High Well School in Pontefract is dedicated to developing pupils’ academic, social, and emotional skills, ensuring they leave the school confident, resilient, and prepared for further education. With a strong emphasis on individual needs and interests, the school provides tailored support that enables every pupil to thrive both personally and academically.

Supported by a committed and highly skilled staff team, High Well School maintains a learning environment where excellence is encouraged, and each child’s unique potential is recognised and nurtured.

The Need for Enhanced Safeguarding

Metador was approved by Smart Door Solutions Ltd to deliver a durable and long-lasting solution to address safeguarding challenges within the school. The key requirements were the strength of the overall structure and the ability to withstand challenging behaviour. The frequent damage to the existing wooden doors lead to insecure doors and classrooms overall. The doors were not fit for purpose and thus regularly snapped back off their hinges, or the face of the doors got damaged.

High Well School desperately needed a reliable solution across multiple classrooms, staff rooms, corridors, and entrances that could withstand high daily use while maintaining a safe and secure learning environment.

Researching Solutions

Previous similarly specified steel doorsets were installed in other comparable environments; however, they did not last long before damage/wear began to show.

Whilst Smart Door Solutions could have opted for a PAS 24 or LPS 1175-rated door, the tests these doors are certified to do not necessarily meet the needs of a specialist school or similar environment where persistent abuse is evident.

In addition to enhanced durability, the new doorsets needed to seamlessly integrate with a fob-based access control system to prevent unauthorised access and further strengthen classroom security.

Metador’s Tailored Solution

With extensive experience delivering bespoke security doors for specialist educational environments across the UK, Metador was well-positioned to meet the project’s specific requirements.

Our Xtraguard steel doorsets were specified as the ideal solution, offering superior long-term performance, advanced locking capabilities, and specialist hardware. Designed to withstand high-impact use, these doorsets provided the resilience required for High Well School’s demanding environment whilst meeting the school’s existing internal aesthetics.

Key doorset features included:

• 2.0mm heavy-duty steel door leaves
• Solid timber core for enhanced strength
• Integrated door closer
• Quadrant-style safety pull handles
• Monitored integrated magnetic locks to both the door leaf and jamb
• High-security vision panels

The addition of three maglocks represents a significant improvement, as they prevent the doors from bending or being forced open—unlike standard doors, which often rely on a single overhead maglock. The fully-integrated maglocks secure the door at multiple points when closed, eliminating a common point of attack.

The safety handles of the doorsets are incredibly durable and securely fixed to prevent them from being ripped or kicked off. Similarly, the small vision panels provide sufficient visibility while remaining small enough to avoid damage.

The Results

Smart Door Solutions Ltd expertly installed our Xtraguard doorsets throughout the school, significantly improving classroom security while creating a safer environment for pupils and staff alike. The result is a durable, high-performing solution that supports safeguarding objectives and delivers long-term reliability.

Where the security of the rooms was hit-or-miss before, the client has noted the improved reliability and has confidence that these doorsets are up to the task. They are very happy with their new doorsets and have since involved other schools and councillors, which has led to further enquiries from additional sources.

Need Long-Term Doorset Solutions?

Get in touch with our helpful team today:

sales@metador.com

01642 337 119

Portland School in Blythe Bridge is a Shaw Education Trust school dedicated to providing exceptional learning and experiences to pupils with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Difficulties (SEMHD).

During routine compliance checks, an issue was flagged, highlighting the persistent durability problems with the school’s standard doors. These doors had suffered extensive damage over time, which can critically compromise the safety of students and staff in an emergency.

The primary cause of this damage was student-related activity, including:

• Excessive force
• Accidental impacts
• Intentional misuse

Researching Solutions

Simon and Soames took proactive steps to address a recurring issue with the existing doors. Investing significant time researching alternatives, consulting with industry professionals, and visiting other schools to assess different solutions, their investigation identified two key problems with the current setup:

• Inadequate durability: The standard wooden laminate doors were easily damaged.

• Weak Locking System: Relying on a single magnetic lock at the top of the doorset was inadequate and vulnerable to tampering.

After careful evaluation, they selected the Metador Defender Xtraguard for its exceptional durability, advanced security features, and proven ability to withstand high-impact use in demanding educational environments. With thicker steel and high-security locking systems, these Defender Xtraguard doorsets deliver robust protection where standard solutions fall short.

The Solution

Working closely with FDL Contractors and the Shaw Education Trust, Metador delivered a tailored, high-performance solution for Portland School. During the half-term break, we supplied 11 doorsets in key corridor locations to meet the school’s specific operational and safeguarding needs.

Key Enhancements:

• Thicker Steel: Steel skin upgraded from 1.5mm to 2mm for enhanced durability.

• High-Security Locks: A combination of twin integrated 1200lbs magnetic locks placed at the top and bottom of the door, along with a motorised ASSA Abloy V bolt lock mounted centrally for added security

• Toughened Glass Panels: 19mm toughened double-glazed glass vision panels with reduced width to minimise vulnerability while maintaining clear sightlines

• Anti-Ligature Handles: Designed to support a safer environment for students.

• Concealed Door Closer: Located within the head of the frame to prevent damage and tampering and eliminate ligature risk

Aesthetically, the doors were finished in a pastel green powder coat (RAL 7034) to soften the look and reduce the institutional feel, creating a more welcoming and supportive atmosphere for students.

Results

Through these upgrades, Portland School has significantly enhanced the security, resilience and visual appeal of its internal doors, creating a safer and more controlled learning environment for both staff and pupils.

These upgrades showcase how Metador doors are Designed to Protect, and ensure safety and security are prioritised within educational environments.

Have an upcoming project?

Speak with our steel door experts today:

Enquire Online

Request a Quote

📞 Call: 01642 337119

✉️ Email: sales@metador.com

Bristol City Academy offer a strong academic curriculum reinforced with opportunities for creative subjects taught by specialist teachers and supported by a very strong pastoral care team. This includes a dedicated EAL team and Special Needs Resource Base.

The problem?

Previously, City Academy had aluminium doors that experienced high traffic and consistent exposure to abnormal stress, making them unfit for purpose. As a result, they were damaged to the extent that security and premium quality solutions needed to be considered.

The solution?

To offer a long-lasting solution to their requirements, City Academy approached Metador through their contractor, who specified the Defender Xtraguard as a high-security solution.

Metador manufactured steel doorsets with specialist features, designed with their purpose and application in mind. They include:

• Integrated Maglocks to the lock post for an immediate secure locking
• V-locks, capable of withstanding 1 tonne of side pressure
• Durable Handles, a customised solution made from 4mm 316 Grade stainless steel
• High Security vision panels, adding premium protection.

We were delighted that we could assist Gem Security Systems Ltd with the design, manufacture, and supply of our bespoke and quality steel doorsets.

The school provides specialist education to students, and the old doors were made of aluminium, which could easily be kicked open.

We were asked to develop a more robust safeguarding solution in partnership with Metador.

Through collaboration, we successfully produced a long-lasting, high-security solution that integrated with the existing access control system while maintaining the building’s design and appearance.