Classroom365 has a fantastic team of ICT technicians supporting the education sector, from children’s centres to large multi-academy trusts.
- First and second-line ICT field technicians visit schools weekly for their SLA or ad hoc projects.
- Third-line expertise, development and backup. Unfortunately, not every technical problem can be resolved immediately, but any unresolved helpdesk tickets are immediately escalated.
- All staff are enhanced DBS checked, and we are constantly updating our professional skills and knowledge from safeguarding to GDPR.
Our ICT support has worked in schools for 20 years and has been at the forefront of technology in the education sector. As we grow and improve our services to schools, we always seek keen, friendly individuals to join us and enjoy a new job and exciting career.
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What is an ICT Technician?
An ICT technician or engineer is typically the first response to any IT problem experienced by a user. In schools, the users can be teaching and admin staff and the technician will solve the issue and report back to the user. This could be done onsite or remotely.
How do they work with Classroom365?
We refer to our staff as ICT consultants rather than technicians due to their knowledge and experience. Each school has a team rather than an individual supporting them, offering advice, from strategy to implementation.
School staff have access to Classroom365’s service desk from every computer in a school via a desktop shortcut. They can also telephone or email us, but the most effective way is to log a helpdesk ticket because all our staff can access them!
Our ICT service level agreements include remote assistance, so if the ticket can be resolved remotely (such as setting up users), our service desk will fix it. The IT problem could require onsite support (such as a faulty laptop), which we will resolve when onsite.
Where do they work?
ICT support technicians will either be based in schools or working remotely from an office or home. They are expected to travel between sites as smaller primary schools only need 1 or 2 half days of onsite assistance, and two visits can be performed in one day.
Larger secondary schools and multi-academy trusts will have a dedicated team, and their technical staff will be permanently onsite.
What Makes a Classroom365 ICT Consultant Different?
Our staff are experienced, friendly, and knowledgeable about all things ICT-related in schools. We often complete workshops and training online and in person with Microsoft Teams. We are a complete team that supports each other and shares technical and specific information for the successful running of a school. This includes the requirements for popular MIS systems, GDPR, and Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).
No team member knows everything, but our consultants know they have a backup from the more experienced senior staff with specialised knowledge of network infrastructure, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 experts.
What Do ICT Technicians Do?
An ICT technician has a varied and all-encompassing role in providing schools with the best support, advice and solutions. A typical site visit will involve the following the following 3 categories:
Administration tasks
- Preparation and prioritisation of helpdesk tickets.
- Liaison with the school’s senior management team to determine if any issues must be addressed immediately.
- Follow up on quotes and check deliveries for hardware that has been ordered or requested. If anything is outstanding, report to Classroom365’s office staff or Regional Team Manager. Each Region Manager oversees a particular area or selected schools.
Weekly checks
Analysing antivirus logs.
- Server backups and network infrastructure equipment are online with no errors.
- Disk space and server data housekeeping.
- Network diagnostics, such as ensuring all wireless access points are online.
With the abundance of technology in classrooms, there is a lot of potential for things to go wrong. However, with a computer network we support, ICT will be reliable, and our staff will be proactive in keeping computer equipment running smoothly.
Helpdesk tickets
- Interactivity issues with whiteboards and projector lamp changing.
- Installing and updating software. With the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit or Intune set up correctly, these tasks can be automated and monitored remotely.
- Creating users and migrating data.
- Deploying Chromebooks and iPads and updating the Mobile Device Management the school uses. We recommend Jamf School and Meraki MDM.
- Solving printer and photocopier issues.
- The list goes on!
Do Schools Need Onsite Help With Technology?
Today, with the advancement of technology, schools need to get the most from their technology for the money they spend. For primary schools, an onsite technician, even for 3 hours a week, backed up with senior ICT staff providing third-line technical support, is a cost-effective solution.
Adding on our infrastructure and network development team, an SLA from Classroom365 is a fantastic solution for schools, regardless of pupil numbers.
Please get in touch for more details.
Mark Friend, BSc (Hons), is a Company Director at Classroom365 and has worked in technology for nearly 30 years. His IT career started with Rothschild Bank in Sydney, Australia, before working as a Global VPN Project Manager for the British Council. Mark has 20 years of experience in the UK education sector, helping schools integrate the latest tech into their curriculum and ICT vision.