Octavia House Schools – Where Security Supports Wellbeing

Project overview.

Octavia House Schools (OHS) is a unique therapeutic education provider dedicated to supporting pupils with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs. When OHS began work on transforming a former medical building into a fully functioning new school site, the need for a strategic, reliable, and highly sensitive security partner was paramount. Having previously supported OHS with earlier school sites, FSL Security was again appointed to deliver a fully integrated, one-stop solution covering security, life safety, data infrastructure, and ongoing maintenance; all with minimal disruption and a deep respect for the therapeutic ethos of the school.

Understanding the deeply personal and emotional needs of OHS pupils, FSL approached this project not just as a technical installation, but as a critical part of enabling a safe and emotionally secure learning environment. Every stage of planning and execution was guided by discretion, collaboration, and sensitivity.

The complexity of the build demanded agility. With parts of the site still under construction and others partially complete, the FSL team had to work in a carefully phased way, managing installations around builders, trades, and school staff. This required a flexible, strategic workflow to keep the project moving while ensuring safety, compliance and coordination at every stage.

FSL provided a comprehensive turnkey solution, covering every facet of the school’s electrical and safety infrastructure. All lighting systems were designed in house and built to high-security standards to support the dual goals of safety and therapeutic care.

Services supplied.

We designed and installed a fully integrated access control system across the entire site, allowing staff to manage access discreetly and safely whilst ensuring the wellbeing of the children. We installed discreet, child-safe hardware that blends into the environment while remaining robust and secure. The system integrates with the intruder alarm and CCTV systems to provide a unified response from a central point. It allows staff to maintain a secure perimeter and controlled internal zones, helping to reduce risk and support the school’s safeguarding strategy, without creating an institutional feel.

Our team of experts carefully designed a CCTV system that supports safeguarding and security without compromising the school’s welcoming and respectful atmosphere. We installed a discreet, high-resolution surveillance network to monitor key access points and communal areas, designed with privacy and child protection in mind. The features included: low-profile, tamper-resistant cameras that offer clear visibility while maintaining a non-intrusive presence and secure, GDPR-compliant video storage with tiered access for designated safeguarding staff only.

We delivered a robust data and electrical backbone for OHS, ensuring the site supports both academic and therapeutic functions seamlessly. This included: Structured Data Cabling to provide reliable connections, WIFI Deployment to ensure full coverage across all learning spaces, and a complete electrical fit-out, all tailored to the needs of a converted medical facility now serving as a therapeutic school. All systems were strategically planned and installed in coordination with other trades, despite the fragmented build schedule, ensuring continuity, adaptability, and minimal disruption to project timelines.

We installed a bespoke emergency lighting system that supports safe evacuation while respecting the therapeutic nature of the space. In an emergency, visibility and calm are critical, particularly in an environment where many pupils may have additional needs or difficulties with transitions. Our lighting was strategically placed and low-glare to illuminate exits without overwhelming brightness or distraction. All of our lighting systems are compliant with BS 5266-1 standards, ensuring robust performance during power loss scenarios.

We designed and installed a comprehensive, fully compliant fire alarm system tailored to the specific needs of the school. We worked closely with the leadership team at OHS to ensure the systems were non-intrusive to minimise distress for pupils with heightened sensory needs. We continue to maintain and monitor the system, ensuring ongoing compliance and peace of mind for staff and families alike.

The intruder alarms are monitored 24/7 and alert both the nominated key holders and police if any entry to the school is breached. This monitoring ensures rapid response and enhances the overall security framework, supporting a safe environment for both staff and pupils.

Results.

FSL’s holistic delivery has helped OHS create a secure, supportive, and compliant school environment. The carefully designed systems allow teachers and therapists to focus on what matters most: supporting pupils’ development. We continue to provide a full suite of support services, ensuring systems remain operational, safe, and future proof. Our team worked closely with school leadership and therapists to understand pupil behaviours, movement patterns, and vulnerabilities, and alongside builders during redevelopment to ensure systems were embedded from the ground up- even when construction timelines and access conditions required highly adaptive, hands-on project coordination.

TESTIMONIAL

For us, this isn’t just about installing equipment, it’s about safeguarding a very specific kind of learning experience. FSL has been thoughtful, responsive, and deeply respectful of our values throughout. - Senior Leader, Octavia House Schools