Bulwell Academy was formed in 2009 when two local secondary schools were joined as part of the BSF programme. The Academy's new state-of-the-art building was to be divided into five vertically grouped 'business community' areas, and staff wanted to be able to share specific year group information like lunch menus and library updates effectively with students and visitors in each one. They asked us to help them find a solution that would be easy for both students and staff to use.

Senior vice principal, Scott Burnside, gave us a call after we were recommended to the Academy by education ICT provider Ramesys, and spoke to one of our AV consultants, Anthony Hammond: "The consultation process was very positive: several meetings took place to allow discussions about the product and to establish our needs," said Scott.

As the Academy's building was not yet complete, we created a visualisation that would give Anthony a better understanding of the space and Bulwell a visual idea of what we could help them achieve.

Digital displays and players

We suggested ten 52" Samsung 520DX screens, which were capable of 1080p full HD and high brightness, meaning they were large enough and bright enough to be seen in rooms of any size and lighting level. Custom-made panels were added that could control each screen individually, giving teachers the option of using them for presentations, and key locks were provided to prevent students using them without permission. Five Bluechip E2 rackmount PCs were also included to play the content over multiple channels. These would be able to deliver different playlists to each learning zone using Smart-e CAT 6 transmitters.

Finally, the teachers wanted software that would let them manage content easily by using basic editing skills, without having to hassle IT staff. SCALA was chosen as it could be set up by IT admin and then staff members could be given individual logins with selective access.

Installation without disruption

To make sure there was no disruption to teaching time, the installation was scheduled to take place towards the end of the building programme. As part of the install, we provided Bulwell with tailor-made content that was personalised with their own school branding. Once everything was in place, Anthony organised a suitable time for some on-site training sessions for staff, where he showed them how to input content locally.

Group specific messaging

Since receiving their digital signage system, staff have developed their own content to play out across the five 'business communities' or 'bizcoms'. "Each screen is displaying attendance information and other bizcom-specific information throughout the bizcom time that we have each morning. Various playlists are then played throughout the rest of the day," said Scott when asked what the solution is being used for.

The digital signage isn't just being used for student announcements, though - after school community clubs are advertised and the reception TV displays a welcome message to parents and visitors, as well as academy achievements such as winning football team pictures. "The system is also able to fulfil aspects of the curriculum," Scott said. "It's used for connect and activate activities as well as mini consolidations within our progress and learning processes in lessons."

Want to learn more about our digital signage solutions? Get in touch with us to arrange a consultation on 03332 409 300 or email learning@Jigsaw24.com. Alternatively, take a look at Jigsaw24.com.

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Tags: Scala , BSF , Digital Signage , Content Creation