Project overview
Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust engaged PTS to develop a Smart Campus Strategy and Roadmap across its portfolio of schools and colleges in the West Midlands.
The Trust’s leadership identified an opportunity to align IT and Estates functions to unlock sustainability, operational and financial benefits through digitising its buildings. With rising energy costs and increasing carbon reduction targets, the Trust sought a clear strategy to embed smart building technologies across its estate.
PTS was appointed to provide a structured blueprint that would define the direction of travel and enable measurable progress towards a data driven, low carbon Smart Campus model.
Vision
The Trust aspired to significantly reduce its carbon footprint by controlling energy use more intelligently, using real time utilisation data to ensure heating and lighting were only used when spaces were occupied. Financial savings generated through energy efficiency would be reinvested into further digitisation initiatives.
The challenge was understanding the current estate infrastructure and determining which systems required enhancement, integration or replacement. The Trust needed clarity on practical use cases, investment priorities and implementation sequencing to ensure benefits could be realised at scale.
Without a clear roadmap, there was a risk of fragmented investment and missed opportunities for integration between IT and Estates.
Our Approach
PTS began by reviewing the Trust’s strategic ambitions and benchmarking them against relevant Smart Campus use cases within the education sector. Workshops were conducted with key stakeholders across IT and Estates to assess current capabilities and identify opportunities for improvement.
We developed a set of prioritised Smart Campus use cases, categorised as must have, could have and would have. These use cases informed a phased roadmap outlining specific activities, technology interventions and expected outcomes.
The strategy focused on enabling closed loop control of building systems through middleware connecting sensors to lighting and heating controls. By integrating occupancy data with smart building systems, the Trust could move towards automated, responsive energy management across its estate.
The roadmap defined governance structures, roles and responsibilities, sequencing of initiatives and indicative investment planning. It provided a practical and achievable framework to embed smart technologies in a controlled and scalable way.
Throughout the engagement, PTS ensured that recommendations were aligned to the Trust’s sustainability targets, operational requirements and budget constraints, enabling a realistic pathway from strategy to implementation.
Outcomes and benefits
The Smart Campus Strategy has enabled the Trust to implement one of the first true in sector examples of closed loop control of building systems within a Multi Academy Trust environment.
Key Outcomes
- Sensor based control of lighting and heating aligned to space utilisation
- Forecast substantial reductions in energy costs and carbon emissions
- Alignment of IT and Estates functions under a shared digital strategy
- Reinvestment of energy savings into further digitisation initiatives
- Establishment of the Trust as a sector leader in smart building innovation
The result is a clear, actionable roadmap that supports sustainable transformation while creating smarter, more efficient learning environments.
Key Stats
Smart Campus roadmap delivered across a multi site education estate
Closed loop control of heating and lighting based on occupancy data
Client testimonial
“I am delighted to see the significant progress the Trust has made in aligning IT and Estates functions, beginning the journey for our Smart Campus vision. The Smart Campus Strategy and Roadmap developed by PTS have provided a clear and actionable blueprint, enabling us to effectively implement smart building technologies, culminating in our proof of concept which has been a huge success.
The integration of systems, such as sensor based control of lighting and heating, demonstrates the tangible benefits of this strategy. Not only are we achieving substantial energy cost savings and reducing our carbon footprint, but we are also reinvesting these savings into further digitisation efforts. This alignment is helping us to deliver on our sustainability goals while creating smarter, more efficient spaces for our schools.
It is exciting to see the Trust emerging as a sector leader in leveraging closed loop building control systems. This innovative approach reflects our commitment to continuous improvement and sustainable transformation.
Looking ahead, I am confident that the roadmap we now have in place will help us unlock even greater potential, ensuring we remain at the forefront of smart campus development. My thanks to the PTS team and everyone involved in bringing this vision to fruition.
Aled Ballard
Chief Operating Officer and Vice Principal