Schools are among the most common CCTV customers we serve, and also among the most likely to receive a quote that will disappoint them. The reason is that CCTV is sold by camera count, but performance is determined by coverage, recording quality and retention.

What the quote is actually made of

Camera selection

Dome cameras suit indoor corridors and general areas. Bullet cameras cover entrances, perimeters and car parks where you need to identify faces at distance. Fixed-lens versus varifocal matters: a wide-angle lens placed ten metres from a face does not help anybody.

Recording retention

This is where school budgets are usually surprised. Resolution multiplies storage. A 4MP camera may use roughly twice the bitrate of a 2MP camera for the same scene, and retention scales with it. Decide how many days you need to keep footage before choosing how many channels to record.

Cabling and power

PoE cameras need both data and power run to each position. Distance and whether the route can use existing conduit dominate the installation cost.

Recording and viewing

An NVR with RAID storage, or a small server for larger installations. Remote viewing from phone and from an office monitor should be part of the design, not an add-on.

Common mistakes we see

  • Too few cameras at poor angles — footage exists but shows nothing useful.
  • Resolution chosen for marketing rather than retention requirements.
  • No access control on the recorder, with default passwords left in place.
  • No plan for what happens when a hard drive fails.
  • Nobody trained to actually retrieve footage when it is needed.

Planning for a school site

Map the areas that matter: main gate and vehicle drop-off, reception, corridors, external perimeters, examination halls, and staff-only areas. Note lighting conditions at night, because a camera facing a lit corridor into a dark yard produces poor results regardless of specification.

How we quote

We survey the site, then quote per camera position with the exact model specified, including recording retention, cabling and installation, plus configuration, mobile viewing setup and a handover session with your staff. Ask any installer those questions and the quotes become comparable.