Case Study: Tiffin School
Boys' Grammar and Specialist Performing Arts College

Tiffin School is a voluntary aided boys’ Grammar School with religious character situation in Kingston-upon-Thames with around 1,000 pupils on the school roll. The library is housed in the Dempsey Centre which opened in Summer 2004. The dramatic modern architecture links the south building to the main building. It comprises a huge downstairs library above which is a fully computerised classroom of the future.

Stock and users ...

The school information centre houses 16,000 items including DVDs and videos
The library is well-used, welcoming around 3,000 users a week. Tiffin’s library has three full-time and one part-time members of staff.

The challenge ...

Tiffin School planned a new learning resource centre which would be built completely from scratch. The circular building cried out for custom-made furniture to suit the curves.

The solution ...

SEROTA library furniture produced a design along with other companies; Lyn Foden, the librarian, pulled together the ideas and the architect drew up the plans. SEROTA built and delivered shelving, tables, the main library console, the issue desk extra tables for the lecture theatre, tops for desk for the disabled, CD racks, plan chests and periodical sections exactly according to schedule.

“The furniture SEROTA has produced was created and delivered on time and looks fabulous, we can’t recommend SEROTA highly enough.”

Tiffin School

Benefits ...

Lyn Foden says, “Michael Serota was very helpful in calculating how much shelving we could have. He came to several meetings before the building was constructed to discuss our library furniture requirements. His input helped us to avoid compromise and he created our library furniture exactly as we had envisaged it.

“With Michael you can work with him on design and he’ll make exactly what you want. He even made a top for all the shelving in the bays so that the shelving fits to the walls although the back of the shelves are flat.

“If you want to talk to someone sensibly about what you can and can’t have in your library, and to get an honest opinion, you should talk to Michael Serota. We would never use anyone else. Other library furniture suppliers told us they could make bespoke furniture, but it’s not custom-made like SEROTA library furniture. Michael gave us a truthful quotation first time around – with other companies there were hidden add-ons.”