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Articles for primary school IT leads, headteachers and bursars.
Articles for primary school IT leads, headteachers and bursars. Safeguarding, cybersecurity, Chromebooks, Google for Education and more.
How Technology and Training Can Help Ensure School Safety
A Safe Learning Environment Ensured by IT Admins The importance of student and teacher safety in a school is immense - and no one feels that responsibility quite like IT admins. As guardians of school technology infrastructure, IT admins ar
read moreSecuring Education in the Digital Age
Protect Your Teachers and Staff From Cyber Threats Technology has become a critical tool for teachers and staff in the education sector today. According to a global study by SMART Technologies, almost three-quarters (64%) of UK schools now
read moreKeeping Students Safe from Cyber Threats in the Digital Age
Protecting Your Students from Cybercrime An audit by the National Cyber Security Centre found that cyber incidents have affected over three-quarters (78%) of UK schools. Because of the increased use of technology, students are much more sus
read moreFind the Right Chromebook for Your Students
Place the Right Cutting-Edge Technology in the Right Hands A study by the Department of Education discovered that only 1% of primary schools and 2% of secondary schools were able to provide 1:1 access to laptops or tablets for pupils. With
read more5 Factors to Help Select the Right Devices for Your School
In today's classroom, technology is an extension of teaching. Like any good educator, the best devices can support a variety of learning styles, environments, and activities. But choosing from the sheer volume of available laptops, detachab
read moreArm Your Educators With the Best Technology
A Reassessment of School Technology A 2022 study revealed that nearly two-thirds of schools in the UK are using technology in everyday teaching practices. A separate study by The 21st Century Teachers report revealed that 48% of teachers us
read moreMaximising Tech Investments to Maximise Student Potential
The economic headwinds are shifting, and that has many schools looking at their edtech investments with fresh eyes. At the beginning of the pandemic, many were forced to invest in new tools and solutions for learning at home - with limited
read moreAre You Equipping Your Students to Be Successful?
Over the past 10 years, the number of students with a disability has increased from 6.4 million to nearly 7.2 million. The rising demand for education technology has made accessibility tools and equitable learning environments more crucial
read moreWhich Tech Investments Are Accelerating Student Learning?
If there was ever a doubt of tech's importance in the classroom, The Pandemic certainly underscored just how essential it's become. Global funding to edtech companies soared to $20B in 2021, up about $6B from the previous year. But which in
read moreDeploy High-Performance Devices for Your School Without Wiping Out Your Budget
Affordable Access to High-Performance Devices for Education The need to provide the best possible equipment for teachers and students is often at odds with the need to reduce costs and make sure your IT team isn't overstretched supporting c
read moreHow Can You Reduce Your School's Environmental Impact - While Embracing EdTech?
How Can Schools Empower Environmental Action? The Department of Education is pushing for the UK's education sector to lead the world in sustainability and climate change by 2030. It's aiming to achieve excellence in education and skills, me
read moreSpeedy. Simple. Secure. Discover Easy-To-Use Education Tools With Chromebook.
Chromebook with Chrome Education Upgrade With schools across the UK steadily increasing their digital maturity and implementing more EdTech, decision-makers are starting to build a detailed understanding of what their teachers and students
read moreEmpower Safer Learning With ChromeOS
Create Safer Learning Environments With Chromebooks and ChromeOS The education sector is experiencing a higher number of cyberattacks and at a higher rate than other sectors. In 2021, it saw a 29% increase in attacks globally. To keep staff
read moreLearn How to Use Google for Education to Its Full Potential
Any technology is only as beneficial as the user's ability to use it effectively. That's why Google continually works to empower educators and support lifelong learning via free-of-charge online training for the classroom. Educators can fin
read moreToolkits & Training to Help Your School Adopt Chromebooks
There is a myriad of reasons why you should transition your school to Chromebooks, including strengthened security, improved collaboration, and simplified classroom management. However, introducing new technology to your school community ca
read moreIs Micro-Learning the Future of Professional Development?
Between getting their classrooms ready, finalising lesson plans, and getting a head start learning all the incoming students' names, teachers have a steep back-to-school ramp-up period. Throw in a gruelling, days-long professional developme
read moreHow Tech Can Improve Teachers' Professional Development
Learning Never Stops Every teacher knows that learning never stops - not their students' learning and not their own. However, how teachers can access resources for their professional development has shifted dramatically over the past few ye
read moreIs Adaptive Learning the Solution to One-Size-Fits-All Ed?
