Sales & Support 01304 824194 / 01482 645395
COMPUTING, AV & INTERACTIVE FOR SCHOOLS
Leadership Summary (SLT)
Strong education leadership relies on trusted insight and close strategic partnerships. Pied Piper have been sector specialists for over 25 years and all our senior management are ex-head teachers, DFE advisors or Ofsted inspectors. We fully understand the challenges of a modern learning environment and use our experience and industry knowledge to assist SLT’s across the UK.
TRUSTED EDUCATION SPECIALISTS FOR OVER 25 YEARS
Suppliers Of Over
Projectors
Interactive Screens
Ipads
Laptops
INFORMATION
Uniquely placed as one of the few surviving truly independent specialists, Pied Piper is a company built by educators, for educators.
As key advisors to both the DFE and EF(S)A our knowledge and technical expertise helped to successfully complete 28 new schools during the Priority School Build Programme (PSBP) between 2015-2021.
The last 10 years has seen the emergence of a very different educational landscape with multiple educational management structures and Trusts. Pied Piper understands the challenges of public, private and hybrid groups and is uniquely placed to offer the very best advice and support. This can include;
Exclusive pricing and promotions
Intimate market and product knowledge
Unparalleled installation expertise
Full consultancy services.
Whether you are considering interactive panels, laptops or a new hall projection system, we know the subtle differences, strengths and weaknesses of all the options available. We can help recommend the most appropriate and most cost-effective option FOR YOU and are not tied to any single manufacturer.
PROFESSIONAL AUDIO-VISUAL INSTALLATION
Your trusted partner
Whether you require remote technical support for your premises team or a fully managed onsite installation service, Piper Piper are your trusted partner. We have fully qualified engineers, full indemnity and 25 years experience installing specialist AV hardware.
All our technicians, engineers and project managers are EDBS screaned and work to BS54659 standards.
Key areas of expertise include;
- Interactive screens & panels
- Hall and theatre projection systems
- Audio, PA and lighting systems
- Large format signage
Interactive Screens and Panels
We are increasingly encouraging schools and Trusts to save money with self-installation for standard “solid wall” classrooms. We have purpose created installation kits and full remote support to get you started. Where installations are more complex or facilities staff not in place, we offer a fully managed onsite service (See Below)
Projection, Audio, PA & Lighting
These installations are generally quite specialist and require our engineers to complete this work for you. Pricing on these projects will be quoted individual and often includes the use of height access equipment and appropriate extended cabling and control hardware.
De-installation Services
Where required, we also offer a full professional de-installation, preparation and disposal service.
National Interactive Panel Installation Pricing
Assumes standard 65”-75” installation to a solid wall with no obstacles and clear access
Panel pricing is fully inclusive of cabling, premium metal wall plate, trunking and commissioning. Wall brackets may incur a small additional charge depending on manufacturer.
Interactive Panel Installation Pricing
Assumes a solid wall, no obstacles and clear access
1
Cost Per Panel
£499
2
Cost Per Panel
£275
3
Cost Per Panel
£185
4+
Cost Per Panel
ENQUIRE
AV LEASING
Pied Piper preferential leasing rates for UK schools
We have enjoyed a long and successful partnership with Bluestone Leasing who have been an established and respected education specialist for over 20 years.
To obtain a Leasing quotation simply ask our friendly specialists who will arrange for a full written illustration to be sent to you.
Pied Piper will liaise with Bluestone to ensure they have all the correct details and obtain you the very best rates.
Leasing rules for UK schools changed from 1 April 2024 for local authority-maintained schools and 1 September 2024 for academy
trusts by adopting the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS). Schools are now able to access rates as low as 12% on terms up to 5 years.
Leasing includes ownership
Modern leasing allows schools to include a “balloon payment” within their quarterly payments. This means that the equipment belongs to the school at the end of the term without a big final payment.
Leasing matches warranties?
Your product warranty should, arguably, be even more critical to your leasing decision than financial considerations. Committing to a 5 year lease on Interactive Panels, which generally come with a 5 year onsite warranty, makes a lot of sense. Committing to a 5 year lease on computing and Tech with a 12 month RTB warranty clearly needs more careful consideration. This is where our help and advice is invaluable.
DEAL REGISTRATION
Manufacturers Deal Registration debunked
Manufacturers Deal Registration is a controversial and largely unknown practice that can have a considerable impact on your pricing and service – particularly on larger projects.
A “Necessary Evil” or a “Manufacturer Stitch-Up” we debunk the practice and let you decide.
Deal Registration is a practice by which a manufacturer offers one company preferential pricing in recognition of the work they have done supporting a school on that individual product or project.
The justification and merits of the process are that specialists who have spent time developing a partnership with a school and researched appropriate products and solutions, should be encouraged and rewarded for their work. Once a school has a recommended solution, they are free to simply obtain a price from elsewhere. Other companies have essentially spent no time on the project and subsequently incurred no costs. As such they are likely to offer very cheap pricing by comparison.
From the manufacturers perspective, they want to work with partners who support schools and provide them with good quality advice and support. The Deal Reg process is a vehicle to help encourage and develop this.
On face value this all sounds pretty reasonable…
HOWEVER,
There are some real dangers with this process, the key issues of which are highlighted below;
- Preferential Pricing will effectively exclude anyone else from quoting competitively.
- Preferential Pricing is often considerable. Some partners choose to pass a chunk of this saving onto the school but many do not. The school will never know.
- Manufacturers vetting of Deal Registrations vary wildly and could be the result of no more effort than simply sending an email notification.
- Once a school has purchased a product or service there is a good chance that they will be “ring-fenced” to that “incumbent” supplier for many years.
We leave it to you to decide. Ultimately, for us, it is all about PARTNERSHIP and TRUST.
At Pied Piper we understand both sides of the argument. We are always have people here to support you and always pass on savings to our customers.
CONSULTANCY
Money for old rope or a valuable resource to ease your pain and save you money?
We have seen audio-visual consultancy across the education sector for many decades and sadly much of what we have witnessed falls into the former category.
To make sure you choose the most appropriate technology for your school and select a delivery partner who really understands your environment, a school is going to need help.
That is why 90% of the consultancy we offer is provided completely free of charge as part of our normal everyday service.
Our advice is based on 25 years’ experience and is fully indemnified.
The small chargeable services we do offer are exclusively related to new build and capital building projects. In these areas we have unparalleled experience and can massively reduce costs and prime contractor issues.
Experience has taught us that building and electrical contractors rarely have a true understanding of an education setting. They regularly become lost in red tape and bureaucracy that drain an SLT team and quickly lose focus of critical factors impacting the delivery and quality of education.
We can engage these contractors on their level, attend site meetings and ensure that architects plans and building schedules reflect your expectations.
For these projects we urge you to contact us as early as possible
