IT Services Booklet

Schools, Academies and Trusts

I T S E RV I C E S F O R E D UCAT I O N Delivering excellence to education is our thing

St Paul’s CofE Infant School Paul’s CofE Infant School St Paul’s CofE Infant School St St Paul’s CofE Infant School St Paul’s CofE Infant Schools, Academies andSchool Trusts

Schools, Academies and Trusts

WELC OM E TO E D U THING IT S ERV ICES

SOME OF OUR PARTNERS SOME OF OUR PARTNERS SOME OF OUR PARTNERS SOME OF OUR PARTNERS SO ME OF OU R PA RT N ERS SOME OF OUR PARTNERS

eduthing.co.uk eduthing.co.uk eduthing.co.uk eduthing.co.uk eduthing.co.uk eduthing.co.uk

We are a forward thinking, proactive and flexible company that provides managed IT services for schools, academies and multi academy trusts in the primary, secondary, special and independent sector.

As an education focused technology company, our experience and commitment to customer service has enabled us to be the fastest growing provider in the South East of England, a largest within Surrey.

We have a growing number of schools and multi academy trusts within West Sussex, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, the London Boroughs and surrounding areas.

More recently in June 2023 we acquired Mint Support in Wakefield, Yorkshire. Combined we support more than 225 educational establishments nationally through a dedicated team of 90+ employees. We understand that schools come in all shapes and sizes and that our service offer needs to be completely flexible to accommodate the diverse range within the UK.

Combined we support in excess of 225 educational establishments nationally through a dedicated team of 90+ employees. We understand that schools come in all shapes and sizes and that our service offer needs to be completely flexible to accommodate the diverse range within the UK. Our success is partly due to our unique understanding of the sector, ability to balance security, finance, safeguarding and sustainability whilst keeping at the forefront of our decisions the impact on learning & teaching for the young people and teachers in the schools that we work alongside. We understand that in today’s budget sensitive economy, it is becoming increasingly important for school leaders to find ways to achieve savings whilst demonstrating real and meaningful value and impact from third party providers.

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This is why we offer a range of inclusive services from remote service desk support, dedicated onsite engineers, OnDemand visits for high impact issues, an inclusive comprehensive training package, 24/7 out of hours support, plus an audit & strategy report including a Cyber Essentials Checklist with a cloud first approach to highlight just a few.

Our aim is to provide you with a comprehensive service, allowing you to get the most out of the current systems you have in place, whilst reducing technology related issues and improving learning & teaching.

We pride ourselves on providing the highest level of customer service and are really pleased to have an exceptionally high level of customer satisfaction and retention.

It is our belief that we provide more than a typical technology company, we like to challenge our schools, as much as they challenge us and have fantastic relationships with them as a result.

Above all else we are passionate and care about the impact we have on our schools, and the staff, children and young people within them.

Luke Nicolaou​ Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

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Schools, Academies and Trusts

eduthing.co.uk

I T MANAGED SERV ICE SERV ICE DE S K

REM OTE M O N ITO RIN G & PATC H IN G

Our service desk team are available from 07:00 until 18:00 Monday to Friday, with ticket requests being logged by phone, email or on our portal. To further extend our support service we have a 24/7 telephone line available for all customers, allowing high impact issues to be resolved outside of our core operational hours at no additional charge. Our service is available to the whole school, not just technical staff, but teachers and support staff as well. We also have hybrid options that act as an overflow and / or escalation for internal IT support teams for individual schools and multi academy trusts.

A fundamental part of our service is how we monitor and patch your systems, to ensure they are fully functioning we continually monitor its status and health. Alerts will immediately warn us of issues for example with backups, disk space and performance, meaning we can take the appropriate action and reduce downtime and any disruption to your critical systems.

EMER GEN CY R ES P ONSE

PRO C U REM EN T ADVIC E

It is rare for a well-maintained system to experience a failure, but if it does, we understand that the impact can be catastrophic. This why we offer an exceptionally fast response as part of our service when responding to an outage, ranging from remote support to onsite engineers working to protect your systems.

