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Future proof your school in 2022

Ensuring your school's IT is ready for the next 5 years

While IT was once seen as little more than a means to an end, the heavy reliance on remote learning catalysed by the pandemic has forced schools across the country to invest in more capable infrastructure.

Many schools in the US are now experimenting with a blended learning approach, which combines online educational materials and online interaction with traditional classroom methods. A "best of both worlds" approach, if you will, blended learning is perfectly suited to a world where the screen has become as valuable a platform as the chalkboard.

It's only a matter of time before this trend catches on in the UK.

To adapt and thrive in this new landscape, schools will need to ensure they are properly equipped and have not only all the gear but all the ideas too.

How to future proof your school - a pdf guide

In a rush? download our condensed checklist here

future proof your school

The changing face of technology

Technology can put the students in control of their own learning and help them find ways of learning that work best for them. It also means they don't have to request help in every class, which can reduce the stigma.

Matt Setchell, IT Services Lead, Lourdes IT

School-age children today have never known a world without screens. They have had access to high-speed wireless internet and smartphones their entire lives and have come to expect a certain level of digital adoption in every facet of their lives.

For educators, this means having the necessary tools to communicate with these increasingly tech-savvy individuals. Because the old ways of doing things are simply not going to hold their interest or attention anymore.

Schools might be returning to something resembling normality post-pandemic, but many teachers found themselves returning to a workplace they barely recognised.

Teachers were forced to upskill their digital acumen almost overnight and while many schools had strong digital strategies in place, many more were left scratching their heads.

But there's no need to worry. Technology is not here to take your job, it's here to make it that much easier.

Flexible learning

While what's being taught has remained largely unchanged, the delivery methods of those teachings have been opened up significantly by recent events and advancements. What technology has given the sector, above all else, is flexibility in how learning is delivered.

It would have seemed impractical, even a few years ago, to suggest a class of children could be taught online via video conferencing but technologies such as Google Classroom and Zoom have completely changed the game.

Students who are unable to physically attend a class can now comfortably do so from home alongside those in the classroom and vice versa.

If these kids are going to be able to not only use technology but push it forward and innovate, they need to be exposed to the full potential of IT as early as possible.

Matt Setchell, IT Services Lead, Lourdes IT

Core life skills

IT is no longer a subject - it's a core life skill woven through all subjects. As such, any student that doesn't benefit from early exposure to IT will be severely disadvantaged in later life.

Greater investment in IT will also allow students greater opportunities to foster a positive relationship with technology that could encourage them to explore further and learn more themselves.

Ultimately, the children of today are being trained for jobs that don't even exist yet. Nobody can say for sure what the job market of the future will look like, but technology will certainly play a big part.

Infrastructure

Of course, with such grand upheavals behind us and on the horizon, the big trend we see in the immediate future is schools investing more on servers and key infrastructure.

General infrastructure is key, with the replacement of existing machines in schools the first obvious port of call for most IT managers. Loans of low-cost laptops such as Chromebooks to students will also help bridge the gap between remote and traditional learning.

Schools might also want to start re-thinking how they utilise their servers, with cloud computing now a viable alternative. Cloud computing essentially means utilising off-site servers to store information and provide computing power, allowing schools to use more storage and processing power without storing expensive and unsightly server equipment on-site.

While it wasn't always the case, cloud servers are now a viable alternative, however, for larger schools, tower and rackmount servers are always going to be a more secure and practical solution.

future proof your school

A digital strategy

The pandemic has forced schools to accelerate their digital transformation strategies and, in many ways, this has actually been quite beneficial, at least in the long run. Two years ago, few people in education really knew what Teams, Zoom or OneDrive were but they have been forced to adapt.

Those that have yet to fully take the digital reigns should start by putting together a thorough digital strategy focused on three key principles:

1. Listen to your teachers and students

Ask the teachers what they need from their hardware and software. They are the ones on the ground so they know more than anyone what they need to give the students what they need. Conversely, you also need to listen to what the students have to say. Ask them how they want their needs to be met and what kind of technological solutions work for them.

