Top of the Class for Storage
Gone are the days of the standard grey school lockers that didn’t live up to the job. Today schools want their lockers to become part of the overall school environment. Lockers have to deliver a lot – attractive to look at, high levels of security, embrace changing technology while also having the adaptability to maximise storage capabilities even in the smallest of spaces.
Why a school locker?
With so many pupils and staff constantly moving around a building, schools are incredibly busy and active environments. Keeping floor spaces and corridors clear is an important aspect of daily school administration which ensures they remain compliant with the necessary health & safety and fire regulations.
Safely storing equipment and pupil’s belongings will afford a school multiple benefits and school lockers provide the perfect solution. A coat or bag hanging from a peg can easily be knocked and end up creating a dangerous trip hazard on the floor. Removing these items and keeping them in a locker will not only increase safety but will also keep the school looking tidy and presentable. Teaching time isn’t wasted cleaning up communal areas and student productivity can also increase – with all their possessions safely in one place they shouldn’t have to waste lesson time trying to locate a lost item!
While lockers have, for a long time, been widely adopted by secondary schools, with the wide design and choice of solutions now available, primary schools are increasingly seeing the advantages.
Flexible storage solution
School buildings come in all shapes and sizes and you may struggle to see how you can optimise your storage using the potentially limited space available. Did you know that you can fit 18 lockers in the same space as you can fit 12 pegs? That’s a lot of extra storage space there.
As the UK’s largest and longest running locker and shelving manufacturer, here at Whittan we know what we’re doing when it comes to providing storage solutions for the education sector.
Our trusted brand, LinkLockers, offers a modular range of lockers that can be cleverly designed to fit your space and adapt as your requirements change. The steel lockers are available in various sizes and door arrangements, including full, three-quarter and half height lockers. Our two smaller solutions are ideal for primary schools, allowing easy access for even the youngest of children.
The modular design of our systems enables a combination of different locker sizes for the most awkward of spaces. For example, our Quarto or Sixto ranges can be stacked or bolted to create over doorway solutions or even under benches to offer further storage.
It’s all about the details
Getting the design right is just as important as the storage itself which is why our lockers are available in a wide range of colours which offer a high quality and durable finish. Maybe you want your lockers to represent your school colours. Or maybe, like a solution we provided for St Marks Primary School, you want different coloured lockers to differentiate between the classes.
In recent years infection control has been a big issue for schools. As standard our lockers feature ActiveCoat, an anti-bacterial coating that impedes the growth and migration of harmful bacteria.
Security
Of course, security is one of the main reasons for choosing lockers and this is something we excel at! At The Royal High School Edinburgh every locker we supplied was manufactured to BS4680 – the industry standard for clothes lockers – and featured reinforced and stiffened doors for added strength to prevent forced or levered entry. For extra robustness, the lockers included welded and riveted three knuckle door hinges to increase security and allow for easy door replacement. Standard deadlocks were also fitted with pupils having responsibility for their own keys.
With the potential increase in dangerous items entering schools, we also have the option of Vision Panel Lockers, which allows the contents to be seen and reduces the risk of students hiding anything that shouldn’t be in the building without reducing security.
Laptops and technology are an important part of everyday school life. Trailing cables, the risk of theft and the need to protected power points can be problematic. Our In Charge Lockers have been specifically designed with the versatility to accommodate between five and ten laptops to help overcome these problems and provide peace of mind.
How can Whittan help?
Make you storage solutions one less thing to worry about. We work closely with schools, colleges and universities across the country, to provide storage solutions that utilise space, enhance safety and enhance learning environments. We provide site surveys, space planning services and our installation teams can confirm all necessary DBS checks have been carried out.
Don’t delay and get in touch today! We can work with you to plan your project and minimise any disruptions by arrange installation during the holidays.
