One of the greatest challenges for any educational establishment is balancing the need to create an open and stimulating environment that encourages learning, whilst ensuring that the people and equipment within are protected from the threat of theft, vandalism, physical attack and abuse.
With a wide product range including mechanical, mechatronic and electronic access control systems, Kaba has not just introduced standard solutions, but has created bespoke products specifically for the education sector.
Gloucestershire College, formerly known as Gloscat (Gloucester College of Art and Technology) is one of the UK's largest further education colleges. It offers an array of education and training programmes, covering a huge range of vocational modules through to tailored training courses for business.
Since the year 2000, Gloucestershire College has been pursuing an exciting accommodation strategy that has already delivered a brand new state of the art campus in Cheltenham, and is now being used to relocate its three Gloucester sites to a single facility in the heart of the scenic Gloucester Docks. 
During these construction developments, the inevitable questions were raised on how to secure the premises effectively. A solution was required that would pre-empt the issues highlighted above and ensure the well-being of all the college's personnel, students and their personal belongings.
Gloucester Locksmiths were called in to provide both an electronic and mechanical locking solution to meet the Colleges' requirements and after listening carefully they were pleased to offer a complete solution utilizing Kaba products. Kaba's technical support team were on hand to demonstrate and provide guidance on the specified products.
Subsequently, Kaba (UK) Ltd received an order via their long-term approved dealer Gloucester Locksmiths to supply and fit 256 C-Levers incorporating card-based security and almost 300 pExtra cylinders. It was decided that all interior quarters such as classrooms, sports halls, IT rooms and the health and beauty spa were to be secured with the Kaba Elolegic C-Lever solution, whilst Gege pExtra was the mechanical system of choice to protect all perimeter doors and gates from outside intrusion.
The Kaba Elolegic C-Lever is a stand alone, mechatronic door fitting whose electronics are integrated within. Access is gained using a choice of contact free media such as keys, ID cards or fobs when fitted with the renowned LEGIC chip. If a valid medium is read by the electronics, a motor engages the handle coupling and the door can be opened for 5 seconds. In addition, the LEGIC chip allows the use of other applications such as time & attendance, cash-free payment and audit trail.
All schools have a no-bullying policy, which is significantly strengthened by removing the need for students to carry money whilst on the school premises. By implementing a cashless vending solution that utilises the same LEGIC smartcard that operates Kaba's C-Lever system, students are able to pay for food and drinks in the canteen or at snack machines without the risk of theft.
Having complete control over access via time zones, access rights etc, the College have quickly realised an additional benefit. The proximity media in use have their own memory to indicate which doors have been visited, therefore providing a quick and easy way to initiate checks and controls over who has access where and at what times. This is a facility only normally associated with on-line systems.
The College have found the flexibility of the system has now given them the opportunity to look at control of other stand alone applications, the latest being the introduction of cabinet locks that will work with the same Legic chip currently in use.
"pExtra" stands for "Patented Profile System with Extra Protection" and is a mechanical locking system which offers a cylinder with European Patent until 2022. This ensures extra peace of mind as duplicate keys may only be produced by authorised Kaba dealers. pExtra also provides extra anti-picking & anti-drilling protection that eliminates any risk of unauthorised access.
The Gege master key systems can even be integrated into a mechatronic solution simply by employing the legic chip onto an existing key head. This further reinforces Kaba's reputation of being able to provide a broad range of access control systems that can be used simply on their own or integrated with other Kaba systems forming a single complete security solution.
Gloucestershire College bears testament to the success of a complete Kaba solution. Elolegic technology has ensured all Kaba and Gege mechanical locking systems can be integrated which not only provides diversity in levels of security but also future proofs Gloucestershire College's investment with its upwards compatibility.
The whole project has proved to be a success as Gloucestershire College now has all their security requirements catered for, and Kaba and Gloucester Locksmiths have further enhanced their reputation as leading suppliers and installers of access control systems within the education sector.
Kaba manufactures world leading security products including cylinders, safelocks, hotel locks, push button locks, access control systems and time and attendance solutions.
