Rastrick High School, a large co-educational secondary school in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, serves over 1,700 students aged 11 to 16.
As a member of the Polaris Multi-Academy Trust, the school spans a substantial campus and places a strong emphasis on academic achievement and student safety. This is the case for many education organisations, who often meet challenges when trying to empower staff to communicate across complex sites with different building layouts and coordinate swift and safe repsonse to emergency situations.
When communication gaps began to hinder daily operations and emergency responsiveness at Rastrick High School, they partnered with Digitall Comms, a reputable and experienced provider of two-way communication solutions, to implement a robust, future-ready radio communication system.
Rastrick High School is a large, mixed secondary academy located in Brighouse, West Yorkshire. It currently houses over 1,700 students from the ages of 11 to 16.
Identifying Communication Gaps
The school’s existing back-to-back radio system was no longer sufficient, with staff frequently encountering communication blackspots – especially in remote or shielded areas of the campus. These issues disrupted day-to-day coordination and posed a risk to timely emergency response.
Additionally, the school faced recurring false fire alarm activations, often leading to unnecessary full-site evacuations and significant disruption to teaching and learning.
An Innovative, Long-Term Solution
The Digitall Comms team proposed a two-phase upgrade to address the coverage limitations and introduce advanced safety features.
- Phase One: Install a repeater to eliminate communication blind spots and ensure full campus coverage.
- Phase Two: Integrate a SMC Gateway, a system which integrates with existing infrastructure such as fire alarm panels and can send real-time alerts to radios across the site.
Recognising its potential, the school adopted both phases of the proposed solution, and clarity and reliability of radio communications across the entire campus was immediately improved.
To leverage the Gateway’s real-time alert functionality, 6 Hytera HP565 screened radios were issued to the maintenance team. These devices receive instant text alerts pinpointing the exact location of fire alarm activations, enabling staff to respond directly without needing to return to the fire panel for information.
Impressed by the performance and features of the new radios, the school also upgraded its entire radio fleet. 72 Hytera HP505 non-screened radios were distributed to staff across departments, ensuring consistent, high-quality communication throughout the school
Immediate Results
The upgraded system has already delivered significant improvements in both operational efficiency and campus safety. The repeater ensures seamless communication across the entire site, while the SMC Gateway and screened radios enable faster, more targeted emergency responses.
Staff now benefit from clearer, more dependable communication, enhancing coordination during both routine activities and critical incidents. The investment in modern radio technology has proven transformative, supporting a safer, more responsive school environment.
Rastrick High School
“The new radios have proven to be a vast improvement – better reliability, coverage, and functionality. The support from Digitall Comms was excellent throughout.”
To learn more about two-way radio solutions, please visit our Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) category page or get in touch with us today!
About the Reseller
For over ten years, Digitall Comms has been supporting organisations across the UK and beyond with dependable two-way radio solutions that enhance connectivity, safety, and efficiency. Communication is at the core of their mission, and they specialise in delivering high-quality walkie-talkies, two-way radios, and body-worn camera systems tailored to their customers’ specific requirements.
What began as a small, family-run venture has evolved into one of the UK’s foremost providers of radio communication technology. Digitall’s commitment to improving safety and operational performance has only grown stronger over time. Backed by more than 30 years of industry expertise, the Digitall team continues to deliver innovative solutions that help organisations work smarter, faster, and more securely.
Call: 0330 088 7008
Email: hello@digitall-comms.co.uk
Website: digitall-comms.co.uk