The best teachers are the most attuned ones. Without them saying a word, they can tell when a student is close to working out a new concept or just plain stuck. And they instinctively know how to tailor their instruction accordingly: throwi
read moreHow to Find the Right Tech for Your Teaching Style
Whether they've been an educator for decades or this is their first year, every teacher has their own teaching style. Everything from the way an educator communicates with students to the subject matter being taught can impact an educator's
read moreFinding the True Value of Education Plus
Google commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a Total Economic ImpactTM(TEI) study and examine the potential return on investment (ROI) for education organisations. After investing in Education Plus, organisations will experience vast
read moreHow the Right Tools Can Help With Educational Development
When it comes to students' educational development, it's crucial that teachers are armed with the right resources. Over the past two years, the global pandemic has changed the way students learn, and the traditional classroom has evolved in
read moreHow to spot phishing emails
Everyday, fraud organisations are sending phishing emails to all kinds of recipients, even to school staff members. Phishing refers to the aim of an email that tries to trick you into providing sensitive information. This could be login use
read moreThis Is What the Future of Classroom Safety Looks Like
73%of parents in the UK are concerned about their kids accessing inappropriate material online.2a 37%of UK teachers have seen an online safety incident in their school. 1 84%of parents and guardians worldwide report feeling worried about th
read moreIs Your School Community Protected From Digital Threats?
884 million leaked records across the globe in the Education sector, making it the third most affected by data breaches.1 Over 33% of schools are more likely to say staff resources had to be diverted to deal with a cyber security breach.3 R
read more4 Online Safety Lessons Students Don't Want to Learn the Hard Way
January technically arrives in the middle of the school year. However, the tradition of setting resolutions and planning ahead is still plenty applicable. Before students arrive back from Christmas break, take some time to ensure the entire
read moreTrend Mapping: Charting How Education is Evolving in 2022
How do you prepare students for careers that don't yet exist? The short answer: Technology. However, hard skills and tangible tools don't tell the whole story. Soft skills also play a leading role in student success. In fact, the more digit
read moreWhat Hybrid Learning Taught Us - and Why It Still Matters
Change is hard. Forced, unexpected change is even harder. Take transitioning to hybrid schooling, for example. Over the bumpy course of the crisis, up to 95% of in-person learning was lost. Students in England missed an average of 115 days,
read moreTeacher Knows Best: How to Get the Most from Post-Pandemic Tech
When COVID-19 hit, schools and teachers worked tirelessly to create a whole new way of providing an educational model that would engage and inspire students, and fill parents with confidence. At the cornerstone of it all was technology. Via
read moreMindfulness Tech, Tools and Benefits for the Entire School
Mindfulness is having a major moment in schools. This positive state of being is achieved by simply paying non-judgemental attention to our feelings, thoughts and sensations in the body as they change from moment to moment. In the classroom
read moreSelecting the Right Chromebook for Your School, Staff and Students
Finding the Right Chromebook In 2020 the pandemic changed the way schools use Chromebooks. To meet the existing, and new needs of schools, Google developed a wayfinding guide to help you find the right Chromebook for your use case. Finding
read moreWhy so Many Schools are Shifting to Zero Trust Security
The term “zero trust” doesn't necessarily invoke a positive connotation. However, rephrased as “always verify,” the same principle takes on an entirely different sentiment. Semantics aside, it's a serious security solution that schools can'
read moreTransform Your School with Chromebooks
Chromebooks allow teachers to educate students even when they aren't in the same room together. Chromebooks include accessibility right out of the box, unlocking learning experiences for students with diverse needs, abilities, and learning
read moreWhy data privacy is so important for your school
Above all else, schools should be happy, inclusive places that have a truly open, collaborative and community feel. But, it would be irresponsible not to recognise the importance of keeping school data private. Data privacy is a growing iss
read moreHow your IT system can help make your school secure and successful
Anyone who has ever walked into a school - let alone works in one - would attest to the fact that schools are busy, busy places. Put aside the day-to-day demands of running a building that potentially houses hundreds or more children and ed
read moreGoogle Meet Taking Schools Beyond Distance Learning
Google Meet is a video conferencing tool included with Google Workspace for Education. It works seamlessly with popular products like Classroom, Gmail, and Docs. Boost your management, security, and engagement capabilities with an upgrade t
read moreMaking good decisions about classroom tech
