Avocor’s E series interactive displays have been installed in the Henlow Academy in Bedfordshire, UK as part of major newbuild and refurbishment programme.
The school caters for more than 700 pupils in years five to nine and is part of the county’s ‘Schools for the Future’ plan. The school is within the first cluster that are changing from a middle to a secondary school as the region transitions from a three to a two-tier education system with a refurbishment and building programme overseen by architectural and project management practice PCMS Design.
The latest phase of work at the Academy includes the construction of a two-storey extension to the existing sports hall and classroom block. The extension also incorporates four science labs, five classrooms and a lift.
PCMS Design specified the installation of fixtures and fittings in each of the new classrooms. Alex Bond, director at the company, said: “The room shape and location of the classroom door in relation to the teaching wall are paramount in the learning space design process - and are the first things to be considered. This is so the orientation of the room is planned out to optimum effect for the teacher, who will need to see the door easily from the front of the classroom. We would never design a classroom with windows directly opposite the teaching wall in case of glare on the display screen.”
He continued: “We ensure is that the room lighting is carefully designed, and is arranged in banks for maximum performance and aesthetic effect. For instance, a typical classroom at Henlow has three banks with three LED light fixtures in each bank. The teacher can then independently turn off the three lights closest to the teaching wall when required further reducing glare, so that the Avocor interactive display is more easily viewed by the students. In fact, throughout the project we found the Avocor customer support and installation to be of a high quality, and would certainly recommend the company to other customers in the future.”
Karen Evans, operations manager at Henlow Academy, said: “Our Academy has hugely benefitted from the Avocor Interactive displays, which PCMS Design specified in all the new build and refurbished areas of the Academy. We are now putting them through their paces, and I am impressed by the flexibility and ease of use they offer to both staff and pupils. They’re a great aid to our teaching environment.”