Bexhill College – Campus Classroom AV Upgrades

When Bexhill College wanted to upgrade every campus classroom with a standardised display set-up, they knew that Strive AV would be the ideal partner for the project.

AV Refresh

Bexhill College underwent a classroom transformation, with new SMART boards in every teaching space on campus. Having worked together previously, Strive AV was appointed by the college to specify, source, and install equipment for this large-scale upgrade before students returned for a new term in September.

The client brief was straightforward, but the timelines were tight with just two months to deliver the project. One of the key factors in winning the order was that Strive AV must ensure that all screens could be supplied and fully installed during the summer holidays. With discussions starting in July, the project needed to be actioned and progressed immediately. Committed to meeting this deadline, the team at Strive AV turned around the installation within 10 days of the screens being delivered.

“

““The solution Strive AV provided was ideal, it met all our needs to support our students with the latest technology whilst also using brands that our teachers could easily adapt to. Being able to lease was also a real advantage; spreading the cost over five years meant the college could easily handle the investment.”

Mike Dunne, eLearning and ILT co-ordinator Bexhill College

Mike Dunne, eLearning and ILT co-ordinator at Bexhill College explained, “We had been dealing with 5 to 10 year old projectors, the image clarity was poor, and the reliance on lamps meant they had limited life cycles, and constantly needed upkeep. All these factors were not conducive to providing a bright bold learning environment, which is central to the college ethos.”

The college required a consistent presentation eco-system that staff could easily use, no matter which classroom they were teaching in. Existing equipment included projectors, old interactive whiteboards, and some older style SMART boards. The college had liked working with SMART and this was the preferred option. SMART could also deliver within budget and on time, so the decision was taken to upgrade each classroom with a new SMART Board interactive display. The upgrade would provide the required standardisation, while still being a familiar technology for staff.

SMART Technologies MX Series

The solution included the installation of 52 75” SMART Board MX Series interactive displays. Four of these were installed with mobile trolleys, while the remainder were wall-mounted in each classroom along with HDMI and USB cabling.

The SMART Board MX Series includes features, such as touch interaction, SMART Ink® desktop software, and personalisation, that make it a long-lasting investment. The displays work with UVC webcams, Zoom, Google Meet™, Microsoft Teams™, and more. Remote learners can also engage with content using screen sharing, digital ink, whiteboards, and lesson-delivery tools.

Connected Classrooms

Due to the size of this AV upgrade, the college organised financing via its existing lease company to help spread the cost of the project. Leasing has become a more popular option in education in recent years, helping campuses to facilitate digital transformation strategies while managing budgets.

“The new SMART Board MX’s were exactly what was required for this college to start the new term with connected classrooms and engaging learning. The displays are familiar to the staff at Bexhill College and are very easy to use anyway, so technical training and support is minimal. This means teachers can get on with what they do best from the get-go – teaching!”, concludes Matthew Dunne, Director at Strive AV.