversity and richness of the communities around it and from the wealth of opportunity brought to it by association with the City of London Corporation and the proximity to some of the world’s most important cultural, financial and business operations.
It is a truly vibrant community, with a strong sense of ambition and breadth of vision.   The education the school espouses is broad and all-encompassing, giving boys the skills and understanding to think and act for themselves, to engage positively with those around them, to enjoy the opportunities the world offers and to approach the challenges of life with confidence.

The Challenge

A high level of security solutions and reliability was a top priority in the City of London School. The central location of the School right in the middle of one of the oldest and most touristic parts of London, near St. Paul’s Cathedral, as well as the Tower of London, the constant traffic, in combination with the many entrances of the building, made the challenge of effectively securing it even more complicated.

Access control until now was applied to perimeter doors or other sensitive points – leaving the remaining doors secured by conventional mechanical locks and multiple key holders. Despite a key register it was next to impossible to control who had access to certain areas at different times.

Why City of London School Chose Synel UK

Synel UK made sure that security solutions were applied in all three distinct security zones/perimeters. Different types of equipment were used in these perimeters depending on the security needs. From intercoms which identified pupils and staff by personal ID Cards through to wireless secured doors, everything was chosen to serve a specific security purpose. The ID cards were also used by the pupils for registration and cashless meals. Special Video intercoms were placed for visitors and contractors.

All these different aspects of the solution, are fully integrated to Edureg system. One solution instead of having different and multiple programs.

Synel’s approach and solution

• The incorporation of the Edureg system,  removed the weakness of very low security in the external part of the building, leaving the remaining doors secured by conventional mechanical locks and eliminated any potential problems with key control.
• Seamless Integration with the school’s MIS

All the above assisted in the process of knowing exactly who is on site at any time improving therefore the security. The administration costs were reduced due to the integration of the new system with the school’s MIS.

The hybrid standard and Wi-Fi access control solution of Synel UK, for internal and external doors and gates ensured the most cost effective solution yet with highest quality and security levels.

The results   

The Synel team had to overcome complications on-site which are common in large buildings such as CLS, a very tight no fail deadline, a great number of doors and gates, the integration of standard and Wi-Fi solutions in three different perimeters of the building, while co-operating with other third party suppliers. Synel’s professional team was extremely efficient, fast and managed to overcome all obstacles and deliver the project on time ready for the September term.

City of London School were impressed with Synel’s performance.

They are now enjoying the following benefits of Edu-Reg:

• Electronic Registration
• Access control
• Cashless Meals & Payments solution
• Visitor Management
• Fire roll and attendance in premises

Above all, the school increased security at a very sensitive and central location full of traffic and tourists, ensured pupils and staff safety and tracked their attendance in premises.

In summary, the IT Systems Manager of the school, Joe Matthews, added:

‘Synel are an outstanding company to work with.  The installation team were excellent throughout the project: hard working, straight forward to deal with, and very quick to understand our requirements.  We have ended up with a great solution that we plan to expand upon as our needs develop.’