UK High School Features Mirasys Surveillance System

Recently, teachers at the new Stockwell Park High School in South London in the United Kingdom unveiled the latest in school surveillance equipment, demonstrating a system they say has already made a major impact on safety throughout the school.

Classwatch, an audio visual system that uses software from surveillance specialist Mirasys, has been installed around the new school and promises to transform the effectiveness of security in schools across the UK. A total of 40 cameras located around the school grounds allow video recording throughout the school day.

“We are very mindful of students’ and parents’ sensitivities when it comes to having CCTV in a school environment,” said Stockwell Park head teacher, Judette Tapper. “From our point of view, the system gives teachers a real sense of security and reassurance in the case of the rare disciplinary incidents in which a student disputes the teacher’s account of events. It also helps to combat bullying and aggressive behaviour among students. We are certainly finding that the Classwatch system is a very useful tool in investigating and discouraging truancy.”

Tapper acknowledged that some students initially felt uncomfortable with the recording of footage in the school, but noted that the same emotions were felt by teachers. The parents, however, were the most supportive of the project as it gave them piece of mind when sending their children off to school.

Recorded footage from classrooms and school grounds at Stockwell Park are stored for one calendar month before being destroyed, while access to images and footage is strictly controlled and monitored by a member of the school’s board of governors, in line with the Data Protection Act, 1998. Taper added that the school considered matters relating to data security to be of the utmost importance.

Jon Hill of Mirasys UK said, “the design for Stockwell Park offers a state of art surveillance system utilizing distributed recording nodes each managing a number of high definition images. It was crucial to us that they have a resilient system teachers could rely on in order to identify the causes of trouble around the school, and to provide a record of events that was accurate and impartial. By focussing on maintaining perimeter safety with the surveillance system, teachers and students can focus more on learning in a safe environment."

Uche Agwuegbo, a student at Stockwell Park High School, expressed that she appreciated the cameras were in the school for safety so that the students can focus on learning, “they (the cameras) reduce the acts of graffiti, violence, vandalism and theft and tell the exact story of an incident so you don’t have to listen to bags of lies.”

Another student at the school, Daniel Bryan, however noted: “Cameras can be useful, but also they are an invasion of your privacy and sometimes they make me feel uncomfortable because I don’t know when someone could be watching me.”

Featured

  • Security Today Announces The Govies Government Security Award Winners for 2025

    Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 winners in The Govies Government Security Awards. The awards honor outstanding government security products in a variety of categories. Read Now

  • Survey: 60 Percent of Organizations Using AI in IT Infrastructure

    Netwrix, a cybersecurity provider focused on data and identity threats, today announced the release of its annual global 2025 Cybersecurity Trends Report based on a global survey of 2,150 IT and security professionals from 121 countries. It reveals that 60% of organizations are already using artificial intelligence (AI) in their IT infrastructure and 30% are considering implementing AI. Read Now

  • New Research Reveals Global Video Surveillance Industry Perspectives on AI

    Axis Communications, the global industry leader in video surveillance, has released its latest research report, ‘The State of AI in Video Surveillance,’ which explores global industry perspectives on the use of AI in the security industry and beyond. The report reveals current attitudes on AI technologies thanks to in-depth interviews with AI experts from Axis’ global network and a comprehensive survey of more than 5,800 respondents, including distributors, channel partners, and end customers across 68 countries. The resulting insights cover AI integration and the opportunities and challenges that exist with regard to security, safety, business intelligence, and operational efficiency. Read Now

  • SIA Urges Tariff Relief for Security Industry Products

    Today, the Security Industry Association has sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick requesting relief from tariffs for security industry products and asking that the Trump administration formulate a process that allows companies to apply for product-specific exemptions. The security industry is an important segment of the U.S. economy, contributing over $430 billion in total economic impact and supporting over 2.1 million jobs. Read Now

  • Report Shows Cybercriminals Continue Pivot to Stealthier Tactics

    IBM recently released the 2025 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index highlighting that cybercriminals continued to pivot to stealthier tactics, with lower-profile credential theft spiking, while ransomware attacks on enterprises declined. IBM X-Force observed an 84% increase in emails delivering infostealers in 2024 compared to the prior year, a method threat actors relied heavily on to scale identity attacks. Read Now

New Products

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.