Matthew Kelly, Marketing Content Manager, RM
A growing trust must consider what to change in its newly added schools to have the most impact while implementing its overall digital strategy. Brooke Weston Trust's (BWT) experience during academic year 2023-24 shows what can be achieved quickly.
Initially a ten-school trust, BWT added a primary school while also preparing to open a new secondary school. While integrating the new school into its technology structures, business as usual for the trust’s other schools meant making improvements elsewhere to achieve its wider objectives.
BWT's Chief Operations and Resources Officer, Michele Wenham, explains their approach:
"Over the last couple of academic years, we have implemented many technology improvements, in partnership with RM. There is always more to do but we can confidently continue to develop and continuously improve the use of technology for both students and staff, knowing that we have the foundations in place."
As the trust sector continues to build its capacity and resilience to improve educational outcomes, a clear digital strategy, with the right partners to deliver it, helps remove obstacles to the benefit of pupils and staff.
Onboarding a new school
Welcoming the new school meant adding it to the trust’s IT support arrangements. A handover period between RM and the previous support provider de-risked the process for all involved.
Common platforms underpin the trust’s activities, and the new primary school needed to switch its management information system (MIS) from a school information management system (SIMS) to the same cloud-based MIS as the trust’s other primary schools. RM supported the change by removing the SIMS server from the school network and integrating all the third-party apps with the new MIS.
The trust has a standard approach to online content filtering and activity monitoring. RM worked with the trust’s broadband and monitoring providers to ensure an effective transition. In addition, a central Microsoft 365 tenancy provides the trust with collaboration and communication tools. RM guided the new school’s migration to that platform.
Technology improvements across the trust
Building the technology structures that support a trust’s improvement is an ongoing process. A growing trust needs to continue improving structures in its existing schools and those supporting centralised functions. While onboarding the new school, BWT continued improving the technology in its other schools.
Cyber security:
Following an audit, RM and the trust worked on a cyber plan based on the DfE’s cyber security standards. The trust has completed projects related to remote desktop services and firewall provision, as well as standardising and securing every school’s email domains.
Cloud MIS implementation:
The trust’s IT strategy is to move school services to the cloud. In October 2023, one of the trust’s secondary schools began moving its MIS from school server-based SIMS to SIMS Connected.
This first project provided valuable lessons to make the process easier elsewhere in the trust. Three schools completed the switch in academic year 2023-24, with another to finish before the end of 2024.
Wireless and wired network improvements:
Four trust schools refreshed their network infrastructure with DfE ‘Connect the Classroom’ funding. For the first project, RM helped make the successful funding application and worked alongside the PFI provider to install new infrastructure. The school now has much-improved coverage and simplified network support.
One of the trust’s secondary schools installed 10gbps fibre connections during the summer of 2024. The whole campus now benefits from super-fast network connections.
Server upgrades and removals:
Maintaining up-to-date operating systems on any hardware is vital to combatting cyber attacks and preserving reliability. During 2023/24, RM removed or upgraded any server still running Microsoft’s Windows 2012 server operating system at three of the trust’s schools.
Microsoft 365 central tenancy:
Before onboarding the new primary school to the Microsoft 365 central tenancy, the trust’s sole remaining school was added, using the well-drilled process established with other schools.
Common printing platform:
In keeping with its IT strategy, the trust chose a new cloud-based solution to manage all its printing. Implementation began during the summer term of 2024 by removing the legacy print servers.
New devices in classrooms and beyond:
Two trust primary schools have new iPads for classroom use, and the trust’s catering leads now have iPads to help with their work. All new iPads are kept secure and up to date thanks to the central mobile device management system.
The trust has introduced a pool of staff laptops in each school. This means that when new staff arrive, they have a suitable device from day one, and if a colleague’s device develops a severe fault, a temporary replacement is quickly available.
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