Creating Safer Schools with Smart Technology and Clear Communication

23^rd July 2025

School safety is no longer just a priority – it’s a responsibility that demands smart, proactive solutions.

As risks within educational environments continue to evolve, schools must go beyond traditional measures to protect students, staff, and visitors. From preventing unauthorised access to identifying early signs of harmful behaviour, the need for integrated safety technology has never been greater. At Ninehundred Communications Group, we’re helping schools build safer, more responsive environments through advanced communication systems, smart access control, and intelligent sensors that detect vaping and aggression, all designed to create peace of mind and ensure fast, effective intervention when it matters most.

Clear Communication When It Matters Most

When an incident occurs, whether it’s a lockdown situation or a missing child, every second counts. Our tannoy and lockdown systems provide instant school-wide announcements, ensuring messages reach every classroom, corridor, and common area without delay.

From emergency alerts to day-to-day scheduling, our systems empower schools to:

Issue lockdown or evacuation instructions clearly and instantly
Broadcast messages to specific zones or school-wide
Schedule class change bells to reduce disruption
Make dynamic announcements from mobile or desktop devices

Combined with precise clock synchronisation, these systems streamline daily operations while ensuring rapid communication during emergencies.

Control and Monitor Unauthorised Entry

Keeping school grounds secure is a vital part of safeguarding. Our integrated access control systems, compatible with platforms like Paxton, allow schools to:

Restrict access to authorised personnel
Track entry and exit logs across all doors and gates
Automatically lock down specific areas during emergencies
Manage visitor access with entry fobs, cards or biometrics

This level of control not only prevents unauthorised entry but also creates a detailed audit trail to support compliance with Martyn’s Law and other safeguarding standards.

a boy with a backpack standing in front of a glass door

Smart Sensors That Detect Vaping and Aggression

A growing concern in UK schools is the rise in student vaping and aggressive behaviour, particularly in unsupervised areas such as toilets and corridors. Our new generation of smart environmental sensors provides discreet and proactive monitoring of these risks.

These AI-powered sensors are capable of:

Detecting vape aerosols (including THC and flavoured variants)
Monitoring air quality and noise thresholds
Identifying signs of shouting, fighting or aggressive interactions
Alerting staff instantly via mobile or dashboard notifications

By placing these sensors in sensitive areas, schools can take immediate action to prevent harm, enforce rules, and protect students from peer pressure or bullying, without invading personal privacy.

a smoke detector in a room with people sitting around

Reliable Communication with Two-Way Radios

In addition to fixed tannoy systems, two-way radios offer flexible, instant communication across campus, especially valuable during emergencies, school events, or day-to-day coordination. Staff can stay connected in real time, whether managing entry points, supervising students outdoors, or responding to incidents. With features like group calling, panic buttons, and location tracking, our radios are built to support safeguarding teams, site staff, and senior leaders, ensuring seamless communication without relying on mobile networks. Radios can also be integrated with lockdown and alarm systems, creating a unified response framework across the entire school.

A Fully Integrated Safety Ecosystem

What sets Ninehundred Communications apart is our ability to connect these technologies into a single, easy-to-manage platform. From initial consultation through to installation and staff training, we deliver a turnkey safety solution tailored to each school’s layout and needs.

Our integrated systems include:

Tannoy and lockdown alerts
Smart vape/aggression detection
Access control and visitor management
Class change scheduling and mobile alerts
Central dashboards for monitoring and control

Whether you’re running a small primary school or a large multi-academy trust, we can scale and customise your system to ensure safety, efficiency, and peace of mind.

Trusted by Education and Industry Leaders

With over 45 years’ experience and partnerships with organisations like the NHS, University of Sheffield, Network Rail, and Alton Towers, Ninehundred Communications is proud to be a trusted name in communication and security technology.

Ready to Transform Your School’s Safety Strategy?

Speak to our experts today and discover how we can help create a safer, smarter learning environment for your students and staff.

0845 600 4 900

Take a look at What Our Customers Say

If there is one thing that makes me keep coming back to Ninehundred Communications Group is Ursula Russell when looking at what our site need regarding criteria Ursula always points me in the right direction not only doe’s Ursula give me the best advice for radios we also have a good chat and laugh and I think that is what is missing now days with companies.
Just going that extra mile and chat to the person ask them how they are etc that is what makes a sale nothing to do with price or items it’s about the customer service we get I have had to mention Ursula as I believe she does a fantastic job for you but also for me.

John Witham,
Veolia ES Merseyside

Very helpful with order products and sending engineer out to program radios in a timely manner. Thank you!

Cassie Sternbach,
Brentford FC Ltd

I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thanks to KIM STARR for excellent support during the two-way radio hire for our recent project. From start to finish, your coordination and attention to detail were truly outstanding, exceeding our expectations at every step.

Your efficiency in arranging everything seamlessly made a significant difference in ensuring smooth operations. Your professionalism, responsiveness, and dedication were greatly appreciated, and it was a pleasure working with you.

Thank you again for your exceptional support, I look forward to working with you on future projects.

Bava Patel,
ASL Group – PowerStream Services Ltd

Every time I order from you I feel like no question is too small and I feel assured that you will do the best you can. Thank you to the team behind eorders@, you make my life easier with your promptness and kind approach to your work.

Alicia Eccleston,
Walk the Plank

a women looking up in a school building with a man stood beside her writing notes down

Communication with Ninehundred has been absolutely brilliant. They answer emails really quickly, we’ve discussed prices, so we’ve been able to negotiate a bit and time wise delivery of the goods and installation has been fast.

Christina Mallender,
Frodingham Infants

a Ninehundred communications van with a group of people running through town for race for life

Ninehundred stands out for us with the quality of the service and the product and the competitive pricing. In 2025, we’re going to be coming back bigger and better. We’ve got some really ambitious targets to reach, and we know that Ninehundred are going to help us, support us in reaching those targets and making sure our events are the best they can be.

Stephanie Wakefield,
Cancer Research UK

a large scarefest sign on the grass at night

With Ninehundred continuously offering new products to the market they work alongside us to ensure we are at the forefront of technology and always have the best equipment available to the teams and the resort.

Tom Handley,
Alton Towers Resort

Great service and communication as always – The radios arrived far quicker than expected – thank you very much!

Peter Crozier,
E.On UK

Usual really, service and products are excellent, communication also excellent. Couldn’t be happier.

Darren Williams,
Bramhall High School

Great service and communication from Ninehundred, new radio equipment supplied very promptly and as always worked straight out of the box. Highly recommended.

Graham Richardson,
Logistex Ltd