Ratio of techs to equipment

[Midget]

BECTA do make a reccomended tech:comp ratio. I used it in a meeting/argument trying to get more staff, but I can't rem where it is atm.

If you have competant users, a tech help desk, and a good network you should have 150 PCs / technician.

If you have untrained users, no tech help desk, and a shoddy network you should have 50 PCs / technician.

I dont have a help desk so should have ~100:1 instead of 400:1

[alexknight]

I explained and produced evidence such as the Becta recommendations and received a dissmisive reponse concerning recommendations from these 'organisations'.

In fact they made me feel quite inadequate and unappreciated adding a sense of 'what do you do'. I sensed that they felt I did nothing which made me question their understanding of what ICT support actually involves.

8O 8O 8O

[webman]

Found it!! (Bloody becta website PITA... )

The optimal number of ICT technicians will depend upon the type and nature of an institution's ICT infrastructure and management. As a rough guide, an institution with:

• a reliable network
• efficient technical support
• ICT confident and trained users
• a staffed Service Desk

may require as few as one technician for every 150 computers.

Alternatively, an institution with:

• an older network
• or inefficient technical support
• or users lacking confidence and training
• or no Service Desk/single point of contact

may require more than one technician for every 50 computers. This ratio is only indicative, so please read on for suggested next steps.

Source: Webpage and PDF.

Unfortunately it seems that schools are selective in taking advice from BECTa, in that they only take notice when it suits them. :cry:

[Geoff]

Correct, because it's only advice and BECTA has no clout to enforce anything it says. So schools tend to cherry pick things.

[Chafftech]

In fact they made me feel quite inadequate and unappreciated adding a sense of 'what do you do'. I sensed that they felt I did nothing which made me question their understanding of what ICT support actually involves.

8O 8O 8O

Been there mate. I have worked at 2 previous schools who virtually said same thing when linemanagers in SMT would not fight my cause for pay rise or listen to my suggestions. So both times I moved on only to be met with derision for leaving the post for better pay (and hopefully conditions) - "traitor" one Asst. HT called me!!! Some were unhappy that I left and actually question why the SMT didnt just give me what I wanted.

It can be hard to find another job, but keep looking and let them know that your looking if they ask, but only because of x or y. But do not say you hate it here etc.

[alexknight]

[quote="Chafftech"]

It can be hard to find another job, but keep looking and let them know that your looking if they ask, but only because of x or y. But do not say you hate it here etc.

I try to never burn my bridges and I have given myself 12 months to see if things turn around. During those 12 months I will try and educate one or two people on what the ICT support team (i.e me) does.

Alex

[AshF]

Wow... this thread has thrown some interesting light on things...
To repeat some of what I posted in my introduction....

15+ Servers,
1000+ Desktops/Laptops (including some mobile laptop stations)
Projectors in every classroom
Also responsible for A/V equipment in general.
1600+ students.
200+ Members of Staff.

This is all managed and supported by myself, A Snr Technician, and a Junior Technician. There is also my line manager who is MIS manager purely due to historical reasons, he is also a Teacher but teaches less and works with me more on the IT Development side. Thankfully this is about to change in that: The current Snr Technician is (hopefully) moving to a newly created Dev Position, and we're employing a new Senior Technician, *AND* an additional Junior Technician. Soon.
As an example of rate of growth when I started in Summer 2003, we brought the grand total of machines up to around 600. We replace workstations on a 5 years scheme, and usually have more new locations to set up. Space problems have recently been addressed by the increased use of laptops/trolleys and wireless basestations. Of course this brings with it unique problems all of their own.

This 150 machines per technician Ratio is a shock to the system, as I hadn't heard/seen that before. Neither this place nor the previous school I worked at was below 250-300. Having said that we only deal with 16-18 year olds, who are *slightly* less vandal-tastic than the whole KS-GCSE field I worked in previously. I have yet to encounter a single sandwich lodged in a cd drive at this place. We tick over and provide as fast a service as possible.

As for the issue of pay, well that's a whole thread on it's own.

[FreeWill]

9 Servers - 8 Windows Server 2003 / 1 Server 2000 - four of these mission critical
250 Desktops - spread across three and a half ICT teaching rooms, library, two subejct suites and machines in every teaching room.
60 Staff laptops
35 Science Lab laptops

Everything spread across 16th/17th Century buildings, 1900's-1960's extensions and a large new block due to open early this year.

We manage everything ourselves - except installing IWBs, furniture and cabling.

There is a Network Manager (my boss) and myself looking after the network, all connected devices and the e-Registration system. When my contract expires at the end of August it'll just be the boss.

[GrumbleDook]

Sometimes is is best not to use Becta advice / guidance ... but speak with other schools ... just like people are doing here.

Sometimes, for politics more than anything else, those schools consulted need to be 'notable' schools ...

If you search the ICT Register for schools that can provide advice on support staff then you may have more joy when speaking to manglement.

[bishopsgarthstockton]

I've been working on my own for over 2 months now (taking the piss).

Systems manager has been working from home scanning documents in to eformat for the VLE.

we have 39 IWB, 39 teachers workstations, 255 student workstations, 1 mobile classroom (30 laptops), 48 staff laptops, 10 home loan laptops, 7 servers, 29 printers.

i dont touch the admin network much. only when the council cant get out quick enough i have to support them.

[Midget]

bish> Thats all you have and you're complaining? Bloody hell, I have more than that and I'm the only person here fullstop, no other person doing work from home or doing the paperwork etc.

[bishopsgarthstockton]

Well you should hire extra help.

And im not shy of hard work.

[Midget]

You've never worked in a Welsh school have you?

[bishopsgarthstockton]

hmm.. no i think i know where you are going with this as i have 2 welsh cousins and there hard bloody work

[AshF]

This is rapidly devolving into a Monty Python Sketch...

"Woke up half an hour before we went to bed... handful of hot gravel.... dancing on our graves screaming 'Hallejulah!'"