Schools and academies to transform learning supported by ICT with Northgate Managed Services’ personalised solutions.
10 November 2009
Every school and academy across the country can now benefit from a truly personalised ICT solution tailored to the needs of staff and students with Northgate Managed Services. Building upon its significant experience working with Building Schools for the Future programmes in Leicester, Kent and Bristol, Northgate is now working with a plethora of exceptional centres of learning, including Trent Valley Academy in Gainsborough, Bristol Cathedral Choir School in Bristol, Havelock Academy in Grimsby and Litherland High School and Abraham Guest High School, one school BSF Pathfinder projects school in Sefton and Wigan.
Every school has its own development and improvement plan so Northgate takes a flexible approach to solutions and designs the service to each school’s needs. Appreciating the individuality of every school and the concept that one size doesn’t fit all, Northgate’s team works closely with the leadership team from the outset to foster a flexible, dynamic partnership to support this vision and ultimately help to transform learning. Northgate’s services are built from a number of key components including, infrastructure design and installation, device and software procurement, service desk, problem and incident management, infrastructure management and remote management and monitoring. The service is designed to meet the needs of the school and can also include elements of outsourcing of technical and support staff.
Northgate believes it is employed to challenge as well as support a school’s ICT provision so it is vital that there is a constant two-way dialogue. Both parties need to be continuously engaged and challenge each other every step of the process to improve ICT provision. For example, Northgate’s team will analyse the efficiency of existing resources before making recommendations for new technology so believe feedback from the school about the current efficiency, usage and uptake of technologies is vital.
Northgate’s approach to TUPE (whereby school ICT technicians work directly for the company) is helping to improve standards, ensure a smooth transition for ICT and ultimately transfer risk, establishing confidence across the school community. As schools face the challenge of developing a shared vision for ICT, this approach ensures that Northgate’s team of professionals gain a much deeper understanding of the different ICT needs and issues experienced by individual schools. It also helps to build a solid working relationship imperative for successful change management. Working alongside school technicians from such an early point also means that extensive evaluation of existing resources can be carried out to ensure best value for the school.
AbrahamGuest High School, the BSF One School Pathfinder in Wigan, is due to open its doors in spring 2010. Keen to implement robust technologies which facilitate anytime true personalised learning for students, its senior leadership team is working closely with Northgate to ensure solutions are tailored to the needs of staff and students and will also stand the test of time. The new school will be fully wireless-enabled allowing students to access their work via a range of fixed, mobile and handheld devices wherever they are in the building. This will also help staff to achieve their vision of delivering anytime, anywhere learning for every student.
Roy Caslake, Headteacher at Abraham Guest High School, comments: “It is vital that all our partners share the common goal of building a learning environment which is meaningful for students of the future. From the outset, Northgate has been incredibly flexible and adaptable in its approach and as a result, truly understands and has helped shape our school’s vision. A relationship built upon confidence and trust is so important so all our heads of department, teachers and students have been involved in this vision. Technology is moving so fast that we are already adapting parts of the ICT so Northgate’s flexible approach is enabling us to achieve great things.”
Exciting technology plans for the new school include Northgate’s Thin Client solution which will enable students to log-on to any computer, anywhere and access the school’s full range of applications, and the school’s ‘Faraday Project’ which aims to incorporate science into the building and grounds. Northgate is integrating technology to take readings from the school’s new wind turbine, 60-year clock and a Knowledge Garden which will see waste products from the science blocks filtered into a tank and pumped through reed beds to create recyclable water. All this data will be available on the school’s intranet for staff and students to interpret in class.
For further information about Northgate Managed Services, please visit the web site at: www.northgate-is.com/managedservices or contact our Schools and Academies team via email info@northgate-is.com.
*The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations
