Access Control in the Education Sector
Controlling access to school campuses and buildings is an important issue for school administrators. They need to maintain a user-friendly, welcoming school climate while ensuring that the facility is safe and secure, both when school is in session and when the buildings are unoccupied.
There are many simple procedures that can be followed to deter intruders from entering the facility and to reduce the risk of students and parents straying into restricted areas. These include limiting visitor access points to a single, clearly marked ‘main’ entrance, posting warning notices about potential trespassing charges, and reducing the number of doors that can be opened from the outside.
The use of an electronic access control system makes managing access control much easier and far more effective. It can also offer methods of improving security, health and safety, staff management and student supervision. Benefits that should be seriously considered when procuring access control equipment.
Security advisers often recommend the use of proximity cards for school staff with card readers at key entrances such as the main entrance, teachers' car park entrances and doors used for breaks/playground activities and physical education classes.
By following the links below, you will understand why such access control systems are essential for safety and security, and appreciate just how many applications they have. Read about the numerous ways that a comprehensive access control systems can improve the running of an educational establishment and save on costs.
Controlling access to school campuses and buildings is an important issue for school administrators. They need to maintain a user-friendly, welcoming school climate while ensuring that the facility is safe and secure, both when school is in session and when the buildings are unoccupied.
There are many simple procedures that can be followed to deter intruders from entering the facility and to reduce the risk of students and parents straying into restricted areas. These include limiting visitor access points to a single, clearly marked ‘main’ entrance, posting warning notices about potential trespassing charges, and reducing the number of doors that can be opened from the outside.
The use of an electronic access control system makes managing access control much easier and far more effective. It can also offer methods of improving security, health and safety, staff management and student supervision. Benefits that should be seriously considered when procuring access control equipment.
Security advisers often recommend the use of proximity cards for school staff with card readers at key entrances such as the main entrance, teachers' car park entrances and doors used for breaks/playground activities and physical education classes.
By following the links below, you will understand why such access control systems are essential for safety and security, and appreciate just how many applications they have. Read about the numerous ways that a comprehensive access control systems can improve the running of an educational establishment and save on costs.
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School Case Study
Pil Primary School is located in Bridgend, South Wales and has approximately 230 pupils between the ages of 3 and 11. The school building has a main entrance plus two doors onto the playground. There are also two independent portakabin-style classrooms.
The safeguarding and wellbeing of our children at Pil Primary School is of paramount importance! The access control system allows us to control entry to the school using the intuitive Nortech software and hardware. The system is easy to use and manage and Nortech provide an excellent after sales service.
Neil Pryce, Head Teacher,Pil Primary School
The Challenge
The school’s main entrance was considered to be insecure during school hours. Due to the position of the reception office, it wasn’t always possible to detect people entering through the main entrance, and parents had been regularly found wandering around the school corridors unchecked. This risk to health and safety needed to be resolved.
Other school entrances were protected by keypads, but their security had been compromised by students memorising the PIN’s and sharing them with others. Furthermore, the keypads didn’t support the automatic unlocking of doors during breaks to allow the children to come and go as they needed.
A reliable means of managing visitors and controlling access throughout the school was required.
The Solution
Norpass3 was selected as the ideal solution to control access throughout the school. All external doors were fitted with proximity card readers for entry, with push-buttons for exit. The door controllers were connected to a standard PC over the school’s IT network. Staff members were issued with proximity cards to allow them access throughout the school. The system automatically unlocks the doors for morning arrivals, breaks and lunch times to allow children to circulate freely at those times. For the rest of the school day, the school is completely secure, preventing unmanaged entry by parents or any would-be criminals. The school redesigned the entrance area, locating the reception office adjacent to the main entrance. From there the receptionist can operate remote door release buttons to control visitors’ access through the main entrance and from the reception area to the classrooms.
The Benefits
The safeguarding and wellbeing of our children at Pil Primary School is of paramount importance! The access control system allows us to control entry to the school using the intuitive Nortech software and hardware. The system is easy to use and manage and Nortech provide an excellent after sales service.
Neil Pryce, Head Teacher,Pil Primary School
The Challenge
The school’s main entrance was considered to be insecure during school hours. Due to the position of the reception office, it wasn’t always possible to detect people entering through the main entrance, and parents had been regularly found wandering around the school corridors unchecked. This risk to health and safety needed to be resolved.
Other school entrances were protected by keypads, but their security had been compromised by students memorising the PIN’s and sharing them with others. Furthermore, the keypads didn’t support the automatic unlocking of doors during breaks to allow the children to come and go as they needed.
A reliable means of managing visitors and controlling access throughout the school was required.
The Solution
Norpass3 was selected as the ideal solution to control access throughout the school. All external doors were fitted with proximity card readers for entry, with push-buttons for exit. The door controllers were connected to a standard PC over the school’s IT network. Staff members were issued with proximity cards to allow them access throughout the school. The system automatically unlocks the doors for morning arrivals, breaks and lunch times to allow children to circulate freely at those times. For the rest of the school day, the school is completely secure, preventing unmanaged entry by parents or any would-be criminals. The school redesigned the entrance area, locating the reception office adjacent to the main entrance. From there the receptionist can operate remote door release buttons to control visitors’ access through the main entrance and from the reception area to the classrooms.
The Benefits
- Proximity cards offer an increased level of security.
- Lost or stolen cards can be quickly disabled and replaced.
- Visitors can be managed in a more professional manner, increasing both safety and security.
- Automatic unlocking of doors at key times of the day help staff to concentrate on other duties.
- Adding/removing cards and assigning access permissions is very easily carried out from the head teacher’s office.
- Existing security alarm key fobs may also be used for access control, making security more efficient for key-holders.
