Why Use Security Fencing On Your School Premises?
Security fencing and automatic gates serve two main functions in a school setting. First and foremost, they keep trespassers out, which guards against threats such as burglary, vandalism, drug dealing, abduction, and other serious crimes.
Security fencing also serves a secondary function by keeping students on the school grounds, thereby preventing truancy and the other risks associated with children leaving the school site unattended.
In addition, security fencing improves your school's image and aesthetic while providing a clear boundary for the school grounds. This creates a professional appearance that bolsters parents' and guardians' faith in your institution's commitment to keeping their children safe.
As most security fencing comes in a range of colours, it also gives you the option to customise their shade to your visual guidelines for a sleek and polished appearance that provides a great representation of your school. This can enhance your reputation in your local community and help your school appeal to new parents.
While initially more expensive than standard fencing, security fencing is highly durable, making it a cost-effective solution in the long term. Most high-quality galvanised steel security fencing will last for decades with minimal maintenance, and is resistant to wear and tear, helping you to maximise your school’s resources over time.
The Different Types Of Security Fencing For Schools
There are many types of security fencing available, but which will be most appropriate for your school? Let’s take a closer look at the options.
In years gone by, palisade fencing was commonly used on school grounds due to its highly durable structure, height, anti-climb properties, and ability to withstand a substantial impact - such as that from a car or other vehicle.
Palisade fencing is available with pointed or 'w' shaped tops, which make it almost impossible for an intruder to enter school grounds without hurting themselves - however, this is the very reason why many schools now avoid using pointed palisades.
Now, pointed palisade fencing is not recommended for schools because - while it is effective for keeping intruders out - the pointed tops could potentially cause injuries if a student attempted to scale the structure.
Palisade fencing is, however, also available with rounded or flat tops, which provides a much safer alternative while maintaining the same durability and anti-climb properties that made it popular.
Mesh fencing is also becoming more widespread in its use for schools.
Featuring a less aggressive appearance than palisade fencing, mesh fencing allows for partial visibility, which helps the school blend into the local area. This gives it a less intimidating look and provides a more 'neighbour-friendly' presence.
Like palisade, mesh fencing is usually anti-climb, making it difficult for intruders to enter, and challenging for students to leave the school site unsupervised.
Unlike standard chain link fencing, mesh cannot simply be cut and unravelled - instead, an intruder would have to cut through the fence at multiple points, making it more likely that they would be discovered before they could gain access to the site.
In particular, 868 or 358 mesh fencing has excellent anti-vandal properties. These types of fencing are almost impossible to cut through, making them a great option for schools and other educational institutions.
Roll-top fencing is another very good solution for school grounds. Like palisade, it offers significant height, durability, and anti-climb properties, while its roll-top design provides enhanced safety.
Roll-top fencing is also highly transparent, allowing excellent visibility onto school grounds.
Improving Security With Automated Gates
Using automated gates to augment your chosen security fencing is a great way to enhance the safety of your school site. That’s because automated gates offer several additional protections that complement the fencing structure.
Firstly, they help to control traffic on school grounds, preventing unauthorised vehicles from using your school as a thoroughfare and regulating the number of vehicles on the school site at any one time. This helps to reduce the risk of road accidents and stops the school car park from becoming overcrowded.
Secondly, automated gates ensure that only authorised persons can enter or exit the school grounds. This helps prevent trespassers and other dangerous individuals from entering the site, and stops children from leaving the school grounds unattended.
This means that all visitors to the school can be properly monitored, truancy can be reduced, and other risks to the health and safety of pupils can be minimised.
Automated gates can be integrated with a wide range of other security measures beyond security fencing, such as intercoms, video terminals, ID card and fob entry systems, keypad controls, and fire and intruder alarm installations for enhanced access control.
However, it is essential to choose the right automated gates for your school, as they can be dangerous if not operated safely and should always comply with BS EN 12453:2001 standards to prevent health and safety risks.
Want to know more about how to ensure the security of your school and everyone in it? Contact our expert team!