2. Make your strategy accessible

A divide still exists between those that have access to relevant technology and those that don't. For schools, they can't afford to leave any children behind simply because they don't have access to high-speed broadband or a working laptop at home. This means leaning into schemes that provide the right hardware to the kids that really need it. Schools should also work on personalising learning and making learning more accessible through digital means.

3. Have a rollout plan

If you're investing in any equipment you need to ask yourself how it's going to look in five years. It's all about the strategy of how you actually use the technology in the classroom and what you think you might need in the future.

Ask yourselves how you can strategise a rollout of a solution that's going to support us rather than just throwing money at it. Investing in infrastructure is crucial and that means everything from fully configurable and upgradable servers to ensuring staff are skilled enough to scale their skill sets alongside the new technology.

That's true future proofing.

It's important that IT teams find the balance between the operational management of infrastructure and devices and finding new ways to enhance the experience

Matt Setchell, IT Services Lead, Lourdes IT

Make a distinction between operational IT and learning support

In the past, IT's role was mainly focussed on managing devices and infrastructure.

Technology has moved further into the classroom and beyond, with IT staff now often expected to work outside of school hours and respond to issues at any time. Now, IT staff split their time between keeping everything working and finding ways to enhance the learning experience.

In order to do this, IT staff have to break out of their comfort zone and have conversations with teachers and management about what they want the learning experience to be.

It's important for the IT team to have a real understanding of what the teachers are doing and what their desired outcomes are. The best way to do this is to speak to them.

This will also help you identify areas where teachers could use more support to get the most out of the equipment you've provided. It's no good supplying interactive touchscreens or whiteboards if only half the faculty know how to use them. Working with a partner that can arrange training for staff might help.

future proof your school - Give yourself options

Give yourself options

In the past, schools' IT purchases were largely based on what was available or within budget. Now it needs to be led by how the teachers want to teach and how the students will best engage.

Creating an IT platform which is device agnostic will give you greater flexibility and help make sure that you're focussing on the needs of your users.

Technology and how we use it changes fast, so when you're making purchase decisions, try to focus on solutions which give you the most flexibility today and in the future.

Obviously, a device agnostic approach can create complications in terms of device management. How are you going to manage devices which are used on-site but don't belong to the school, or that do belong to the school but are used off-premises' Thankfully, Microsoft and Google both have applications that support this.

If you need to replace equipment, try to avoid like-for-like swaps. What you had before may not be what you need right now, especially when it comes to devices.

Modern devices may cost a little more but they have longer battery lives, more reliable connectivity and they're designed with schools in mind. Cheap devices are often a false economy.

Shifting your investment towards mobile devices such as laptops will give teachers and students more flexibility. Tablets are another mobile option, but they tend to be less flexible in terms of device management and safeguarding, which can create additional work and costs for IT teams.

Desktops are useful in certain cases like Computing and Media classes, but mobile should be the norm.

Cloud migration has meant that there's less hardware to pay for in terms of infrastructure and networking, but that money will probably have to be reinvested into devices and connectivity.

Matt Setchell, IT Services Lead, Lourdes IT

Define life cycles for your equipment

Knowing where to invest your budget is always a challenge.

Schools with limited budgets can be tempted to put off replacing equipment until it stops working. Unfortunately, this can lead to downtime and the slow decline of your network's speed and stability.

Laptops that are slow to boot or have a slow wifi connection can cost you 5 / 10 minutes of lesson time per class - and sometimes far longer. That's a huge amount of time in the long run.

Every school has a different budget available for IT, there are no one-size-fits-all solutions for where you should invest and how often. But a good approach to prevent these bottlenecks is to stick to product life cycles, so that each piece of equipment is replaced at a specific frequency.

Leasing is another option that can help you manage budgets and equipment lifecycles. Leasing has a bad reputation in some circles but the reality is that most IT equipment does have a lifespan. Leasing helps you make the most of your budget by paying for equipment while it's in its prime.

What are the benefits of leasing?

