Cheam High School is Wheelchair Friendly!

Like shops, museums and other service providers, schools must comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) by making their premises accessible to the less able. When Cheam High School in Surrey added a storey to its building, it contracted movemanSKG to install a Prestige platform lift.

Rated ‘outstandingly effective’ by the Office for Standard in Education (Ofsted), Cheam High School has an excellent reputation and is heavily over-subscribed, with approximately 1000 applicants for 300 places every year.

Students at Cheam High School are between eleven and nineteen years old. They benefit from facilities such as a learning resource centre, newly refurbished technology workshops and science laboratories, interactive whiteboards in each classroom, a performing arts building and recording studio, an all-weather training pitch, gymnasium, and sports hall.

Cheam High School’s new storey comprises five information and communication technology (ICT) classrooms. The two-stop Prestige allows less mobile students to access these from the ground floor. It travels to a height of five metres and features a platform big enough to accommodate a wheelchair user plus an accompanying carer.

When the lift is not in use, a designated user control (DUC) safety system automatically moves the platform away from the landing and locks the doors. A key is then required to activate the external control buttons, which prevents children playing or hiding in the lift.

Richard Harrington, Bursar at Cheam High School, is delighted; "We are committed to equal opportunities, and ensure that all students receive the same high standards of education. This means making our premises accessible to wheelchair users. movemanSKG was extremely professional, and installed Prestige within the agreed timeframe. The platform lift functions reliably, and I would recommend it to others."

Prestige lifts 400kg up to thirteen metres and is available in a variety of colours and finishes, making it suitable for integration into almost any environment. A popular platform lift, Prestige comes with three inclusive service visits in the first year of ownership.