Patching has become more important in recent years to prevent issues, secure systems and improve performance which is why where possible we install security updates at the point of release and automatically.

We have the unique experience of only working in the education sector meaning our team has the experience and contacts to ensure you get best value from any IT purchase. Our team will happily obtain a quote for a project or individual purchase on your behalf. This extends to software licensing, structured cabling, AV installation, managed wireless and computer replacement. License and warranty management is provided free as part of our procurement service.

SCHEDULE D & O NDEMAND ONSIT E VISITS Whether you are an infant, junior or primary school that requires regular onsite support, a secondary school that requires full time onsite support or a multi academy trust that requires surge capacity to assist internal IT support teams, or a full managed service, we have a solution for you.

Our employees are well trained, friendly and approachable. We believe in continuity and that having a familiar face is important in the building of a relationship, so we provide the same engineer for scheduled visits where possible.

For issues that are not emergencies, but can also not wait until your next scheduled visit we have our OnDemand Service. A truly flexible solution to those high impact issues where we will send an engineer to site outside of your normal scheduled visit at no additional cost.

Our engineers also carry a range of stock items meaning that issues are resolved quickly without the need to wait for replacement parts to be delivered.

I NS P E CTION S UP P ORT We understand the importance of a successful inspection, such as Ofsted, and will work alongside your team to ensure that your IT doesn’t let you down. We will remain onsite for the length of the inspection to provide you with the support you need.

AUDIT & STR ATEGY REPORT To ensure you have access to an up to date, cost effective solution that meets your needs, our experienced team will review your technology periodically to ensure it is fit for purpose. We believe that forward planning is key to a successful system and essential for embedding digital transformation, cyber security and sustainability for all stakeholders into school life. This is why a key part of our service helps you to develop a strategic vision for your school, or should you be a multi academy trust, for all schools and at trust level.

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We are delighted with the highly professional and efficient service the school has received following the decision to move our business to eduthing. The staff are knowledgeable and proficient and offer a timely response to issues raised. We have been pleased to act on their recommendations. From the outset, we have enjoyed the collaborative, warm and friendly relationships with all eduthing staff.

St Margaret’s CE Primary School | West Sussex

Schools, Academies and Trusts

eduthing.co.uk

C U RRI C U LU M, EDT EC H & O N L I N E SAFE TY MON THLY R E P O RTS

S U BJEC T DEVELO PM EN T

Performance of your IT service is shown through a single monthly report. We have found that schools appreciate the accountability of reporting as well as the opportunity to plan future IT improvements and replacements. We also hold regular review meetings with your assigned account manager to answer any questions and assist in planning your on-going strategy.

Looking to revamp and revitalise your Computing subject? Or perhaps looking to increase the use of technology in a cross-curricular fashion? Our EdTech experts, made up of qualified teachers, will review your current provision and support you with suggestions relevant to your school context, requirements and desired outcomes, incorporating staff training and support into a structured development plan.

CYBE R INCIDEN T R ESPONSE PLAN

Working in collaboration with the school, we will formulate a bespoke Cyber Incident Response Plan, covering RPA Insurance requirements, that can be put into action should the school suffer forms of cyber-attacks. Schools will receive a printed and bound copy of the plan to be kept with other key documentation on the school site.

EDTE CH LOA N S Wanting to enrich the curriculum, but unable to afford the latest technology to excite your students in emerging concepts such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)? We are able to offer short term loans of various technologies! Take your students on virtual trips to places like museums, underwater, and outer space through our Redbox VR headsets. Bring 3D Computer Aided Design to life through the loan of 3D printers and adventure into collaborative coding for STEM with our Kai’s Clan class set.

W EBINA R S From sessions for teachers, to admin/office staff through to school governors, our remote webinar offering is a fantastic opportunity for staff to grab bite-sized CPD across multiple disciplines including online safety, cyber security, safeguarding, Computer Science, use of artificial intelligence and more!

SP ECIA LIST G R O UP S We look to support staff at all levels. From Computing Subject Leaders, to DSLs and DDSLs to SENCOs and Inclusion Leads, we have a wide variety of specialist network groups that we facilitate across all supported schools, with the aim of being able to empower all aspects of educational life with planned and purposeful use of technology.

