Sports Pitch Fencing for Schools & Academies
Fencing That Survives a School Term
Safe, durable and zero-maintenance PVCu perimeter fencing for school sports pitches and MUGAs. Designed to last the life of the facility — no painting, no rotting, no replacement. UK-wide supply, with fully managed installation across the North of England and expanding.
✓ Safe for children ✓ Zero maintenance ✓ Independently tested ✓ 15-year warranty ✓ Holiday installation ✓ Supply or install
Why schools choose PVCu
A school pitch takes a beating — multiple lessons a day, breaktimes, after-school clubs and often community hire in the evenings. Timber rots and splinters, steel corrodes and needs repainting, and temporary mesh fencing is a safeguarding risk as well as an eyesore. Our system pairs a PVCu post and rail frame with powder-coated steel mesh infill. It will not rot, rust, fade or need maintenance for the life of the installation. One installation, no ongoing cost.
A school pitch is not subject to FA ground grading
Worth knowing before you specify, because it saves money. FA ground grading applies to clubs in the National League System, not to school facilities. You are specifying for your own requirements rather than someone else's criteria, so full double mesh is rarely necessary unless your pitch also hosts an NLS club. For most school sites single mesh or post & rail is the right answer. Our guide to fencing for schools and academies covers the decision in more detail.
A fully enclosed school multi-use games area with the white PVCu perimeter system.
Why PVCu Fencing for Schools?
Safeguarding by design
No sharp edges, no exposed fixings, no corroding steel. The smooth white PVCu finish is safe for students of all ages and removes the injury risks associated with ageing timber or steel.
Zero maintenance
No annual painting contract, no timber treatment, no replacement posts. Once installed the system needs nothing for 15 years — a significant whole-life saving against timber or steel.
Ball retention
Double mesh retains balls completely, so no more lessons interrupted while pupils retrieve balls from neighbouring land. Single mesh gives high retention at lower cost.
Fits any pitch size
Posts sit at 2,500mm centres and the system adapts to any rectangular layout — full-size 11-a-side, 9-a-side, or a multi-sport MUGA.
Specified for capital projects
We provide the full specification, independent test reports and warranty documentation needed for a school capital funding submission or a trust procurement process.
Supply only or installed
Schools with a site team can take supply only with our installation guide and phone support, anywhere in the UK. Trusts preferring a managed project can use our supply & install service across the North of England.
System Options for Schools
Three variants depending on budget and requirement. All three are independently tested, carry the same 15-year warranty, and share the same posts and rails — the difference is the infill.
| System | Double Mesh | Single Mesh | Post & Rail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ball retention | Maximum | High | None |
| Safe for students | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Maintenance required | None | None | None |
| 15-year warranty | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Supply only, per m ex VAT | £59 | £54 | £49 |
| Supply & install, per m ex VAT | £91 | £84 | £77 |
| Best for | Full-size pitches, MUGAs | Most school pitches | Boundary marking, training areas |
Gates and delivery are itemised separately: single gate (1.5m) £500, double gate (3.0m) £1,000, delivery £500 flat with Moffett off-load. All ex VAT.
Technical Specification
Post 127 × 127mm PVCu section, 1,800mm supplied length
Barrier height 1.1m to the top of the top rail. The post stands 1,200mm above ground to the post top
Post centres 2,500mm
Post hole 300mm diameter × 750mm deep
Post embedment 600mm — 150mm concrete base, concrete surround to 150mm below ground level, 150mm soil backfill at the surface
Concrete per post Approximately 85kg — four to five 20kg bags
Rails 3 rails per bay, 2,449.2mm overall with a 38.1mm tenon each end, sliding mortise connection, 10–12mm thermal expansion gap
Mesh infill Welded steel mesh, white powder-coated, 155 × 75mm hole size (double or single mesh systems)
Gate modules Single 2,024mm overall (1,643mm clear) · Double 3,637mm overall (3,256mm clear)
Gate hardware Grade 304 stainless steel — hinges, latches, drop bolts. Will not corrode
Colour Bright white PVCu — does not fade, yellow or discolour
Testing Independently tested and audited — UV resistance, high temperature, low temperature, factory quality audit. UV weathering to ASTM G154 returned a colour change of ΔE 0.70 after 1,000 hours
Warranty 15 years product warranty
Full setting-out detail, including the foundation sequence and concrete quantities, is on our installation guide.