- You pay less than buying outright
- You don?t own a depreciating asset
- It makes it easier to manage your lifecycles and plan for the future
- You have lower maintenance costs and less downtime
- Supports one-to-one learning schemes

How can you make sure your lease is compliant?

- Check that the lease is for three years or under
- Make sure you?re not paying more than 90% of the capital costs for the equipment minus interest
- Make sure that the software cost of the arrangement is under 20% of the total value of the agreement
- Check that you?re able to return the equipment at the end of the lease period

future proof your school - Take cybersecurity seriously

Take cybersecurity and safeguarding seriously

Trends like 'bring your own device' and cloud computing create security risks which need to be managed.

Investing in firewalls and filtering is a priority, as is making sure that all of your security controls are properly configured. You may also want to introduce multi-factor authentication, which has been proven to reduce the likelihood of accounts being hacked by 99.9%. Our sister company Coconnect, for example, offer Internet connectivity bundled exclusively with Smoothwall, to provide your school with all the security and filtering you need to keep up with the latest government KCSIE legislation.

Obviously, a big part of reducing cybersecurity risk is making sure that the equipment isn't being misused. Filtering should be implemented to control which sites and content users can access. It's also a good idea to write a policy which clearly explains what's allowed, what's not allowed and what the implications of misuse are for teachers and students.

Remember: you're trying to create an environment for young people to learn and flourish and these kids are very tech-savvy. The students will embrace technology.

Matt Setchell, IT Services Lead, Lourdes IT

Should you choose Microsoft or Google Classroom?

One of the key decisions that every school, college or university IT manager needs to make is which platform to choose: Microsoft or Google?

This decision is more complex than it may sound. After all, every school is different, what works for one may not work for another. On top of this, the two platforms are quite similar in a lot of ways.

Thankfully, there are some subtle differences between the two which might help you to make a decision.


Preparing students for the world of work - Microsoft
Microsoft?s applications are ubiquitous and while a lot of startups may run on Google, most businesses still use Microsoft as their platform. Running Microsoft as your platform will give students a chance to get to grips with the platform and applications they?ll be using in work.


User-friendly design - Google
The general consensus is that Google?s applications and systems are easier on new users than Microsoft?s (although some people may disagree). The designs are clean, modern and easy to get to grips with.


IT administration - Microsoft
Microsoft has been building enterprise IT administration systems for decades. As a result, the Microsoft platform has a massive amount of depth.

It?s packed with features that will give IT teams more control over devices, infrastructure, access and permissions. If you want control and granularity, Microsoft is the clear winner


Cost - Google
The two platforms are similarly priced but there is a difference when it comes to devices.

Chromebooks are, on average, cheaper than most Microsoft laptops. This makes them appealing for schools that need to invest in a large number of devices on a limited budget.

Where to start?

Visit the staff room

As we've already mentioned, a great way to learn more about what teachers and management want from IT is to just ask them.

Visit the staff room and gauge what staff want from their IT solutions.

The more you can learn about the day-to-day experiences of your users and what they're trying to achieve, the more value you'll be able to add.

We've got to move away from IT support being seen as separate from the rest of the school's teachers and students.

Matt Setchell, IT Services Lead, Lourdes IT

Reduce frustration wherever you can

Do this by identifying and resolving hitches using constructive feedback.

A lot of schools already use support tickets to process technical problems, but you could also introduce a way for users to submit suggestions or observations rather than just technical hitches.

Don't be afraid to experiment

Blended learning is far from a new phenomenon but it has never been attempted at such a scale before.

Nothing ventured is nothing gained and given how fast the sector is moving right now, with service providers always releasing new products, updates and features, you can't afford to stay still and settle on last generation tech.

Don't be scared to try things out to see if they work. If you don't try something out, you won't know whether it's possible.

Matt Setchell, IT Services Lead, Lourdes IT

Keep pace with the industry

A key hurdle is overcoming the hesitance to invest in technology. But putting in a little now will result in significant gains later.

For example, supplying remote learning devices to students who can't afford their own laptops or tablets might seem like a daunting investment but it's one that will help narrow that skill gap between the haves and the have-nots.

