Case Study: School Infrastructure Project
Our case studies showcase how important partnership is to us as well as the transformative impact of technology on teaching and learning.
Connect the Classroom is a government - funded DfE programme to improve internet connectivity and network infrastructure in UK schools.
Introduction
As Leading Edge’s technology partners, we were tasked with overseeing a capital project for one of the secondary schools in their trust.
Fowey River Academy, in North Cornwall, was eligible for funding by DfE under their Connect the Classroom initiative.
We provided strategic guidance to upgrade their network to meet the government’s WiFi connectivity standards. This included replacing all of their current infrastructure and leading the project — from designing, managing, hardware procurement and installation.
Raising the bar for Fowey River Academy
We started by reviewing their WiFi access point and network switches. Any ICT improvement work would need to meet the DfE’s Digital and Technology Standards. However, instead of recommending a complete change of hardware to meet the minimum requirements, we reviewed what they currently had in place and then presented a range of options to make use of their existing hardware and better future-proof the school.
During our auditing process, we discovered that Fowey River Academy had a combination of WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 infrastructure installed. To be compliant with DfE standards, we needed to upgrade everything to tier 1 enterprise (WiFi 6). By reconfiguring their existing network, we were able to reduce the number of network switches that needed to be replaced, which led to significant cost savings.
"We were able to benefit from a wealth of knowledge and expertise in managing capital projects to maximise funding."
Headteacher, Fowey River Academy
Building a more efficient and resilient network
When it comes to internet connectivity and network infrastructure, the measure of success is efficiency and resilience. In the context of UK schools, this means that students and teachers can get online quickly and access a fast connection — and that there are backups in place so a school doesn’t come
to a stop if a system fails. That’s exactly what we achieved through our work with Fowey River Academy.
Through this capital project, iCT4 transformed the school’s network using the available DfE funding. Our work together also highlighted future areas for improvement. Due to the project’s success and our relationship with Leading Edge, we continue to support Fowey River Academy.
It began in Cornwall. Now find us in:
Birmingham, Bristol and Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, and Worcestershire.