Who doesn't love new technology? Certainly not students - and most teachers, too. With new devices, apps and services coming at us all the time, it's easy to get distracted, or, worse still, fall into the new-tech trap. But it's easy to avo
read moreAlways Connected Chromebooks
Chromebooks provide the teaching and learning benefits of computers without the typical distractions that come with technology in the classroom. This means that Chromebooks can seamlessly access Google Workspace for Education productivity a
read moreTake a Peek at What's Next for Google Classroom
Google didn't set out to create an LMS, Classroom is committed to meeting the evolving needs of schools. Google continues to put the people who use their products first and listen to your feedback to address your top priorities. And they al
read moreThree Optimistic STEM Education Trends
By Talia Milgrom-Elcott | Forbes This week the organisation 100Kin10 released its annual Trends Report, looking back at what has changed in the past year and looking ahead to better understand what changes might be coming. Read on to see wh
read moreSelecting the right Chromebook for your school, staff, and students
Chromebooks aren't like other laptops. They run Chrome OS, an operating system made by Google. With Chromebooks, educators and students can deepen classroom connections and foster more meaningful learning experiences, from anywhere, anytime
read moreHow interactive learning will shape the classrooms of the future
The competition for students' wandering attention is steeper than ever. Snapchatting has replaced note passing, and push notifications distract from even the most interesting lessons. For most students, mobile phones and electronic devices
read moreDevices Designed for all Learners
Every student deserves a quality education, with the tools they need to explore, discover, create and achieve their full potential. Chromebooks help extend and expand the modern learning experience to more students, including those with dis
read more5-Step Data Recovery Plan for Schools
While big data continues to revolutionise the business world, schools are collecting and storing more personal data than ever before, especially when 1:1 learning enters the mix. This comes with the responsibility to protect that data in th
read moreData privacy training is critical
Somehow when we think about data security and privacy, we tend to look to technology solutions to minimise risks. And, while technology solutions are certainly part of the privacy equation, there's another area of risk that must be addresse
read moreNew Google Meet features
Google's priority with Meet is to make sure meetings are safe and secure. Last year they launched a number of tools to help with this, including security controls so only intended participants are let into meetings and advanced safety locks
read moreHow schools can stop buying stuff that sits on the shelf
By Frederick Hess | Forbes When assessing government funding for schools, the focus is usually “How much?” - with too little attention given to how effectively funds are being used. It's time for a second look at how, when, and why schools
read moreRecord a PowerPoint presentation with audio and video
Create your power point When complete, click Slide Show > Record from Beginning This will now put the presentation into “recording mode” When ready, click RECORD in top left corner This will start the recording and you can start presenting
read moreHow to create a simple assignment in Google Classroom
Open Google Classroom via the waffle, or go to www.classroom.google.com and select your classroom 2. Click the Classwork tab 3. Click Create > Assignment 4. Upload an existing task, or create one directly within classroom 5. Choose how pupi
read moreSIMS Upgrade
The latest SIMS upgrade (which you'd have received communication about recently from HfL) has now been released for some schools. If it has, then users may experience “incompatible database” error when logging in. To fix this, the update ne
read moreTop 10 Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts help us to save significant amounts of time while we are working at our computers. Whether we use them to cut and paste, or to undo mistakes, most people have their favourite. The list of key combinations goes deeper than
read moreGoogle's New Improvements to Accessibility
Recently, Google have made some improvements to their accessibility features. These updates are designed to help people with disabilities to use Google features more easily. More colours for cursors on Chromebooks Six new colours have been
read moreMicrosoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is an online platform which can be used to facilitate communication (including video conferencing) within your school. If your school uses Google's G-Suite, please see our guide on Google Meet. On this platform, you can work
read moreGoogle Meet
Google Meet is a video conferencing tool which will enable you to host online meetings between your colleagues, parents and pupils. If your school uses Office365, please see our post on Microsoft Teams. When you sign into Google Meet with y
read moreRemote Desktop For Mac
Note: If you remain connected but not active, the session will disconnect after 1 hour. Your account will then be logged out after 3 hours. Please Save, close and logout when you are finished with the remote session. Leaving your session co
