School and Education AV Installations
Sound, AV, lighting and communication systems for schools, academies, colleges and universities
We design and install audio visual systems for schools, academies, colleges and universities across London, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and the wider South East.
Education buildings can need very different systems across the same site. Classrooms and teaching rooms need straightforward AV for everyday use, while halls, lecture theatres, performance spaces and sports facilities can require more substantial sound, lighting and presentation systems.
We work on individual rooms as well as larger refurbishment, new-build and campus projects, either directly with the education provider or alongside architects, consultants and main contractors.
AV for schools, academies, colleges and universities
The system needs to suit the way each part of the building is used.
A classroom may only need a display, sound and an easy connection for a laptop. A main hall could need microphones, projection, performance sound and lighting. A college theatre may need a more flexible technical setup, while a university lecture theatre may require larger displays, microphones and AV that can be operated easily by different lecturers.
There may also be requirements for hearing assistance, paging, announcements, sports areas and outside spaces.
Looking at these requirements together can make the cabling, control, equipment locations and network infrastructure much easier to plan, particularly on larger projects.
Sound systems for school halls
School and academy halls often need to support several different uses.
Assemblies and presentations depend on clear speech. Productions, concerts and dance performances need microphones and a system capable of handling music. The same room may also be used for examinations, PE and community events.
We design the sound around those different uses.
Loudspeaker positions and coverage are planned around the room and its acoustics rather than simply installing larger speakers at the front. In halls with hard surfaces and long reverberation times, several correctly positioned loudspeakers can provide better coverage and speech clarity than one high-output system at one end.
Microphones, playback equipment, presentation audio and controls can then be configured around the activities the school or academy regularly runs.
Lecture theatres and larger teaching spaces
Colleges and universities often have lecture theatres and larger teaching rooms that need more AV than a standard classroom.
We can provide commercial displays, projection, sound, microphones and system control for these spaces, taking account of sightlines, seating positions and the size of the room.
Lecturers and teaching staff should be able to connect their equipment and start using the room without having to understand the technical system behind it.
Where several teaching spaces are being refurbished together, we can also keep the setup consistent across the building so staff are not faced with completely different controls in every room.
Our wider commercial AV installation service covers the video distribution, control and networking that can sit behind larger systems.
Classroom and teaching room AV
Classroom AV normally needs to be straightforward.
A commercial display or projection system, suitable sound and accessible connections may be all that is required.
We design the controls around everyday teaching rather than giving staff access to settings they do not need.
Where several classrooms are being fitted out at the same time, the AV can be standardised so the system operates consistently from room to room.
Ceiling or wall-mounted loudspeakers can be used depending on the construction and layout of the room, with cabling kept out of the way of normal teaching.
Theatres and performance spaces
Schools, academies, colleges and universities can also have dedicated theatres, drama studios, auditoriums and performance spaces.
These need a different level of system from a normal teaching room.
Sound installations can include performance loudspeakers, mixing equipment, radio microphones, stage connections, playback and monitoring.
The system needs to suit the people using it. A school theatre operated mainly by pupils and staff needs to be accessible for everyday productions, while a college or university performance venue may also need the flexibility expected by visiting technicians or external performers.
Where useful infrastructure is already installed, we look at what can be retained as part of an upgrade rather than automatically replacing the full system. At Hymers College, for example, existing infrastructure was retained while the theatre sound system was expanded.
Lighting for halls, theatres and performance spaces
We also design and install venue lighting for education buildings.
This can include stage and performance lighting for school halls, theatres, drama studios, auditoriums and other event spaces.
Depending on the venue, the installation can include washes, profiles, moving fixtures, stage lighting, DMX control and programmed scenes for assemblies, productions, concerts and other events.
Where pupils or staff will operate the lighting themselves, the controls can be kept straightforward for normal use while still providing more detailed control for productions and technical users.
Planning the sound and lighting together also means loudspeakers, lighting fixtures, rigging, cabling, power and control positions can be coordinated before installation.
Where wider commercial lighting or electrical work is required as part of the project, we can work alongside our sister company Lake Electrical.
Screens, projection and presentation AV
We install displays and projection systems for classrooms, lecture theatres, halls, meeting spaces and other teaching environments.
The right setup depends on the room size, viewing distance, seating arrangement, ambient light and the content being shown.
A classroom may only need one display, while a large hall or lecture theatre can require projection, a larger screen or several displays so information can be seen throughout the room.
Connections for laptops and other teaching equipment are positioned where they are actually needed, without relying on loose adapters and temporary cabling.
Hearing loops and accessibility
We design, install and test hearing loop systems for education buildings.
These may be required in reception areas, halls, lecture theatres, auditoriums and other spaces where spoken information needs to be accessible to hearing aid users.
Where a hearing loop forms part of a new sound or AV system, we can plan the microphone feeds, equipment positions and cabling together.
We also test existing hearing loops where a school, academy, college or university is unsure whether the installed system is still providing suitable coverage.
Paging, announcements and site-wide audio
Larger education sites can need audio outside individual teaching rooms.
