Royal Russell School, Croydon: new junior school ICT and security infrastructure
Fibre, Cat6A B2CA cabling, CCTV, access control and Wi-Fi infrastructure for a new-build junior school, delivered for a 15-year ICT partner.
Royal Russell School’s original primary school building was demolished under RAAC legislation and rebuilt from scratch. As the school’s ICT partner of 15 years, ACCL was named preferred supplier and delivered the complete cabling infrastructure behind the new junior school, due to open in September 2026.
The result
ACCL delivered a fully integrated ICT and security infrastructure for a new-build school on a live construction site. The completed project provided Royal Russell School with:
- Fibre backbone linking to both Main Equipment Rooms
- Cat6A B2CA cabling for elevated fire safety performance
- CCTV coverage of classrooms, entrances and play area
- Access control securing every key area
- High-density Wi-Fi cabling for classroom devices
- Delivered on a live construction site
- Four comms cabinets, built to expand
Services delivered
Overview
Royal Russell School is an independent day and boarding school educating 1,300 pupils aged three to eighteen across a 110-acre campus in Croydon. ACCL has been the school’s trusted ICT infrastructure partner for over 15 years.
When the original primary school building was found to contain Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), it had to be demolished and rebuilt entirely. The replacement is a purpose-built junior and nursery school, supported by funding from NatWest, providing dedicated space for around 400 pupils from Early Years through to the junior years, due to open in September 2026.
The challenge
When the school’s main contractor was appointed for the rebuild, ACCL’s 15-year track record on the campus made it the natural choice: ACCL was named preferred supplier and awarded the full ICT and security cabling package.
The work had to be delivered on a live construction site, working in small sections alongside other trades, while the wider campus continued operating as normal. As a new-build project, the scope was also subject to variations and design changes as construction and fit-out progressed, and the building’s layout brought its own constraints that had to be worked around to guarantee full coverage and a genuinely future-proofed installation.
A resilient fibre backbone
Three standalone 42U data cabinets (800 x 1000mm) were installed within the junior school. The main cabinet houses two 24-core OS2 single-mode fibre cables, providing the primary optical link between the junior school’s own Equipment Room and both the Primary and Secondary Main Equipment Rooms elsewhere on campus.
An additional 12U wall-mounted satellite cabinet was installed at a second location within the building, driven by the position of the junior school’s equipment room and the practical reach of the cabling. Four comms cabinets in total gives the school genuine scalability, not just capacity for today.
Cat6A cabling built for a school environment
The horizontal cabling throughout the building was specified and installed to Cat6A standard, supplied by Mayflex. The cable selected meets the B2CA European fire performance classification, meaning limited contribution to fire spread, limited heat release and limited smoke production, a meaningfully higher safety standard than most commercial installations require.
The Cat6A infrastructure supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet to the desktop, so the building can meet today’s bandwidth demands and future technology deployments without ever needing the cabling replaced.
Tested and certified on handover
Every Cat6A link was certified using calibrated Fluke Networks test equipment before handover, giving Royal Russell School documented proof that the cabling performs to standard, not just an assumption it will.
CCTV, access control and Wi-Fi
A CCTV system was designed and installed to cover classroom corridors, entrance points, the outdoor play area and the dedicated junior school access gate, integrated into the school’s existing campus-wide surveillance system so the security team keeps one unified view of the whole estate.
Access control cabling, three OM4 multimode 8-core CST cables running from the junior school’s equipment room to a barrier, secures every key area and keeps pupil and visitor access tightly controlled and auditable. A high-density, enterprise-grade Wi-Fi cabling installation covers every classroom, breakout space, the library, and the art, design and science spaces, built to handle tablets, laptops and interactive whiteboards running simultaneously across multiple rooms.
Delivering ICT infrastructure on a live school site?
ACCL installed fibre, Cat6A B2CA cabling, CCTV, access control and Wi-Fi infrastructure for Royal Russell School’s new junior school building, working around a live construction programme with zero disruption to the wider campus.
Technologies used
ACCL’s role
This project required far more than running cable through a new building. ACCL provided Royal Russell School with a complete ICT and security infrastructure service, including:
- Appointed preferred supplier on a 15-year relationship
- Design of a resilient fibre backbone to both MERs
- Installation of four comms cabinets
- Cat6A B2CA copper cabling throughout, by Mayflex
- CCTV integrated with the campus-wide system
- Access control cabling for all key areas
- High-density Wi-Fi across all teaching spaces
- Coordinated delivery on a live construction site
- Adapting to variations as the project progressed
- 250 cables, 10,000 metres, in 3 months
Explore related ACCL services
Related guidance
Foreword by Wayne
“Royal Russell is a good example of what a long relationship actually buys a client. We didn’t have to learn the campus, we already knew it, which meant that when RAAC forced a full rebuild, the school and the main contractor both had one less unknown to worry about. A live construction site is never simple, especially working in small sections around other trades on a school that doesn’t stop operating, but Cat6A B2CA cabling and a proper fibre backbone aren’t things you retrofit easily later. Getting them right the first time, on a scalable footprint, is exactly what a 15-year relationship is supposed to deliver.”Wayne Connors, Managing Director, ACCL
Frequently asked questions
Why did Royal Russell School need a new junior school building?
The original primary school building was found to contain Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and had to be demolished and rebuilt entirely. The replacement building is due to open in September 2026.
Why was ACCL appointed for this project?
ACCL has been Royal Russell School’s trusted ICT infrastructure partner for over 15 years. When the main contractor was appointed for the rebuild, that track record made ACCL the natural choice, and ACCL was named preferred supplier for the ICT and security cabling package.
How many pupils will the new building support?
The purpose-built junior and nursery school, supported by funding from NatWest, provides dedicated space for around 400 pupils from Early Years through to the junior years.
What fibre infrastructure did ACCL install?
Two 24-core OS2 single-mode fibre cables provide the primary optical link between the junior school’s own Equipment Room and both the Primary and Secondary Main Equipment Rooms elsewhere on the Royal Russell School campus.
What cabling standard was used and why does it matter for a school?
Cat6A cabling supplied by Mayflex, meeting the B2CA European fire performance classification. This means limited contribution to fire spread, limited heat release and limited smoke production, a higher safety standard than most commercial installations require, which is particularly relevant in a primary school environment.
How many comms cabinets were installed?
Four in total: three standalone 42U data cabinets and one 12U wall-mounted satellite cabinet, giving the school scalability for future expansion as well as current capacity.
How does the CCTV system work with the rest of the campus?
The new CCTV cabling covers classroom corridors, entrance points, the outdoor play area and the dedicated junior school access gate, and is integrated with the school’s existing campus-wide surveillance system so the security team has one unified view of the whole estate.
What access control was installed?
Three OM4 multimode 8-core CST cables run from the junior school’s equipment room to a barrier, securing key areas including a dedicated outdoor play area with its own secure pupil entrance.
How was the project delivered without disrupting the school?
Physical works were carried out on a live construction site, coordinated in small sections alongside other trades, while the wider campus continued operating normally throughout.
How long did the project take?
ACCL delivered the full ICT and security cabling package within a 3-month programme.
What was the total scale of the cabling installation?
250 cables were deployed, totalling 10,000 metres, across the fibre backbone, Cat6A structured cabling, CCTV, access control and Wi-Fi infrastructure.
Planning ICT infrastructure for a school or new-build campus?
Talk to the team that delivered fibre, Cat6A B2CA cabling, CCTV, access control and Wi-Fi infrastructure for Royal Russell School’s new junior school, on time and without disrupting a live campus.
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