read moreRemote Desktop Guide
Note: If you remain connected but not active, the session will disconnect after 1 hour. Your account will then be logged out after 3 hours. Please save, close and logout when you are finished with the remote session. Leaving your session co
read moreSelf Password Reset
There are 2 parts to this article, please refer to part 2 if you have forgotten your password. This will only work if part 1 has been completed. Part 1. Update Your Information This service allows users to reset their own password for their
read moreBitLocker Windows Security Feature
What is BitLocker? BitLocker is a Microsoft official encryption program for Windows operating systems, it is used to protect the data on your storage devices (e.g. Hard Drives and USB Sticks). BitLocker will be able to detect if the drive h
read moreRM Unify - SSL Connect Guide for Macs
This how-to guide explains the process of connecting to RM Unify's VPN, SSL Connect, which allows users to access their school network from any external location. Before you start Before proceeding, there is an important prerequisite that n
read moreRM Unify - SSL Connect Guide for Windows
This how-to guide explains the process of connecting to RM Unify's VPN, SSL Connect, which allows users to access their school network from any external location. Before you start If you are using a school device from home, prior to using t
read moreInstalling/Upgrading Target Tracker Sims Report Template
Download the template Browse to the website www.eesforschools.org/targettracker/downloads and click on “SIMS.net Data Extraction”. Click on the current “SIMS.net template for Target Tracker” link to download the template as highlighted in t
read moreUpdating Target tracker pupils details
Check the current template version online Browse to the website www.eesforschools.org/targettracker/downloads and click on “SIMS.net Data Extraction”. Make a note of the version of the template as highlighted in the picture below. In the pi
read moreOffice365 on iOS using OWA
Microsoft have now introduced an all-in-one app to access your Office365 mail, calendar and contacts. To install and set up on an Android iOS device: 1. Open the App Store 2. Search for “OWA”. You may see a few different versions, but we ar
read moreOffice365 on Android using OWA
Microsoft have now introduced an all-in-one app to access your Office365 mail, calendar and contacts. To install and set up on an Android device: 1. Open the Play Store 2. Search for “OWA”. You may see a few different versions, but we are i
read moreHow to configure VPN on a Mac OSX
VPN is a system that allows a user to connect to their organisation's network from an external location. Essentially, it's like running a really long network cable from the school back to your house - everything is encrypted making it safe
read moreHow to install Cisco VPN Client
NOTE: This guide is only applicable to Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8. Windows 10 instructions will be uploaded shortly. VPN is a system that allows a user to connect to their organisation's network from an external location. Essentially, it's
read moreMicrosoft Forms for Education
So just a little over a month ago, Microsoft released it's latest app, Forms, into it's ever-expanding array for the ‘Office365 for Education' platform. MS Forms was developed as a result of feedback (via a form?!) from various educators wh
read moreHow to setup an Office365 email on Android
NOTE: There is now an updated guide to setup Office365 using the OWA app. Click here for instructions. 1) To setup an Office365 email account on an Android device, open the “Settings” app 2) Scroll down the menu options and select “Accounts
read moreGuide to Common iPad Tasks and Problems
Button Layout: Multi-Tasking: Placing four fingers on the screen and pushing up will bring up the multi-tasking menu. (Can also be accessed by double tapping the home button). From here you can see all apps that are currently running in the
read moreIntroduction to Google Sketch Up
What is Google Sketch Up? Google Sketch Up is a 3D modelling computer program for applications such as architectural, interior design, civil and mechanical engineering, film, and video game design. A freeware version, Sketch Up Make, and a
read moreIntroduction to Scratch Jr!
What is Scratch Jr? Scratch Jr is an iPad app that a gives young children an introduction to programming. By snapping together graphical programming blocks, children can make characters move, jump, dance and sing. In the process, children l
read moreHow to setup an Office365 email on iOS
NOTE: There is now an updated guide to setup Office365 using the OWA App. Click Here for instructions. 1) To setup an Office365 email account on an Apple device, open the “Settings” app 2) From the menu on the left hand side, select “Mail,
read moreWhy Can't I Access SIMS?
There are a number of reasons why SIMS may not be working. For SIMS to function, a user must have access to the S drive. If the connection is lost then the following error message is usually shown when attempting to run SIMS: How Do I know
read moreWindows 7 hits a 50% share
So after many years of resistance, Microsoft has finally released some of its Office applications for use on iPads. As of yesterday morning (27th March), the Apple App Store now has Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint available for iOS7. T
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