TEAM TEAC H IN G

With our educational background we know that sometimes the hardest part of introducing different methods or approaches to both the teaching of Computing and the use of technology across the curriculum is change management. Whilst whole-staff CPD offers a great opportunity for staff to collaborate and question with our experts, we also know that some of the best CPD can be provided in the moment within an active class. Therefore we are pleased to offer the opportunity of team teaching sessions, boosting staff confidence as teaching and learning continues.

WO RKS H O PS We love bringing Computing and Technology to life in learning. We are building an expansive range of workshops across multiple key stages to support bringing physical computing into the classroom, exploring video production, green screening and podcasting and supporting pupils with interactive online safety workshops.

Upon appointment, eduthing took time to understand the context of our school and then ensured that frustrating, recurring, short - term problems were eliminated.

IT at Blenheim has ran smoothly and problem free for some time now and this has led to eduthing being encouraged to make recommendations as to how IT could be developed in the medium term. IT projects have been planned well, delivered effectively and produced the desired outcomes.

Throughout their time at Blenheim, eduthing staff, at all levels, have been approachable, client facing and professional. They are, very much now, part of the Blenheim team.

Blenheim High School | Surrey

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Schools, Academies and Trusts

N ET WORK CONNECT IV IT Y W IR ELE S S S OLUTIONS The demand on wireless infrastructure in schools is ever increasing and we know how important it is to ensure speed and reliability. There is nothing worse than having a class trying to use mobile devices only to find they are unable to connect or experience very slow speeds. We work closely with our distributors to provide the latest equipment to our schools at a competitive price all whilst ensuring the products are technically up to date, not just to support the devices of today but those in the future.

DATA CA BLING We have an excellent data cabling team who can carry out any size job, from a single data outlet to an entire new building. We regularly install fibre connections between buildings and cabinets to ensure a high-speed backbone for the infrastructure of the school, ensuring slow speeds in different areas of a building are a thing of the past. We also regularly tidy up cabinets which have been neglected over a number of years to ensure they are fully operational and easy to troubleshoot any issues should one occur.

B R OA DBA N D & FIBRE INT ERNET CONNECT IONS We have been accredited as a Support Partner for Schools Broadband which will ensure that you get market leading connectivity. Offering ADSL, FTTC, EoFTTC, FTTP connections and dedicated fibre leased with content filtering and a secure firewall within clear and simple packages.

H OSTE D TE LEP HON E SYST EMS Telephone systems are a fundamental part of any school yet are often neglected, increasing costs and the risk of failure. We offer advice on and have installed a variety of systems including our cloud hosted solution which allows use of software and mobile applications to provide remote and flexible working opportunities. This solution is installed in hundreds of schools and across Multi Academy Trusts improving their cohesion and assisting in their growth.

NE TWO R K & INFR AST RUCT URE REPLACEMENT Education is our thing which is why we completely understand the unique ways in which a school network runs. A significant part of our business is replacing, upgrading and refining them to achieve the best possible return on investment. Our infrastructure services include design and implementation of on-premises and cloud solutions, including networking, server, storage, virtualisation and email migrations.

PR INT MA NAG EMENT SOLUT IONS With declining funding in schools, it is important to reduce the amount of paper that is used on a daily basis where possible. With PaperCut you can account for every page printed and stop any careless waste with some simple tools. User and department quotas, BYOD, Accountability, Approve Printing, Print Release, Reports and Policies are just a few of the key features available in this cost-effective solution.

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eduthing.co.uk

MI S MI G RAT I ON & S U PPO RT M AN AGEM EN T IN F O RM ATIO N SYSTEM We recognise that a Management Information System (MIS) is critical to the smooth running of a school. Over the past five years the MIS market has significantly transitioned from being dominated by the SIMS & FMS ecosystem to providing a range of options based on offerings from suppliers providing Cloud based Software as a Service (SaaS) options. We are able to support full range of systems on offer and have actively engaged with the currently most popular solutions. However, if your MIS preference is for one of the other systems available then we can also help you with planning a migration and ongoing support.

