Jacksons Fencing was tasked with designing, manufacturing and installing mesh fencing and gates to protect pupils at St George’s Church of England Foundation School in Broadstairs, Kent, which caters for 1800 children aged 4 to 19.

Requirement

The school has two sites: one providing primary education and the other secondary teaching, with a public footpath separating both playing fields. Some of the primary school field is often used by the secondary school, so it wasn’t necessary to have a fence between the playing fields and the footpath. However, with perimeter fences now commonplace within schools, a decision was made to install fencing, to increase the safety and security of the students. Additionally, it was decided that the primary perimeter need to be expanded, so a new boundary was created. The new fencing needed to match the existing fencing, and access for maintenance teams was also required.

The school required fencing which was not intimidating and created an environment conducive to learning, suited the surroundings, and matched the colour of the existing fencing.

Solution

Jacksons Fencing was chosen to design, manufacture, and install 372m of 1.8m-high green EuroGuard® Flatform mesh fencing, and 285m of the same fencing but powder-coated black. With its own powder-coating facility in Ashford, Jacksons was able to match the colour of the existing fencing, as well as the style, ensuring that the new boundary blends seamlessly with the old.

EuroGuard® Flatform fencing is available in medium or heavy mesh styles to suit different applications. The school opted for the medium style, which has 6mm horizontal wires and 5mm vertical wires, which are measured before coating for an accurate representation of strength.

Parts of the old fencing were removed to allow the new fencing to connect to the remaining panels and form a new, secure perimeter.

To provide access between the primary and secondary sites, Jacksons also manufactured and installed two EuroGuard® Flatform Heavy double-leaf gates in the same style and colour to complement the fencing. Both the fencing and gates are Galfan zinc alloy coated for long-lasting protection against rust and corrosion, and are coated black or green, depending on the site.

Schools are at risk of multiple threats including vandalism, burglary, and trespassing, so it is crucial that fencing is secure and fit for purpose. Jacksons' mesh fencing systems feature unique panel-to-post connectors with anti-tamper fixings. This is a key advantage over other similar styles of fencing that are commonly targeted by thieves. The panels can be easily removed using standard screwdriver bits from the outside of the fence., which is not possible with Jacksons' fence panels.

EuroGuard® Flatform welded mesh fencing and gates are supplied with a 25-year service life guarantee, so the staff, parents, and everyone involved with St George’s school can be confident that their children and pupils will be safe and secure at the school for many years to come.