Funding for School Pitch Fencing
⚠ The football funds are not the route for a school pitch barrier
Two things worth separating. The Premier League Stadium Fund is for National League System clubs and is not open to schools. The Football Foundation cannot fund pitch perimeter barriers at all — they sit on its explicit "cannot fund" list — but its fencing grant does cover boundary and security fencing at non-NLS sites, at up to 75% of project cost. So a school seeking help with a secure site boundary or ball-stop fence may have a route; a school seeking help with the barrier around the playing area does not.
Where schools usually fund this from
Most sites fund pitch fencing through capital facilities budgets, multi-academy trust funds, local authority routes, or school sport programmes. Condition-based capital funding such as the Condition Improvement Fund is a common route for academies and sixth-form colleges. Programme names and eligibility change from year to year, so check the current position with your trust or local authority rather than relying on a scheme name you have seen elsewhere. Community use of your pitches can open additional routes — worth checking with your County FA facilities officer.
We provide the paperwork, free
Full specification document, marked-up site plan, itemised quote, schedule of works and independent test reports — everything a funding submission or procurement process needs, within 24 hours and at no charge. To be clear about our role: we provide the documentation, we do not secure funding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PVCu fencing safe for primary and secondary school use?
Yes. There are no sharp edges, no exposed metal fixings and no risk of corrosion, and the smooth white PVCu finish is safe for students of all ages. The barrier stands 1.1m to the top rail, which retains balls without creating something dangerous to run into, and the posts have no protruding caps or fittings at head height. If you need to make the safety case to a governing body, it helps to know that football's governing body has now prohibited solid brick, breeze block and concrete pitch barriers across its National League System following a player fatality — if concrete is no longer acceptable next to adult players, it is hard to defend next to eleven-year-olds.
Do we need full double mesh?
Usually not. School pitches are not subject to FA ground grading, so you are not obliged to meet a Steps 1–4 infill requirement. Single mesh gives high ball retention at £54 per metre supply only against £59 for double, and post & rail at £49 suits sites where the barrier is defining a boundary rather than keeping a ball in. Double mesh makes sense where the pitch also hosts a National League System club, or where ball loss onto a road or neighbouring property is the problem you are solving.
Can the fence be installed around a MUGA?
Yes, and it is a common application. Posts sit at 2,500mm centres and follow any rectangular layout, with gates positioned anywhere on the perimeter to suit your access arrangements. Bear in mind a MUGA usually also wants a taller steel ball-stop or boundary fence — that is a separate product doing a separate job, and we can specify both together.
Do schools need planning permission?
At 1.1m barrier height, planning permission is generally not required under permitted development rights. Schools on listed sites or within conservation areas should confirm with their local authority first. Academy trusts undertaking major site works should also check their funding agreement conditions.
What is the lead time?
Supply-only orders typically dispatch within 10–15 working days. Supply & install lead times vary by region and season — contact us for current availability. We are used to working to school holiday schedules.
Can you work during school holidays?
Yes, and we would recommend planning it that way. Our installation teams are accustomed to half-term and summer windows, and a three-day installation with a concrete cure day fits comfortably into a holiday period so the pitch is fully operational for the new term. We confirm all site access requirements with your site manager in advance.
Get a Quote for Your School
Tell us your pitch dimensions and we will provide a detailed quote within 24 hours, including a full specification document suitable for a funding submission or trust procurement process.
Get a Free Quote View Installation Guide
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Norvale Sport is a trading name of The Outdoor Look Limited, registered in England and Wales No. 11676614. VAT No. 232 7154 28.
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