S IM S & F M S S U PPO RT Our SIMS support service is provided by an accredited ESS SIMS partner and includes unlimited support for all modules. We provide support over the phone and remotely. Upgrades and patch installations are completed remotely out of hours to avoid disruption.

ARBO R S U PPO RT As an accredited Arbor support partner we can advise on migration from your existing MIS. We can then provide ongoing basic or advanced support, including training to meet your specific needs. Our support and advice can cover an individual school or at the MAT level. Arbor are rapidly integrating a Finance system into the MIS and we can help and advise on this as well as helping you take advantage of the full suite of integrated modules including the ability to create a MAT wide view of data sets that is part of the solution.

BRO M C O M We are an accredited Bromcom partner and can support you with your migration to this MIS as well as basic and advanced support. The Bromcom solution includes a finance module as well as a number of integrated modules that can replace current third party solutions. These modules require planning and a roadmap to be fully utilised and we can help you understand your options and define what a reasonable roadmap to this full utilisation looks like. Additional systems like My Child At School (MCAS) and, for MATs the MAT vision option, provide a range of additional value that we can help you unlock

Schools, Academies and Trusts

eduthing.co.uk

C LOU D GOOG LE WO R K S PACE FOR EDUCAT ION & MICROSOFT 3 65

M IC RO S O F T TEAM S AN D GO O GL E C L AS S ROOM

If you are using any of the tools in these ‘digital ecosystems’ then you have already made a move to adopt cloud services. We can support you with this journey and help you make the most of the services that are available. From enrolling Chromebooks in small or large quantities to ensuring that devices using the Microsoft ecosystem are secure and kept up to date. In addition, our expert education team can help your teachers, leaders and admin staff make the most of what you have with dedicated training sessions.

Many schools are now using Teams or Google Classroom to manage and deliver a range of lessons for students. We can help you ensure that classes are correctly provisioned and that the right people can access the right resources as they need them. By working across your broader Microsoft or Google ecosystem we can ensure that the experience in Teams or Google Classroom is the best possible experience. Integration is key and we can ensure that everything seamlessly works as it should.

MDM S OLUTION S Moving to the Cloud often involves the use of more mobile devices. From Windows laptops to Chromebooks to iPads and to tablets, these devices need to be managed to ensure they are secure both on and off of a school site. Our Mobile Device Management solutions will ensure that all devices are well managed according to the policies you have agreed.

RE MOTE ACCES S Being able to access files and resource remotely is an import service to offer to staff and, as the pandemic illustrated, for pupils as well. From traditional Remote Desktop solutions and VPN access to the latest Cloud based approaches we can provide secure remote access for staff and pupils as part of the overall solution we manage and maintain.

1: 1 DE V ICE S CHE ME S Many schools are moving to giving students their own device. However that is deployed or used, be that blended learning, hybrid learning virtual learning or the device simply needs to work, be secure and replaced or repaired if it gets damaged.

We have programmes that can put the latest devices in the hands of learners and make sure that the management of that is as simple as possible for your schools or MAT. We also see these devices as part of the broader Cloud strategy you might want to adopt, so we can integrate our services from MDM to Microsoft 365 or Google into the way these schemes are managed.

WEB & DES IGN S ERVIC ES We know that your school website and associated branding make a significant impact on how your school is perceived within the community. In view of this and drawing on our experience our design studio is able to assist by providing access to a full range of design services including logos, prospectuses, stationery, literature and full website solutions including help and advice on both design and content.

We can also ensure that any online presence is fully integrated with your broader Cloud strategy so that where needed data systems are securely connected together to reduce management overheads.

H O STED S ERVER As part of a broader cloud strategy you will eventually look at moving physical servers into the Cloud and either run a virtual server or access a Cloud service. This approach ultimately allows you to free up space onsite, reduce costs and provide more flexibility. We can help you deliver these hosted server solutions in a way that is fully integrated into your wider Cloud strategy.

