Generic case study. We do not name the school, the village or the trust, the value is the staging plan, the safeguarding approach and the way BS 7671, BS 5839-1 and BS 5266 were brought into line with one piece of work.
The brief
A small Somerset primary school with a Victorian core and a 1990s teaching-block extension. The most recent EICR had returned UNSATISFACTORY across the older block: aged metal-clad final circuits, a wooden-back distribution board in the boiler room, no per-circuit RCD protection, an obsolete fire-alarm panel that the maintenance contractor could no longer source spares for, and emergency lighting heads past their warranty. The brief: bring it into 18th ed Amd 2 compliance, refresh the fire and emergency lighting systems, and do it without losing teaching days.
What we did
- Partial rewire across six classrooms + corridor, final circuits relifted onto a new TP&N distribution board, RCBO per circuit, Type A throughout
- Consumer unit replacement, wooden-back board out, metal-clad 24-way TP&N in, full per-circuit individual protection, Type 2 SPD on the incomer
- BS 5839-1 fire alarm interface, replaced obsolete panel with a current-spec analogue addressable system, retained existing call-points and detectors where heads tested clean, integrated kitchen-area heat detector and corridor smoke loop
- BS 5266 emergency lighting refresh, LED self-test maintained luminaires across corridors, exit signs, hall, kitchen and stair core; 3-hour duration verified; logbook left on site
- Classroom lighting upgrade, LED panels replacing the older fluorescent troffers, daylight-linked dimming on the south-facing rooms
- Accessory upgrade, Click Deco metal-clad sockets and switches throughout the rewired zones, robust enough for primary-school use
- Inspection & test, full BS 7671 EIC at handover, fire alarm commissioning certificate, emergency lighting periodic-test certificate
Term-time staging plan
The school was operational throughout. Teaching could not stop. The plan:
- Survey + design during a teaching week. Out-of-hours visits, signed-in via reception, all on-site staff DBS-checked.
- February half-term, Phase 1. Three classrooms rewired, distribution board replaced. Five working days inside one half-term week. Teaching resumed on the Monday with full power, full lighting, full fire alarm.
- Weekend interim work. Emergency lighting heads swapped Saturday-Sunday with the building closed.
- Easter half-term, Phase 2. Three remaining classrooms rewired, fire-alarm panel cut over, corridor lighting upgraded. Old panel kept live in parallel until the new one was commissioned and witnessed.
- End of summer term, commissioning + handover. Logbooks updated, periodic-test schedule handed to the site manager, BS 7671 cert issued, Part P notified.
Safeguarding & site discipline
Every member of the on-site team carried an in-date enhanced DBS check before stepping on the premises. Site rules were briefed and signed before work started:
- Visitor sign-in at reception every morning, no exceptions
- Lanyards worn at all times
- No tools or cable left unattended in classroom corridors during teaching hours
- Lock-off / tag-out on every isolation, with a daily walk-round before children returned to the building
- End-of-day debrief with the site manager so anything left in a part-finished state was understood
The kit
| Component | Spec |
|---|---|
| Distribution board | Metal-clad TP&N 24-way, RCBO per circuit, Type 2 SPD |
| RCBOs | Type A, 30 mA, full per-circuit individual protection |
| Fire alarm panel | Analogue addressable BS 5839-1 panel, single-loop, expansion ready |
| Emergency lighting | LED self-test maintained, 3-hour, BS 5266 |
| Classroom lighting | LED panels, 4000K, daylight-linked dimming on south face |
| Accessories | Click Deco / Deco Plus metal-clad, schools-grade |
| Tails & bonding | 25 mm² tails, 10 mm² main protective bonding |
Certification & paperwork
- BS 7671 Electrical Installation Certificate, full, NAPIT-format, every rewired circuit tested and logged
- Part P Building Regulations Compliance Certificate, NAPIT-notified to local building control
- BS 5839-1 fire alarm commissioning certificate, full panel cause-and-effect verified, every device addressed
- BS 5266 emergency lighting periodic-test certificate, 3-hour duration logged, logbook on site
- Updated O&M pack for the site manager, isolation map, panel-zone schedule, weekly-test routine, annual-test schedule
- VAT invoice, itemised by phase, VAT @ 20%
Why this approach. School rewires are not domestic rewires done bigger. The clock isn't “before the kids come home from work”, it's “before Monday morning's bell.” You design the staging plan around the school's calendar, not your own diary. Phase what you can finish in a half-term. Leave the rest for the next break. Never leave a building part-energised on a Friday.
Who it's for
Primary & secondary schools, multi-academy trusts, nurseries, after-school provision, village halls used for childcare, faith-school estates. Anywhere that combines BS 7671 compliance, BS 5839-1 fire alarm responsibility, BS 5266 emergency lighting and an enhanced-DBS safeguarding requirement on the same site.
Also see: commercial electrical, emergency lighting, consumer unit / distribution board, EICR.