IT and Communications

Provision of an onsite IT Technician for a minimum of half a day per week to assist with the installation and maintenance of IT estate.  Academies also have access to remote support from the Trust IT Team that connect with the academy following an email or phone call to the IT Helpdesk.

In the event of a serious failure support is on-site in no more than 4 hours (during the school day).

• Advice, support and guidance on the procurement and provision of new hardware such as laptops, desktop PCs, tablets and servers.
• Opportunities to benefit from the Trust’s bulk buying power when the Trust and academies buy together.

• Advice and guidance for development of long or short term IT strategies

Software procurement, installation and maintenance. Anti-virus support and security patches to keep systems secure.

• Offering cost saving and effective strategies for each academy, helping to deliver a 21st century solution to keep all stakeholders in the loop.
• Full support and provision, from using VoIP technology for telephony systems to school apps and text messaging systems for parental communication.

• Advice, support and oversight of the Trust’s MIS.
• Guidance on statutory data collection, reports and best practice when using the software.
• Support for induction training of staff on the MIS system.
• Advice and support on recording of Post-16 and Pupil Premium information to ensure accurate reporting for funding purposes.

• Helping ensure staff and pupils are secure from the dangers of the internet, social media and apps.
• Automated reporting, keyword detection with real-time email alerts.
• Realtime monitoring of pupils activities.

A key area as the education sector manages significant amounts of personal information.  The Trust provides advice, conducts audits and carries out training in this area to ensure compliance with the UK GDPR.

Training staff on common systems such as Microsoft Office, Windows, Chrome OS and other popular software packages, in addition to the training of more specialised software within schools.

• Working with academy administration teams to ensure regular and effective communication between parents and academies, to help academies promote themselves, share news, and keep people informed.
• Working with academies in conjunction with local and online media when necessary to manage news coverage, comments and promotion.
• Ensuring an effective strategy is in place to contact parents and staff in case of an emergency school closure.

• Management of the Trust and individual academies’ websites, working with academies to ensure published content is up to date, relevant, engaging, and that statutory requirements are being met in line with current government guidance.
• Monitoring or management of social media accounts as requested (Facebook / Twitter / Instagram) and promotion of a positive and consistent image of the Trust and all its academies through these channels.

• Supporting academies’ engagement with parents and the local community through relevant social media channels.
• Promoting events, responding to online comments, and ensuring significant information (such as upcoming calendar events / important dates) is quick and easy to find.

Design and production of promotional and marketing materials as requested, including (for example) prospectuses, posters, brochures, advertisements, banners and signage.