DATA M IGRATIO N As part of a Cloud strategy, it is common to want to move data from the storage devices and servers you have onsite. This data can be moved to the storage that comes with the Cloud Services like M365 and Google for Education. This process requires planning so that the right data is moved to the right locations. Often there is a lot of data that needs moving so planning is essential.

In the Microsoft ecosystem we can also help you set up a SharePoint implementation and move data into that structure in a secure way. For Google users, making sure that the right data is available in Google Classroom for example can also be part of a data migration.

Finally, making sure that when users log on they can save to right location also requires planning that is normally part of the broader data migration.

eduthing have helped us to transform our IT throughout the school over the last year, and ensured that the transition has been smooth and efficient! Their ongoing support is outstanding with fast response times from their friendly and cheerful team!

New Haw Community School | Surrey

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Schools, Academies and Trusts

eduthing.co.uk

S E CURITY RE MOTE BACK UP We monitor your backup daily as part of our service. An engineer will initially install the backup software so you can have complete confidence that your important files are being backed up correctly.

We use military grade data centres across the UK to ensure that your data is fully encrypted, stored and replicated. Should your on-site systems fail, we also offer a full disaster recovery solution which allows your systems to continue to operate in the cloud – meaning minimal disruption for you and your staff.

C LOUD TO CLOUD BACKUP Data stored in the cloud on services such as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace can still be lost if not backup up securely, through human error, hacking, ransomware or accidentally closing accounts.

We partner with leading Cloud Data Management companies to provide a secure, fully encrypted solution hosted with Tier 4 UK data centres. For added peace of mind we monitor your backups to ensure everything is running exactly as expected.

C CTV CCTV offers a convenient and effective means to enhance security within a school environment. It aids in documenting various incidents on the school premises, whether they occur during daytime activities in the playground or involve monitoring suspicious individuals during night time hours.

Our services encompass a range of CCTV systems, all of which leverage your school’s existing infrastructure. This approach helps in controlling costs while establishing connections between Full HD cameras and a recording system. This recording system boasts remote accessibility and a data storage capacity of at least one month. We are well-equipped to assist you in developing a custom solution tailored to your school’s specific requirements, whether you require as few as two cameras or as many as 99, both indoors and outdoors. We do also work with other systems and can support those already installed.

MU LTI FACTOR AUTHENT ICAT ION ( MFA / 2FA) We provide the latest security standards to your environment with 2FA (Two-factor authentication).

2FA adds an additional layer of security to the authentication process much like you already use for online banking by making it more difficult for attackers to gain access to devices, online accounts and resources. 2FA combined with conditional access ensures authenticity of logins and safeguards sensitive data with the option of OTP (One Time Password) keyring tags to comply with school policies.

VULN E R A BILITY AS SESSMENT Cyber security is important for schools as they are heavily reliant on technology to operate effectively. Without vulnerability assessments (VA), schools may leave themselves open to cyber attacks and a variety of other security issues. VA’s are critical to identify security flaws and entry points into compromising the school network and computers. We provide in depth, periodic documented vulnerability assessment reports showing remediations to secure systems both internally and externally.

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VIS ITO R M AN AGEM EN T Knowing who is on your premises at all times is very important. For years, a simple visitor book on the front desk sufficed, however, with data protection and GDPR at the forefront of everyone’s minds, it is important to have a compliant system in place. We recommend either InVentry or Sign In App having worked with them in a number of schools, we know that these are the most popular solutions for schools.

AC C ES S C O N TRO L Security in schools is extremely high on the agenda coupled with the requirement to have a lockdown procedure in place. We find that Access Control is a fantastic way to meet the requirements placed upon schools, our recommended solution is Paxton where we hold Platinum Partner Status, although we have also worked with other access control systems.

The whole team is friendly and helpful in addition to being very knowledgeable in all things IT. As an Academy Trust it is important to have good IT support that we can rely on.

