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Harton Technology College

The Challenge
Harton Technology College is a highly successful 11-to-16 Department of Education and Skills (DfES) designated technology school with over 150 members of staff and 1,350 students drawn from a large area of South Shields. In 1996, the management team made a considerable investment in new learning technology. Since then, the College has received three Government Achievement Awards and has been recognised as one of the top 50 'most improved' specialist schools in the UK.

In 2002, the college was facing a number of critical security issues. With 16 entrances distributed across various buildings, the college was becoming increasingly vulnerable to incidents of anti-social student behaviour, hoax fire alarms, vandalism and theft. These incidents were costing the school a substantial amount of money each year. However, the school's existing analogue CCTV cameras did not support responsive and efficient monitoring: they simply did not offer high quality images and recovering footage from the system was extremely time-consuming.

"Working with our local Crime Prevention Officers, we decided that we needed an advanced digital monitoring system that would help maintain a safe environment for our biggest assets, our students", explained Derek Bohill, Assistant Head Teacher Harton Technology College.   

Solution
Universal Systems Solutions fitted Twenty-one Sony SNC-RZ30P Internet Protocol (IP) based cameras were installed in the school, covering the exterior and all entrance doors. Later, six more cameras were installed on the second floor of the building.

The installation was managed by Universal Systems Solutions, "Having worked with many schools in the past, we knew that Sony's equipment offered the best solution to the challenges Harton Technology College faced" said Kevin Bruce Sales Director, at Universal Systems Solutions.            

Technical Features
The SNC-RZ30P is:

  • A Video Network Camera that combines network with Pan-Tilt-Zoom functionality

  • Easy to install: it simply connects to any IP Network via Ethernet cable

  • Capable of direct connection to any LAN (Local Area Network)

  • Capable of up to 25x optical zoom

  • Equipped with a day and night function with a black and white mode during low light

  • Secure - it limits camera access to relevant personnel with password protection and IP security

    • Benefits Delivered
    Universal's security solution enabled the College to install a powerful system quickly and with minimal complexity. The installation was completed within only 14 days and the school began monitoring the building within minutes after the installation.
     

    Today, with the help of Universal Systems Solutions, Harton Technology College is an even safer place to study and work. The cameras have become a deterrent to any criminal or unwarranted behaviour within the school grounds, while anti-social behaviour, such as bullying, has been significantly reduced. Recently, a student was bullied by her classmates in one of the school's corridors. Knowing that the monitoring cameras were in use, she reported the incident to the school. "Within minutes, we were able to track the students accused of bullying and resolve the situation immediately" said Mr. Bohill.


    The return on investment from the system has been impressive. "We have saved both time and money since using Sony's monitoring digital solution. With the right technology in place, we can translate the money saved from repair costs into more teaching time for our students", claimed Ken Gibson, Head Teacher.

    It is little surprise that Harton Technology College is becoming an example for local authorities and other schools in the area. Following the installation, police officers and other school representatives have visited the College
    to find out more about this initiative. One of the schools has already embraced digital monitoring technology in its own fight against school crime and as a result, has significantly reduced its repair costs from vandalism in only a short period of time.