It's a fine balance to find, of course, but once you perfect it you should have a situation where all children have the same levels of access, regardless of their situation.

Some people don't like change

Some people are resistant to change of any kind, irrespective of what it is.

The worst reason to do something is because it's what you've done in the past. If you limit your options to what you know works or what your users are comfortable with, your options are always going to be limited.

Also, not everybody in the school has to like what you're doing.

If the teacher and students are pushing back because the solution genuinely isn't working, then you should listen. But if they're pushing back because they want things to stay as they are, then work with them to try and change their minds.

The nature of IT support will have to change. IT will need to be more involved with teaching and learning outcomes so they can ensure that the IT platform and devices support the teachers' vision.

Matt Setchell, IT Services Lead, Lourdes IT

Leasing IT Equipment - A quick-reference guide for schools, colleges and universities

What are the benefits of leasing?

You pay less than buying outright
The total cost of your payments should be lower than the capital cost of the equipment.

It's better value for money than government funding
Get better rates and faster turnaround than local government funding or other borrowing options.

It gives you flexibility
Time or sequence payments to match your budget, giving you more flexibility over how you use your money.

You don't own a depreciating asset
Get the maximum value from your investment and return the equipment when the lease is over.

Get on a 'rolling refresh'
Time your leases to coincide with your lifecycle so you equipment is always at peak performance.

Make accurate projections
Plan for the future based on your lease arrangements so you always know which equipment will need to be replaced.

Lower maintenance costs
Maintain up-to-date equipment which is less likely to break down, resulting in less downtime and better performance.

Stay in warranty
Time your leasing agreements so that your equipment stays within warranty, meaning you don?t have to pay for maintenance or repairs.

Improve the learning experience
Give teachers and students access to the best solutions.

Support one-to-one device schemes
Provide devices for students who don?t have access by leasing devices and getting the school and parents to split the cost via direct debit.

Setup a ?facility? so you can add items
Add items to your lease over time so you don?t have to purchase all of the equipment at once.

How can you make sure your lease is compliant?

  • Check that the lease is for three years or under. Leases over three years need to be approved by the Secretary of State.

  • Make sure you?re paying the right amount. The total cost of your payments should be roughly 90% of the capital costs minus interest.

  • Check that you?re able to return the equipment at the end of the lease period.

  • Make sure that the software cost of the arrangement is under 20% of the total value. Leasing arrangements should be for hardware, not software, as software is a non-tangible product.

What does Novatech offer?

We work in partnership with CHG-Meridian, a specialist in IT equipment leasing for the education sector with over 40 years of experience and 11,000 customers.

Our leasing agreements can offer you:

  • Regular refresh cycles to keep equipment up to date

  • Total transparency on costs and expenses

  • Fixed costs with 0% inflation

  • Deferment of payments if you need it

  • Cover a range of products from Whiteboards and Projectors through to Desktops, Servers and Storage

By leasing the equipment, we were able to spread the cost over three years which meant we were able to buy more equipment than if we had to pay for it all upfront. Leasing also enabled us to put in a three-year replacement programme and budgeting for equipment refreshes became much easier.

Over to you

Whether you're investing in a new batch of laptops or Chromebooks for your class or setting up your first network and building an IT infrastructure from scratch, the key is to find the right balance between what you can afford and what you and your students need.

It's also about building relationships. Because, by building better relationships and focusing on how you can enhance the learning experience, you can help your school become more proactive in its use of IT. The more comfortable your school gets with introducing new solutions, the more tolerant the culture will become of change and experimentation.

As we've mentioned, one of the biggest challenges of school IT is that it's non-standard. There are very few easy answers that can be applied across the board. Working with an end-to-end partner will help you tap into the latest solutions and sense-check your approach.

We've worked in educational IT for 30 years and we currently supply IT services to over 650 schools, colleges and universities throughout the country. We can take on as much or as little of the work as you like, from design to service delivery or on-hand consultation.

If you'd like to learn more about our education services, or if you'd like to discuss leasing IT equipment for your school, college or university feel free to get in touch.

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