During a recent server issue, eduthing went above and beyond to get our systems across the Trust back up and running and have implemented changes to make our system more robust. eduthing works with the customer to provide a bespoke service that works for the customer. We are really pleased that we made the move and would have no hesitation in recommending eduthing to other schools and MATs. LEO Academy Trust | Sutton

Schools, Academies and Trusts

eduthing.co.uk

OT H ER S ERV I C ES EN CRYP TE D EMA IL SERVICE

C L AS S RO O M & S C H O O L H AL L AU DIO VIS UAL

Schools, regardless of the number of students and staff, hold data that can be very sensitive. To keep information safe, we provide an easy to use, secure, end-to-end encrypted communication for staff keeping your student information secure and confidential without the need to replace your current email system.

We believe that interactive technology is vital to providing outstanding teaching and learning and always strive to be at the forefront of this area. We work alongside specialist partners, and are able to offer a full service from the initial advice and specifications to the installation and continuing training.

We can offer training in classroom interactive displays, projectors, full hall installations and other peripheral technology such as visualisers and tablet devices.

EMA IL S PA M P R OTECT ION Protect your staff and student mailboxes with this vital additional email security layer protecting email platforms such as Office 365 and Gmail from malware and zero day attacks with a rock solid, multi-award winning anti-spam, malware blocking and email filtering service at an affordable price.

The sandboxing feature protects against breaches and sophisticated email attacks by providing a powerful environment to run in-depth, sophisticated analysis of unknown or suspicious programs and files.

I D CA R D DE S IGN & PRINT We can create custom ID cards in our design studio, with a quick turnaround offered when needed.

We can customise ID cards to your requirements and include information such as job titles and DBS numbers. We also, if required, can supply stock or personalised lanyards and holders.

ANTI-V IR US A ND R ANSOMWARE PROT ECT ION With the ever-growing advancements in technology and the ability to access data anywhere and at anytime, we need to be able to keep this information, safe and secure. As a Sophos Silver Partner, we can provide the latest threat protection solutions with significant savings for education customers for both on premises and cloud-based products.

F IN AN C IN G We partner with a number of Finance Companies, who can help spread the cost of your IT updates and investment into manageable monthly or quarterly repayments, rather than one upfront capital payment. Finance options are a cost effective way to accelerate upgrades to empower your staff and learners with the latest technology.

L IC EN S IN G Our partnerships with software distributors allow us to secure the best pricing for licensing across a range of products. These products include, but are not limited to, Anti-Virus, Microsoft Licensing (On Premise and Cloud), Adobe and MDM solutions for iPad, Chrome and Windows based devices.

PO RTABL E APPL IAN C E TESTIN G ( PAT) PAT testing is a necessary part of health and safety compliance in all education settings, regular testing ensures electrical equipment is safe and well maintained protecting the children and staff using it. Within our experienced team of engineers we have the qualifications to undertake the necessary tests and produce certificates for compliance.

PHIS HIN G ATTACK SIMULAT ION Phishing simulations test and help reinforce cybersecurity training for staff to recognise, avoid, and report potential email threats. We provide custom phishing simulations for a variety of online platforms to guard your school against social-engineering threats. Detailed reports can be produced to provide an insight on individuals that would benefit from further training.

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We’ve been with eduthing from the very beginning and have always been delighted with their quick, efficient and professional service. No query is too much trouble and they offer us fantastic support throughout. Always on hand and make the IT world in our school a better place!

We appointed eduthing as our IT consultants and are very pleased with the service.

The ethos of the company conveyed by the CEO during the tender process and the COO during our initial meeting was exactly what we were looking for. The support team are always friendly and helpful and will be persistent when trying to resolve the issues within our technology. Our print release software was a particular nightmare, but eduthing did not give up and we now have a solution. Our system is in need of updating and we look forward very much to the outcome of the recent IT audit and working with eduthing to improve hardware, speeds of data and our working practices. We have a lot of work to do and are confident that eduthing will guide us through this process.

Hurst Green Infant School & Nursery School | Surrey

King Athelstan Primary School | Kingston

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Schools, Academies and Trusts

For more information please contact us on the details below 0203 750 9796 hello@eduthing.co.uk eduthing.co.uk 5 Walton Lodge, Bridge Street, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. KT12 1BT