Huddersfield Primary School Wins £10,000 Lighting Upgrade: Boosting Pupil Wellbeing and Unlocking Major Energy Savings

Imagine trying to read a book or finish your maths homework in a room where the lights are constantly flickering, or worse, have gone out completely. It’s pretty tricky, right? Well, that was the reality for the pupils and staff at a local school in Huddersfield. But, thanks to a fantastic competition, their classrooms have been given a brilliant £10,000 lighting upgrade, transforming their learning spaces and promising some seriously impressive savings on their energy bills.

A bright idea for a big problem

The school at the centre of this story is Slaithwaite CE Junior and Infant School, a small rural school that was facing some big challenges. Like many schools, it's housed in older buildings from the 1960s, and with that comes some old-fashioned tech. The main problem was the lighting. The building was fitted with outdated fluorescent strip lighting – you know the kind, those long tubes that sometimes buzz and flicker. Over time, these lights had become unreliable, often failing and leaving parts of the school in the dark. This isn't just a minor annoyance; it has a real impact on education and the general atmosphere of a school.

Dealing with a tight budget meant that fixing the extensive lighting issue was a huge hurdle. Head Teacher Caroline Fowler explained just how bad the situation with the old fluorescent strip lighting had become. “In some cases, we had to switch the lights off altogether,” she said. “That meant parts of the school had no sufficient lighting, which isn’t acceptable for a learning environment.” Trying to provide top-quality teaching in gloomy classrooms is a tough ask for any teacher, and it’s not much fun for the pupils either. The situation highlighted the need for a modern, reliable lighting solution to create better educational environments.

Winning the competition was a game-changer

Luckily, a fantastic opportunity came along. On Thursday, 12th February 2026, it was announced that the Huddersfield primary school had won a major prize. Lighting manufacturer 4lite, in partnership with retail giant Screwfix, organised a competition specifically to help a deserving school. Slaithwaite CE Junior and Infant School was chosen as the winner, receiving a complete overhaul of its internal lighting worth £10,000. For a school working with ongoing budget pressures, this lighting upgrade was an absolute game-changer.

The project wasn’t just about dropping off some new bulbs. It was a proper team effort. To make the lighting upgrade happen smoothly, 4lite and Screwfix brought in installation specialists Finney Electrical. They worked together to plan and deliver a fast, energy-efficient solution that would cause as little disruption to the school day as possible. This kind of collaboration shows how businesses can make a real difference in their local communities, providing essential upgrades that might otherwise be out of reach due to a stretched school budget.

So, what's different with the new lighting?

The school said goodbye to the old, flickering fluorescent strip lighting and welcomed a state-of-the-art system. The upgrade involved installing modern 4lite LED panels and bulkhead lights throughout the classrooms and other areas. So what does that actually mean?

• LED Panels: These are flat, slim panels that give off a bright, even light without any of the humming or flickering of the old tubes. They make the classrooms feel more open and are much kinder on the eyes.

• Energy-Efficient: LED technology uses a fraction of the electricity compared to old fluorescent lights. This is great for the planet and even better for the school's energy bills.

• Adjustable Lighting: Some of the new fittings are adjustable, which is a clever feature for educational environments. It allows staff to tailor the lighting to whatever is happening in the lesson, whether it’s focused group work or a bright, engaging art session. This adaptability massively improves the pupil experience and supports different teaching methods.

The impact was felt straight away. Mrs Fowler added: “The new LED lighting from 4lite was installed so quickly, with minimal disruption to the school day. The difference has been immediate – the classrooms are brighter, more comfortable spaces. It’s made a real, positive impact on both teaching and pupil experience.” A brighter, more pleasant space can do wonders for concentration and overall wellbeing.

More than just light – it's about savings and wellbeing

While the visual transformation of the classrooms is fantastic, one of the biggest benefits of this lighting upgrade is the financial one. The new energy-efficient system is expected to generate massive savings for the school. It’s estimated that the new lighting will save Slaithwaite CE Junior and Infant School between £30,000 and £40,000 in energy costs over the next five years. That’s a staggering amount of money that can now be used to directly benefit the children’s education.

When a school operates on a very tight budget, every penny counts. These savings free up vital funds that can be reinvested into other areas, like new books, IT equipment, school trips, or support for student wellbeing. This project is a perfect example of how an initial investment in green technology can pay for itself many times over. Mrs Fowler continued: “The savings this will help us achieve are amazing. We operate on such a tight budget, and every pound we save can be put directly back into the children — supporting their education and wellbeing.” Ultimately, this lighting upgrade is not just about new fittings; it’s an investment in the future of every single pupil at this Huddersfield primary school.