What are the benefits of outdoor signage for schools?

Digital signage can be a great addition to any school and there are significant benefits, particularly when it comes to outdoor signage.

Installing digital signage outdoors, can be a great use of EdTech to support learning outside of the typical classroom environment. Examples of this could be installing outdoor signage to showcase leader boards during PE lessons or at sports days. Maybe you want a visual aid such as a timer to make teaching physical education easier, the possibilities with outdoor digital signage are endless.

But isn’t school signage difficult to use?

Not with Elementary Technology! Gone are the days of needing to manually update every screen or having to buy hardware and software separately. We can supply schools with an all-in-one software and hardware package, meaning that managing your school signage has never been easier, whether it’s indoors or outdoors. Alternatively, we can help you switch on those dormant screens to be filled with motivating messaging and visuals encouraging kindness, wellbeing and strengthening your school community.

Content on multiple screens can be controlled centrally with a simple drag and drop interface. It can also be scheduled to change, perhaps showing a Menu at lunchtime and wayfinding instructions after school. Personalised, themed and easy to use templates are always available.

Is there any financial support available to help me with my purchase?

Yes! Elementary Technology can offer the schools we work with different ways to purchase. As a trusted, independent advisor we take the time to understand the requirements of a school and help make budgets fit. One of the ways we can help with funding your next EdTech project is through leasing.

Furthermore, if you’re a primary school, outdoor digital signage can be purchased as part of the PE and sport premium, making it even easier to access.

If that all sounds good so far, you’re probably wondering where to start when it comes to buying the very best outdoor signage for your school.  Firstly, you’ll need your signage to be able to deal with the Great British weather which means making sure it’s waterproof. That’s where IP ratings come in…

What is an IP rating?

An IP rating is usually a two-digit grading system, often found in the form of a table or chart like the one below.

The IP rating is used to give customers a clear indication of the item’s resistance to various types of intrusions. These intrusions include things such as resistance to foreign bodies like dust and dirt, or resistance to moisture.

The IP certification rating table or chart has been constructed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for international use. EN 60529 is the subsequent British standard, therefore whenever you’re looking to purchase an IP rated product, you should always check that it meets this standard.

What is a good IP rating?

When working out whether a product has a good IP rating, knowing what the numbers mean is the best place to start.

The first digit of the IP rating will be a number between 0-6. This number gives the customer an indication of the degree of protection from ingress of solid objects such as dirt or dust.

The second digit in an IP rating will be a number between 0-9. When it comes to outdoor signage, this number is important because it indicates the quality of resistance to moisture at varying intensities, angles, depths and pressures of exposure or immersion.

For example, if you’re looking to purchase outdoor signage with an IP rating of 10, then it’s likely you’ll be needing to replace it soon after installation because it’s protection from foreign bodies is low and it has no protection from moisture.

If you’d like any further information on digital signage, or any piece of your EdTech, Elementary Technology are here to help you make an informed choice, just complete our contact form and one of the team will be happy to help.