Brimsdown Primary School

Introduction

As part of a wider refurbishment, Brimsdown Primary School in Enfield, North London — a SEND setting supporting pupils with additional needs, including ASD — set out to modernise internal spaces while improving safety and reducing day-to-day maintenance demands. In the nursery areas in particular, the main challenge wasn’t the learning environment itself, but the existing heating: older radiators that required Low Surface Temperature (LST) protection, alongside older LST installations that were being damaged repeatedly in busy, high-contact spaces.

Nursery classrooms are naturally high-use environments. At Brimsdown, frequent impacts were causing radiator covers and components to loosen, distort, or collapse — especially where existing multi-part, clip-together designs had become vulnerable over time. This created more than an aesthetic issue. When covers failed, they could expose sharp internal fins, loose parts, and fixings, introducing an avoidable risk in areas designed for younger children.

The consequences were felt across the school day. Caretaker call-outs became a regular occurrence, and when a radiator presented a potential hazard, staff had to pause activities until the area was made safe. Over time, this reactive maintenance also pulled the caretaker away from other routine tasks across the building.

Our approach focused on delivering a robust, cost-effective upgrade that supported the wider refurbishment programme. We surveyed and measured on site, then specified a solution that allowed the school to retain existing emitters where appropriate, while significantly improving protection and durability at the point of contact. The selected system was the Covora LST radiator cover: manufactured from 1.5mm Zintec steel with narrow, easy-clean radius grilles designed to help prevent fingers or small items from becoming trapped.

To streamline installation and achieve a neat finish, we incorporated pipework and skirting cut-outs and fitted internal TRV kits to suit the final layout, helping to reduce site time and improve overall presentation.

Conclusion

By replacing fragile, failure-prone cover arrangements with a more durable LST covering solution, the nursery spaces gained safer, more reliable heating with fewer interruptions. The school benefits from reduced maintenance pressure, fewer call-outs, and improved peace of mind — while controlling refurbishment costs by upgrading protection around existing radiators where feasible.