Edinburgh Academy: Manual to Automatic Gate Replacement

Sector: Education | Focus: Safeguarding, Compliance, Integration

Project Overview

Edinburgh Academy required the replacement of existing manual driveway and pedestrian gates with fully automated systems. As a live school environment, the project demanded a strong focus on pupil safeguarding while ensuring secure, reliable access control for staff and visitors.

Key Challenges

The project needed to address several critical requirements:

• Delivering the highest levels of safety in an environment used daily by children and young people
• Integrating the new gate systems with the school’s existing Paxton access control
• Managing extensive groundworks and bespoke gate fabrication
• Working within the school’s operational and access restrictions

Our Solution

We designed, fabricated, and installed a bespoke automated gate system with multiple layers of safety and compliance built in:

• Enhanced safeguarding measures, including force testing to EN standards, safety edges, photocells for obstacle detection, fail-safe cabling, and non-reducing hinges to eliminate pinch points
• Bespoke gate fabrication
• Automated 2-leaf driveway swing gate
• Automated pedestrian swing gate
• Vehicle entry and exit induction loops
• Custom integration with the existing Paxton access control system
• Neat, secure cable management and fully compliant groundworks

Safety & Compliance Assurance

All gates were installed, commissioned, and force-tested in line with EN safety standards. By combining advanced safety technology with professional installation and tidy, compliant finishes, the completed system provides Edinburgh Academy with a secure, reliable, and pupil-safe access solution that supports day-to-day school operations and safeguarding responsibilities.