WhickHam Shool football pitch and MUGA

Overview

Whickham School, located in Tyne and Wear, is a respected educational institution with a strong commitment to providing excellent facilities for its students and local community. As part of this commitment, the school operates two multi-use games areas (MUGAs): a large pitch used for football and hockey, and a smaller one used for five-a-side football and tennis.

Over time, the existing lighting infrastructure became outdated, no longer meeting modern standards for safety, usability, and light quality. In particular, compliance with CIBSE guidelines was essential, while minimising light pollution was critical due to the proximity of surrounding residential areas.

Kellwood Lighting was appointed to deliver a tailored, energy-efficient lighting solution that would raise performance standards and enhance the usability of both pitches

Objectives and Challenges

The school faced several key challenges:

• Compliance with standards – The lighting levels on both pitches had to meet CIBSE recommendations for educational and recreational sports use. This required a minimum of 200 average lux, with 0.6 uniformity and <50 glare rating to ensure visibility, fairness of play, and player safety.
• Health and safety – Poor lighting was limiting the safe use of the pitches, particularly during evening activities, exposing players and visitors to unnecessary risk.
• Light pollution management – With residential dwellings bordering the school site, careful consideration had to be given to obtrusive light. Any upgrade had to restrict backward spill and prevent light trespass into neighbouring properties.
• Energy efficiency and long-term value – The school required a solution that would not only improve performance but also ensure operational efficiency, reduced maintenance, and long-term reliability.

Kellwood Lighting needed to design a lighting system that balanced high-performance sporting requirements with responsible environmental management.

The work

Kellwood Lighting delivered a carefully engineered lighting upgrade, applying a mix of advanced floodlighting technology and precision design to meet the school’s objectives.

For the main pitch, Kellwood specified 18no. Ashcroft Series Sports Floodlights (800W), providing a powerful yet controlled light distribution, ensuring excellent playing conditions while maintaining compliance. The design achieved:

For the smaller pitch, Kellwood specified 4no. Ayrton 4 Series floodlights (920W), each fitted with Back Spill Guards. This solution achieved the same performance targets as the larger pitch (>200 lux, 0.6 uniformity, <50 glare), while actively reducing backward light. This was critical in mitigating obtrusive light towards surrounding residential properties.

To complement the pitch lighting, Kellwood also supplied 2no. Franklin Series 240W luminaires to illuminate access pathways. This improved visibility and safety for players, staff, and visitors when approaching or leaving the facilities during darker hours.

The result was a holistic lighting design that balanced sporting performance with environmental sensitivity.

The results

For the smaller MUGA, the existing columns incorporated a welded flange designed to secure the previous floodlights, which was not compatible with the proposed Ayrton 4 Series. To overcome this challenge without cutting or altering the columns, Kellwood designed and manufactured a bespoke flange-mounted spigot adaptor, precisely matched to the on-site flange dimensions. This allowed the Ayrton 4 Series luminaires to be securely fixed to the existing infrastructure, ensuring a seamless installation while avoiding costly and disruptive column modifications.

The lighting upgrade at Whickham School has delivered measurable improvements across several areas:

• Enhanced usability – Both pitches now meet CIBSE Class II guidelines, enabling safe, consistent play for football, hockey, tennis, and recreational use. Evening sessions can be scheduled with confidence, maximising use of the facilities.
• Improved safety – Higher quality lighting has reduced trip hazards and improved visibility, supporting health and safety standards for students and community users.
• Reduced obtrusive light – The integration of back spill guards on the Ayrton Series luminaires has successfully mitigated light pollution, ensuring the project respected the needs of nearby residents.