The challenge

Wallace High School sits in a well-maintained yet energy-inefficient building from the 1970s. Despite earlier improvements, such as upgrading to LED lighting and embracing iPads to reduce paper waste, the core infrastructure remained outdated. Heating costs were high, insulation was poor, glazing was single-pane, and nobody had ever tracked the building’s energy use.

The solution

As part of the wider Project Refresh, which included hybrid heating upgrades, glazing improvements, and enhanced insulation, Radius’s consulting role was instrumental in shaping Wallace’s retrofit strategy.

Radius began by helping the school baseline its energy use by implementing a metering and monitoring solution, revealing inefficiencies that had previously gone unmeasured. With this data, our energy team worked closely with the leadership team to develop a phased carbon reduction plan, underpinned by ESG principles and approved by the Board of Governors.

Radius didn’t just provide technical insight, they connected Wallace with subject matter experts, advised on funding opportunities, and ensured alignment with public sector decarbonisation targets. Their guidance helped move the project from idea to implementation, building credibility and momentum at every stage. More than technical advisors, they acted as strategic partners, guiding leadership on balancing innovation with practicality, managing risks, and maximising impact.

The impact

The retrofit at Wallace High School is delivering clear, measurable results. With real-time energy tracking in place, the school has already achieved significant reductions in both heating and electricity use. Project Refresh has already saved Wallace over £140,000, and the financial savings are expected to continue growing year on year. These improvements are being delivered at a cost dramatically lower than a full rebuild, positioning Wallace as a financially and environmentally sound model for public sector retrofit.

But the impact goes far beyond infrastructure. Sustainability has become a living part of school culture. Students engage daily with live building data displayed across the campus, learning to interpret carbon metrics, understand how hybrid heating systems work, and connect classroom learning with practical climate solutions. Deborah O’Hare describes this shift as creating a “micro green economy” within the school.

Radius played a critical role in enabling this transformation, not only by guiding technical strategy and supporting data-led decisions, but by connecting Wallace with the right experts, shaping the retrofit roadmap, and embedding educational value throughout.

As Deborah prepares to hand over leadership, the ambition is clear: to leave behind not just a greener school, but a replicable framework that empowers future generations, drives emissions reduction, and proves what’s possible when education and energy innovation come together with purpose.