Saffron Valley Collegiate

School Rebranding Signage Installation Across Multiple Campus Locations in Croydon

The Challenge

Ed’s Garden Services is a growing garden maintenance franchise with locations across England. The franchisee wanted their vans to reflect the professionalism of the brand while standing out clearly when travelling between jobs or parked at customer properties.

FASTSIGNS® Tunbridge Wells were asked to produce and install graphics on three different vans, including Renault, Volkswagen, and Ford models ranging from a 2016 vehicle through to a brand-new 2026 van. Two of the vans were black with bright green branding, while one vehicle was white with blue and green vinyl graphics, ensuring the branding remained consistent across different vehicle colours.

One of the main challenges of the project was the specific bright green Hexis vinyl required by the franchise brand guidelines. While the colour matched the brand perfectly, the material did not include air-release technology, which made installation of the large leaf graphic more technically demanding. The panel the graphic was applied to included several curves and contours, which made achieving a smooth finish more difficult without the benefit of air-release channels.

The Solution

FASTSIGNS® Tunbridge Wells produced and installed a range of updated signage elements to support the school’s rebrand.

At Key Stage 4 South, we installed a reverse-printed window graphic applied to the inside of the glass. The graphic was printed and laminated onto clear vinyl without a white backing layer so that the finished result remained translucent, allowing natural light to pass through the window while still displaying the updated branding.

Two existing framed signs at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 North were updated by applying printed blockout vinyl directly over the existing graphics rather than dismantling the frames. Each sign measured approximately 1000mm x 1000mm. Because of the deep frame borders, traditional application methods were not possible. Thankfully our installers had brought Gecko patches, which allowed magnets to hold the graphics in place while positioning and applying the vinyl accurately.

At SVC East, several older aluminium signs were replaced with new ACM panels. The graphics were printed and finished with a matt laminate at our Tunbridge Wells centre before being applied to the ACM panels.

These new signs included:

• A main entrance sign measuring approximately 1000mm x 1000mm
• Directional signage measuring 614mm x 604mm
• Gate signage measuring 420mm x 295mm

The gate signage was installed using strong double-sided tape to attach to the existing sign structures, while the larger signs were secured by removing the existing fixings and installing the new ACM panels in their place.

All signage artwork was produced by FASTSIGNS® using the new logo files supplied by the school, ensuring the final designs aligned with the updated brand identity.

The Result

The completed project successfully updated signage across multiple areas of the Saffron Valley Collegiate campus in a single installation visit.
By combining window graphics, recovered signage, and newly manufactured ACM signs, the school now benefits from a consistent and professional brand presence across key areas of the site.

Despite restricted access, tight installation spaces, and challenging sign frames, our installation team were able to adapt their approach and deliver a clean, professional finish that reflects the school’s new visual identity.

This project highlights how thoughtful planning and experienced installation can support education sector signage projects and school rebranding initiatives, even when working within the constraints of an active campus environment in Croydon and the wider London area.