This can include general paging, announcements, school bells and audio across corridors, shared spaces or several buildings.
The system can be divided into zones so announcements reach the areas where they are needed without every message being played across the whole site.
Where announcements form part of the building’s evacuation arrangements, the system needs to be considered separately as life-safety work and designed around the fire strategy.
Our PA and voice alarm systems cover this type of installation.
Sports facilities and outside spaces
Education AV is not limited to classrooms and halls.
We can provide sound for sports halls, sports facilities, playgrounds and outside areas where announcements, events or other audio are required.
Outdoor loudspeakers are selected for permanent external use and positioned around the area they need to cover rather than relying on a small number of speakers operating at excessive volume.
A sports day needs something very different from everyday announcements, so we establish what the area is being used for before specifying the system.
Simple controls for staff and students
AV can be used by a large number of people with very different levels of technical experience.
A capable system is not particularly useful if only one member of staff knows how to operate it.
For normal teaching, presentations and assemblies, we keep the controls to the functions people actually need, such as selecting a source, operating a screen or changing the volume.
More advanced controls can remain available in theatres and performance spaces where technical staff, students or visiting engineers need greater flexibility.
The level of access is agreed with the school, academy, college or university during the design stage.
Improving existing AV
An older AV system does not necessarily need replacing completely.
We survey the loudspeakers, displays, amplifiers, processing, cabling and controls already installed before deciding what should change.
Existing cabling and infrastructure can sometimes remain useful even when the equipment connected to it needs updating.
Likewise, an uneven sound system may have a problem with positioning or processing rather than the loudspeakers themselves.
Where equipment can sensibly be retained, we include it in the new design.
New buildings and refurbishments
For new-build education projects and major refurbishments, we prefer to be involved before first fix.
We can work from architects’ drawings, consultant specifications and tender documents and provide the AV information needed by the wider project team.
That can include loudspeaker and display positions, equipment racks, power requirements, network points, containment, cable routes, control positions and interfaces with other systems.
Getting these requirements agreed early means the AV can be coordinated with ceilings, lighting, electrical services, ventilation and the rest of the building design.
We regularly work on education projects through main contractors and tender processes.
Where electrical work forms part of the same project, Lake Electrical can work alongside OBAV.
AV networks and infrastructure
Larger college, university and academy projects can include AV across several rooms or buildings.
Where required, we can provide dedicated AV network infrastructure for audio, video, system control and remote support.
Equipment racks, switches, network points and cable routes are considered as part of the design rather than after the equipment has been specified.
This is particularly useful where several teaching spaces need to operate consistently or systems are being managed across a larger site.
Working around teaching and term dates
Access needs to be planned carefully on education sites.
Smaller work may be possible while the building is operating, while projects involving halls, ceilings, several classrooms or significant cabling may be better carried out outside teaching hours.
Larger installations can also be programmed for school, college or university holidays where the project allows.
Where a main contractor is involved, we work to the wider project programme.
Safeguarding, site access, signing-in and supervision requirements are agreed with the education provider before work starts.
Budgets and phased upgrades
Education projects usually have a defined budget, and the AV specification needs to make sensible use of it.
That can mean retaining existing infrastructure, prioritising the main hall or theatre while keeping classroom systems simpler, or carrying out improvements in phases.
The starting point is understanding what each room actually needs to do.
At Glenthorne High School, for example, one hall needed to support live bands, listening exams, productions, dance, assemblies and presentations, so the system had to work across several very different uses.
Installation, commissioning and handover
Our engineers carry out the installation and remain involved through commissioning.
Sound systems are set up in the rooms where they will be used, and loudspeaker coverage, processing, microphones, displays and controls are checked as part of the complete system.
Hearing loops are tested where included, and lighting and AV controls are programmed before handover.
We then show the relevant staff how to use the system and provide the documentation required for the project.
Support remains with OBAV afterwards if settings need changing, equipment needs adding or another part of the site is upgraded later.
School and college installations
Experienced School AV installers
We work with schools, academies, colleges and universities on individual room upgrades as well as wider education projects.
Our work includes classroom and lecture AV, sound systems, theatres and performance spaces, venue lighting, hearing loops, paging, sports facilities and the infrastructure behind larger AV installations.
We are used to working directly with education providers as well as architects, consultants and main contractors on refurbishment, new-build and tendered projects.
Our engineers are employed by OBAV and can continue to support the installation after handover.
What education clients say
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Working with OBAV on a school AV project
Some schools call us about one hall. Others need AV across several parts of the site.
For an existing building, we can survey what is already installed and look at what needs improving.
If refurbishment or construction work is planned, we can work with the main contractor and other trades before installation starts.
The final specification is based on how the rooms will be used, what equipment is already available and the budget set for the project.
To discuss a school, college or education AV installation, call 01892 752246 or get in touch with OBAV.
Old Barn Audio Ltd
Unit 15, Wylands Farm
Powdermill Lane
Battle
East Sussex TN33 0SU
01892 752246
enquiries@oldbarnaudio.co.uk
We work across London, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and the wider South East, and travel further for larger education projects.