ICT Support

Some schools don’t have a technician...
A few schools do manage without employing an ICT technician at all, but for most schools a professionally-supported curriculum network is a priority.

Without proper ICT support, pupils and teachers will lose their ICT-dependent teaching time through technical problems that could be avoided by having an effective, well-maintained computer system.  This is becoming ever more important as more and more teaching time relies on the availability of computers, interactive whiteboards, printers and the Internet.

Does this sound familiar...
Your curriculum computers are all on the same network, but they all seem to be different.

Think how much better it would be if they all looked, worked and behaved the same way?

Like this, for example:

• Any pupil can open and save their own work using any computer.
• Every pupil sees the right applications for their Key Stage.
• Inquisitive pupils cannot mess with critical settings.
• Teacher data is restricted to teachers.
• Broken computers don't mean lost data.
• Printers are centralised and have lower running costs.

We can set up your school’s network to be like this, and to stay like this, and without it costing you a fortune.

Our service particularly appeals to schools looking for a holistic, tailored approach to ICT support that our main competitor cannot offer.  And we offer better value for money.

Less than an experienced supply teacher
Hour for hour, our expert ICT support normally costs less than a good supply teacher.

Our prices are generally lower than the Westfield Centre’s, and we are significantly better value for network and server configuration because we do not charge a premium for more difficult work.  See our ICT Support Rates for typical rates.

Also, our contract does not commit you to a fixed number of support sessions, even though regular clients benefit from lower rates.

Spend your ICT budget usefully
Most of our work comes from adding extra computers and new applications to our regular clients’ networks.

By creating a stable system to start from, you will find that instead of constantly having to fix problems, our time and your support budget can be used to add genuine value to your school’s ICT investment.

You don’t have to be a regular client to benefit
If you already have in-house support but need a professional technician from time to time, we are happy to help on an occasional basis.

We do other things too...
For example, if you need extra network sockets or you need to audit and document the software licenses you are using, please ask us to quote.  Had you thought of getting a better domain name for your school e-mail or website, such as moss-side.com instead of www.moss-side.lancsngfl.ac.uk?  We can arrange that for you too.

Don’t take our word for it...
The best advertisement for us is the enthusiasm of our clients! We are delighted that the Head Teachers and ICT Co-ordinators of our reference sites are happy to talk to our prospective clients.  Ask us to arrange a guided tour, or simply phone to ask their opinion.

Our top two recommendations for an easier life....
1. Install a Server

Most schools will benefit from installing a robust server.  A well-configured server is the key to many of the benefits that a network can offer.  Without a server you simply have a collection of individual PCs that all need to be individually controlled and maintained, which is time-consuming, costly and inconvenient.  The more computers you have, the bigger the problem, and the bigger the benefit of a server.  The breakeven is around 15 and falling.

A server-based network is an investment that will pay for itself.

2. Centralise All Printing

Even in smaller schools we strongly suggest centralising and rationalising your printing facilities - buying expensive ink cartridges for a medley of overworked so-called 'cheap' printers consumes a huge and wasteful chunk of many schools’ ICT budgets.  Heavy-duty, fast, networked printers are now cost-effective even for small primary schools.

All our regular clients have replaced their troublesome classroom inkjet printers with one or two small colour laser printers, properly networked so that eveyone can use them.  Ask them if they would go back to the bad old days...