Hadley Learning Community Secondary School in Telford has completed a classroom lighting refurbishment, replacing ageing fluorescent luminaires with a bespoke LED system from Zumtobel Lighting, an Austrian company specialising in professional indoor and outdoor lighting.
The project was designed to improve classroom lighting quality, reduce energy consumption, and extend the lifespan of the school’s existing ceiling infrastructure, whilst also avoiding the need for major alterations to teaching spaces.
The upgrades form part of a £70 million campus development by Hadley Learning Community, which provides education for pupils aged three to 16. Facilities management at the site is delivered by Mitie Engineering.
As the existing fluorescent lighting technology neared the end of its lifecycle, the school sought an upgrade that would modernise the classroom environments while retaining the suspended raft ceilings already installed throughout the building.
A bespoke LED design
Mitie worked with Zumtobel to develop a replacement system capable of meeting glare control requirements, reducing connected load, and integrating with the existing raft luminaires.
The brief also called for tunable white lighting and variable output functionality to support different teaching activities and learning environments.
To create a suitable replacement, an existing fluorescent cassette was removed and sent to Zumtobel’s Custom Product team in Spennymoor. Working alongside project stakeholders, the team then developed a bespoke LED cassette designed to match the dimensions of the original fitting while improving lighting performance.
A sample unit was installed and assessed on site before the wider rollout, allowing the project team to evaluate glare control, light distribution, and installation requirements.
The final design uses a custom LED cassette with an opal diffuser, delivering 4,024 lumens at 35W and an efficacy of 115lm/W.
Tunable white controls allow teachers to adjust colour temperature and light levels to suit different classroom activities.
Emergency lighting variants were also incorporated to maintain a consistent appearance throughout the learning spaces.
By retaining the existing raft ceiling infrastructure, the project reportedly reduced installation complexity and minimised disruption to teaching areas.
A focus on energy efficiency and student wellbeing
According to the project partners, the refurbishment has reduced connected load and lowered the site’s carbon impact, whilst also improving visual comfort for pupils and staff.
The tunable white functionality is intended to support wellbeing by allowing lighting conditions to be adjusted throughout the day to suit different learning environments.
Kevin Evans of Mitie Engineering says, “This project required a solution that balanced performance, wellbeing, and practicality.
“Zumtobel Lighting’s custom approach allowed us to retain the existing ceiling design while delivering a modern, efficient lighting upgrade that meets both operational and educational needs.
“The collaborative development process made installation straightforward and ensured the client’s expectations were fully met.”
The project, the companies state, demonstrates how existing educational facilities can be upgraded with LED lighting while retaining key building features and reducing disruption during installation.
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