Founded in 1967, Parrs Wood High School in East Didsbury, Manchester, England, is a popular and growing community school that was rebuilt in 2000 to better accommodate its 1,500 high school pupils and 400 Sixth Form students aged 11 to 18.
Challenge
Deploy an advanced surveillance system to maintain the safest school environment possible at all times of the day and night.
Solution
The school installed 93 Avigilon HD cameras including six Avigilon HD 1 MP PTZ dome cameras and 13 Avigilon HD 2 MP cameras to monitor key entrance and exit points, thoroughfares, and outdoor areas and 64 Avigilon HD 2 MP and 10 Avigilon HD 1 MP cameras to monitor key circulation areas, staircases, corridors, and communal areas within the buildings. Users monitor the system 24x7 using the Avigilon Control Center (ACC) network video management software (NVMS) with High Definition Stream Management (HDSM)™ technology and store up to 14 days of continuous surveillance footage on five Avigilon Network Video Recorders (NVR).
Benefits to Parrs Wood
* Improved safety on campus
* Health and safety compliance
Benefits of the Avigilon Solution
* Quick installation
* Full and affordable coverage
* High-quality image detail and zooming
* Superior low-light performance
* Cost effectiveness, ease of use
* Reduction in TCO / Faster time to value
Parrs Wood High School in Manchester, England Makes School and Community Safety a Priority with Avigilon High-Definition Surveillance System
Founded in 1967, Parrs Wood High School in East Didsbury, Manchester, England, is a popular and growing community school that was rebuilt in 2000 to better accommodate its 1,500 high school pupils and 400 Sixth Form students aged 11 to 18. Dedicated to helping students achieve academic success and secure their future in the workplace, Parrs Wood maintains strong ties to the local community, opening its doors for public use after hours. Driven by its belief that “Every Child Matters,” Parrs Wood implements policies, practices, and procedures to safeguard the emotional and physical well-being of staff, students, and the community at large. To help create the safest environment possible, the school recently upgraded to the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system for broader and more detailed coverage of the entire campus at any time of the day or night.
Health and Safety Compliance
Committed to health and safety compliance, Parrs Wood embraces a culture of continuous improvement to maintain a safe school environment. “Health and safety considerations are part of every decision made at Parrs Wood and are therefore integral to our organisational function,” said Andy Shakos, head teacher at Parrs Wood High School. As part of its ongoing focus on student safety, the school decided to replace its aging analogue-based surveillance system, which did not provide adequate coverage, was beginning to fail, and offered poor image quality, particularly on replay.
For help, school administrators turned to VtecZoom, a provider of surveillance and access control systems design, installation, and support throughout the United Kingdom. “VtecZoom is an approved installer with the Manchester City Council so we trusted that they could help us find a more advanced system that would deliver better results within our budget,” explained Eugene Forbes, Head of Corporate Services, Parrs Wood High School. “Recommending the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system for its exceptional image quality, advanced manageability, and broad coverage; VtecZoom demonstrated a clear understanding of our issues and worked closely with us for two years to design a surveillance system that addresses our specific requirements.”
Complete and Affordable Coverage
“As one of the integrators in the UK to achieve Avigilon Gold Status, we knew that the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system would deliver the power, quality, and manageability needed to help Parrs Wood achieve its high safety and security standards,” asserted Deryck Petty at VtecZoom.
The school installed 93 Avigilon HD cameras in key areas across campus, including six Avigilon HD 1 MP PTZ dome cameras and 13 Avigilon HD 2 MP cameras to monitor key entrance and exit points, thoroughfares, and outdoor areas and installed 64 Avigilon HD 2 MP and 10 Avigilon HD 1 MP cameras to monitor key circulation areas, staircases, corridors, and communal areas within the buildings. The school's four-person security team manages the Avigilon high-definition surveillance solution using the Avigilon Control Center network video management software (NVMS) with High Definition Stream Management (HDSM)™ technology and monitors the system 24x7. The school also installed five Avigilon Network Video Recorders (NVR) to store 14 days of continuous surveillance footage.
A Quick Install
Installation time was a key consideration for the school. “We did not want engineers onsite when students and staff returned to school after the summer holiday, so it was imperative that installation be complete within the six-week time period,” noted Mr. Forbes. Consultants from Avigilon, VtecZoom, and Capital, a customer and business process management services provider, worked together to complete installation during the strict timeframe. “The Avigilon high-definition surveillance system was up and running seamlessly for the new academic year, providing maximum coverage within our tight timeline and budget – we could not be happier.”
Ease-of-Use
Ease-of-use was another top system requirement. “Offering smooth movements on replay, Avigilon Control Center software makes search and playback effortless, helping us achieve superior results in no time,” stated Mr. Forbes. Delivering an excellent user experience, ACC offers simplified functions, such as the thumbnail search to pinpoint small changes in large areas, provides more camera views, and facilitates navigation from camera to camera to help users quickly find an incident, review it, and accurately identify individuals and events. “Using the software's advanced features, we can follow individuals from camera to camera with no jerkiness or lost detail on replay, helping us make faster and more accurate decisions.”
Improved Theft / Crime Detail
The school, along with local law enforcement, has been very impressed with the Avigilon system's usability, which has played a key role in several investigations to date. In one case, school administrators were able to review footage of an out of school time bicycle theft. “In a matter of minutes, we were able to follow the perpetrator from camera to camera, accurately identify the individual, track him, and report the incident to the police, who have since followed-up and caught the thief,” confirmed Mr. Forbes.
Clear Visibility Day and Night
Another noteworthy attribute of the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system is its image quality, which is far superior to the school's previous analogue system. “The main weakness of our old system was the picture quality, particularly on replay and during the night when images were virtually unusable,” explained Mr. Forbes. “Avigilon delivers first class images both live and recorded to significantly boost our success in investigations.” In particular, Mr. Forbes has been very impressed with Avigilon's incredible low-light performance. “Avigilon offers a marked improvement in night time surveillance, which was a key selling feature for us, since community groups use our facilities in the evenings,” he added.
Unparalleled Clarity from Long Distances
School administrators have also been impressed with Avigilon's zooming capabilities. Using the Avigilon HD 1 MP PTZ dome camera with a built-in 20x optical zoom lens, the school can gain unparalleled image detail across the large school site. With such powerful zooming capabilities at their disposal, system users can capture evidence-quality facial recognition to better secure the campus at any time of the day or night. “Avigilon delivers first-class images in both live and replay mode to help us identify and address potential issues before they become a serious safety concern.”
Promoting School Culture
With a long tradition of academic success and service to the community, Parrs Wood High School believes that its strong ties with local organisations will ultimately benefit its students as they move forward in life. “Playing a key role in our community, we remain steadfast in our commitment to a safe learning environment where all students, staff, and visitors feel valued, encouraged, and challenged to succeed,” concluded Mr. Forbes. “We intend to review the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system on an annual basis to highlight our achievements and identify new areas for coverage as we continually strive to improve our school's health and safety culture.”