Rushey Mead School to benefit from £2.5million Investment in bespoke and sustainable ICT Service
27 June 2011
Teachers and students at Rushey Mead Secondary School in Leicester, which is undergoing a £16m rebuild under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, have welcomed the news that they will also benefit from a major investment in the very latest Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
The £2.5million five year contract awarded to Northgate Managed Services by Leicester City Council, will provide a bespoke ICT managed service which is robust and fully scalable to support the wide ranging educational needs of Rushey Mead. The investment will enable the school, which has been designated as 'Outstanding' following exceptional Ofsted reports, to further enhance its strong track record of attainment and achievement.
In light of recent budget cuts across the education sector, Northgate has worked in collaboration with the school and the Local Authority to develop a sustainable service which not only meets immediate needs but is flexible enough to meet requirements in the future. This approach is in keeping with the core objectives of the ICT strategy set by both the City Council and Rushey Mead.
The ICT investment will greatly enhance the school's learning environment, helping to create independent learners as students can access learning "anytime anywhere". The school is fully wireless enabled and each and every student has access to a personalised virtual learning area where they can work on assignments, sort work and access emails, enabling them to communicate more effectively with teachers and fellow students.
Other aspects of the service provided by Northgate, such as managed print will also benefit the school through significant efficiencies and cost savings.
Carolyn Robson, Head Teacher at Rushey Mead said:
"Staff and students at the school are excited at the prospect of moving into their new BSF building in the summer of 2012. With the ever-increasing use of new ICT by young people it is critical that the school environment reflects and adapts to the many technologies available."
"Through the use of wireless technology throughout the school, electronic communication with parents, interactive white-boards in each classroom and a world class virtual learning environment Rushey Mead School will be able to build on its Outstanding School status enriching the lives of its 1500 students. Working in partnership, Northgate and Rushey Mead have planned a school based on a sustainable, adaptable and affordable model that will meet students and staff needs for a great many years."
Chris Wiseman, Sales Director, Northgate Managed Services added:
"Working alongside Rushey Mead and Leicester City Council at this crucially important stage in the school's development is of great significance to Northgate. We relish this opportunity to play such a key role in the school's development and to help create an ICT-based learning environment which not only maximises the potential for teachers and students today, but which also incorporates a vision for the future.
"With this strong platform now in place we will work with the school to reach an even higher level by exploring other technologies and services such as cloud-based services which has proven to be driving force in ICT in Education throughout the UK."
