Castle View Enterprise Academy, established in September 2009 as part of Sunderland’s ‘Building Schools for the Future’ initiative, has integrated a state-of-the-art ONELAN digital signage system. Sponsored by the City of Sunderland Council and Northumbrian Water, the £17 million investment in the Academy has allowed it to specialise in Business, Enterprise, and ICT, aligning with its goal of becoming a regional leader in ICT innovation.
Project Objectives and Scope
The Academy had several key objectives for their digital signage system, which included:
- Delivering cost-effective communication to visitors, students, and staff.
- Broadcasting live TV across the IP network, including school events and external content.
- Providing a video-on-demand library for learning resources.
- Enabling teachers to create and distribute online learning materials.
This digital signage system plays a crucial role in fulfilling the Academy’s vision of leading in ICT by providing an innovative, flexible, and easy-to-use platform. Before the Academy’s rebuild, no similar technology existed in the original school, making the ONELAN system a significant technological advancement.
Digital Signage Content Strategy
Castle View uses the ONELAN system to display a wide variety of content, such as:
- School club promotions.
- Results of House competitions.
- Birthday announcements.
- Behavioral league tables.
- Event details.
- Television channels during lunch and breaks.
The digital signage network includes 11 ONELAN Net-Top-Boxes (NTBs)—1 NTB 610 publisher and 10 NTB 510 subscribers. Additionally, the installation of two OmniServers enables the Academy to record and broadcast live TV feeds, such as news and educational channels, without the need for extra RF cabling, thereby minimizing costs.
Improved Communication and Time-Saving
One of the major benefits of the ONELAN system is the ability to quickly and easily disseminate important information across the Academy. Traditionally, distributing messages to large groups was time-consuming and inefficient, but the digital signage system has transformed this process.
Gavin Willis, Marketing and Content Coordinator at Castle View, highlights the time-saving and efficiency benefits: “Staff and students are constantly knocking on my door asking if new things can be uploaded… The time-saving aspects of this system are invaluable. I would strongly recommend this system to any business that wants to take itself forward in the way of signage and getting their message across.”
The system has not only enhanced communication within the Academy but also fostered greater engagement with students and staff by providing visually appealing and dynamic displays.
About ONELAN
ONELAN, based in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, is a leader in developing network appliances for digital signage solutions. Its Net-Top-Box (NTB) offers a multimedia, multi-zoned platform capable of displaying both stored and live media, including RSS feeds, web pages, and broadcast TV.
