Staff and pupils at St John’s School, one of the leading private schools in the UK, have been enjoying the benefits of advanced robotic solutions following the school’s contracted landscapers, Gavin Jones, adopting CEORA – the new professional robotic lawn mower from Husqvarna.
Founded in 1851 and moved to Leatherhead in the 1870s, the well-respected school in Leatherhead employs a team of five landscape professionals to manage its multiple sports facilities in the 50-acre estate including four of its state-of-the-art pitches for rugby, football and cricket, as well as the lawns and gardens around the grounds.
The Husqvarna CEORA robotic lawnmower was installed as an additional member of the Gavin Jones team, helping to maintain the sports pitches all year round.
Here Husqvarna speaks to Jaimie Cook, Contract Supervisor at St John’s School, on how CEORA has benefited them.
How did you hear about Husqvarna robotics and what made you consider it for St John’s School?
“We first heard about Husqvarna robotics at Gavin Jones through our existing relationship with the brand, with a member of the team getting in touch about the benefits autonomous robotic solutions could have on the business. After discussing this in detail and understanding the pioneering capabilities of CEORA, it felt like a total no-brainer to give it a try. Admittedly, the team was initially hesitant to adopt the new technology but once they saw the features for themselves and how this could improve their working day, they were sold and can’t believe the impressive results.”
What is your initial experience of CEORA?
“Although we are a team of five landscapers, we are absolutely a team of six now including CEORA – she’s the perfect addition. While the weather is usually the boss when it comes to maintaining turf, in an educational setting, we also have to work around lessons and fixtures. The students are on the fields from around 11am each day which leaves us with very limited time to keep up the standards we aim for. The pressure is even greater after a long weekend or in the winter when we can’t get out with big machinery to even keep on top of the cut. CEORA can cut the grass little and often, day and night and no matter the weather, meaning there is no downtime needed and we aren’t on the back foot at any point. While CEORA is taking care of the horizontal cut, often in the wee hours of the morning we can hit the ground running from 7am with other things like verticutting, brushing, spiking, or just plain old divotting. The little and often approach with no grass clippings to collect means the height stays consistent and the plant is healthy. Mower maintenance is light touch, blades are easy to change and she finds her own way to our wash bay for a hose down.
“In addition to CEORA, we have also trialled a Husqvarna Automower 550 robotic mower, both of which are ideal in a school setting. The Automower 550 was used to cut the smaller lawns around the classrooms. The minimal noise and lack of emissions were extremely beneficial during important term times such as exam periods as we weren’t disturbing the pupils with noisy machinery.”
What has the reaction been from school staff and pupils?
“The staff and school pupils absolutely love it – they even named the robot ‘Rover’! They really enjoy watching CEORA do her thing on the school grounds and are interested in the advanced technology. The school makes sure that CEORA is working hard during open days for parents as they really appreciate the investment the school puts into its sports facilities and its grounds. It’s also a great opportunity to showcase how the school is embracing new technology and innovation.”
Do you have any future plans for more robotics?
“We will definitely be considering more Husqvarna robotics at Gavin Jones and St John’s School. We have seen the benefits that autonomous robotic solutions can have on the team and on the output of our work, so we would absolutely love to explore this further.”
