The Orchard Centre is a Grade 1 listed former special needs school in Streatham, South London. It occupies a unique location within a real orchard with many mature fruit trees. The school itself comprises five pavilion-style classrooms, assembly rooms and offices.

After many years of neglect, when the buildings remained empty, the site has now been redeveloped as a fee-paying primary school for local children.

The developers are Woodhill Trading, a company that specialises in renovating former local authority buildings and converting them to new private schools. The site has undergone extensive rebuilding and modernisation to bring it up to present-day standards. For the children, it offers a very special environment for both learning and play.

A major consideration in the redevelopment was the heating. Because the school is made up of several separate buildings, a conventional central heating system would have been both expensive and impractical.

After a great deal of research, the company selected K series powered flue gas heaters from Drugasar. They only need to be turned on a short time before a classroom is in use and, because they are fan-assisted, warm the room up quickly.

They have ‘cool-touch’ casings, making them safe for children. They are also room-sealed, so air from outside the buildings is used for combustion. This results in greater comfort for the children and teachers, as well as greater economy.

The heaters were installed by Drugasar’s own CORGI registered engineers, and both Woodhill Trading and the school are delighted with the flexibility and efficiency of the new system.