DfE Funding for Google Classroom/Office 365.

[discoveranother]

Hi all,

 

There has been alot of emails from the Dfe regarding free funding for schools for Google's G Suite or Office 365 Education. The email goes like this or part of it:-

The Department for Education (DfE) is offering free, expert technical support for schools to get set up on an accredited digital education platform. You can apply to get set up on one of two free-to-use digital education platforms: Google’s G Suite for Education or Microsoft’s Office 365 Education.

 

I gather the email states that Dfe have a list of MSPs to provide to schools to carry out this work and the MSP gets paid for it. As a small MSP ourselves, I just wondered if others have had these emails and what work is actually involved for an MSP to do, particularly in relation to Microsoft’s Office 365 Education ?

 

Look forward to hearing any feedback.

 

Thanks all

[stevo1565]

Hi all,

 

There has been alot of emails from the Dfe regarding free funding for schools for Google's G Suite or Office 365 Education. The email goes like this or part of it:-

The Department for Education (DfE) is offering free, expert technical support for schools to get set up on an accredited digital education platform. You can apply to get set up on one of two free-to-use digital education platforms: Google’s G Suite for Education or Microsoft’s Office 365 Education.

 

I gather the email states that Dfe have a list of MSPs to provide to schools to carry out this work and the MSP gets paid for it. As a small MSP ourselves, I just wondered if others have had these emails and what work is actually involved for an MSP to do, particularly in relation to Microsoft’s Office 365 Education ?

 

Look forward to hearing any feedback.

 

Thanks all

 

We looked into this ourselves to see if we could offer anything, the DFE seem to only allow from what I’ve read Google Partners or Microsoft Partners. Might be wrong on that but I’ve tried to contact the DFE to be added to the list as we are rural and no partners around but no replies

[paulkerton]

I gather the email states that Dfe have a list of MSPs to provide to schools to carry out this work and the MSP gets paid for it. As a small MSP ourselves, I just wondered if others have had these emails and what work is actually involved for an MSP to do, particularly in relation to Microsoft’s Office 365 Education ?

To get on board with it, you had to be an existing Microsoft or Google Partner with a certain amount of existing customers and turnover. Microsoft and Google were tasked with engaging their Partners in order to ascertain which partners would be enrolled to be part of the scheme. They did this in early April. I believe part of the requirement was that you could work, or were willing to work across England to do this. I don't think regional only MSPs were considered, though I might be wrong on that.

If you're already a Microsoft or Google Partner, they should've reached out to you to apply. The Partners on the scheme were already in place well before it was announced on 24th April, and I'm not sure they're in the process of adding any more.

[snagrat]

We’re a small MSP but have been involved in over 15 schools with this.

 

That is because the appointed partner isn’t allowed to do some stuff so the schools ask us to. Apparently they are not allowed to extract the data from MIS, edit AADConnect or even touch the school server.

 

Most Partners seem to want to do Cloud only accounts as quickly as possible and get the job signed off and paid.

 

I have been working with all the schools to ensure AD is synced with passwords and then we can apply custom policies based on a number of AD attributes.

[discoveranother]

We’re a small MSP but have been involved in over 15 schools with this.

 

That is because the appointed partner isn’t allowed to do some stuff so the schools ask us to. Apparently they are not allowed to extract the data from MIS, edit AADConnect or even touch the school server.

 

Most Partners seem to want to do Cloud only accounts as quickly as possible and get the job signed off and paid.

 

I have been working with all the schools to ensure AD is synced with passwords and then we can apply custom policies based on a number of AD attributes.

 

Thanks for this. I've seen emails from the appointed partner asking the school directly to provide them with login details to extract the data from MIS on the schools server and also requiring Global Administrator access to Microsoft 365, which i'm very apprehensive about. We are a very small MSP and naturally don't want any of these partners 'treading on our toes' so to speak (although business is business) but also them being allowed administrative logins to school servers or Microsoft 365.

Edited June 24, 2020 by discoveranother

[snagrat]

Thanks for this. I've seen emails from the appointed partner asking the school directly to provide them with login details to extract the data from MIS on the schools server and also requiring Global Administrator access to Microsoft 365, which i'm very apprehensive about. We are a very small MSP and naturally don't want any of these partners 'treading on our toes' so to speak (although business is business) but also them being allowed administrative logins to school servers or Microsoft 365.

 

I’ve had to give the O365 Admin details, well created one for them and the disabled it when they are completed. They need this to be able to do anything really.

[discoveranother]

I’ve had to give the O365 Admin details, well created one for them and the disabled it when they are completed. They need this to be able to do anything really.

 

Thanks for this.

 

I wondered what they are actually getting paid to do. I've heard although not sure, that they are getting paid between £1500 - £2000 for what ? Apparently the monies are paid to the schools who then pay the MSP recommended by Dfe, but it would be interesting to know what they are actually being paid for. One MSP who is setting up Google G Suite said they will be supporting the G Suite for a year. So this must be the same for the O365 possibly ? But we look after the O365 anyway so very curious what these MSPs are actually supporting or doing.

 

Thanks

[gh5000]

Thanks for this.

 

I wondered what they are actually getting paid to do. I've heard although not sure, that they are getting paid between £1500 - £2000 for what ? Apparently the monies are paid to the schools who then pay the MSP recommended by Dfe, but it would be interesting to know what they are actually being paid for. One MSP who is setting up Google G Suite said they will be supporting the G Suite for a year. So this must be the same for the O365 possibly ? But we look after the O365 anyway so very curious what these MSPs are actually supporting or doing.

 

Thanks

Google requirements included having 150 Google customers.

 

Prices you give are correct. £1500 for primary, £2000 for secondary. Could add those together for a mat up to a limit of £10000 per mat (but I believe this limit has been lifted).

 

No expectation of ongoing support. Setup the tenancy. Sync users (you could upsell wonde/salamander etc sync). Sync classrooms.

 

Easy money. All put together by the head of one of the partners (not sure which one for sure but e.g. RM) whispering in the government's ear if you believe that. That last part is according to someone who would know.

[snagrat]

I can’t comment on Google, as all my schools opted for Office 365. I haven’t heard of them supporting for a year, but I imagine the partners will “be there” if there are any issues or questions.

 

I believe the maximum amount is £1500 per school. Or £1000 if part of a MAT, up to £10,000.

 

I have supported a MAT with 14 schools so the partner got the £10k. For this they did:

 

- created a landing page (looks generic, built by Microsoft and just imported)

- Uploaded the SDS files

- Created Teams policies.

- Provided 2 hours training per school (which Trust have confirmed was rubbish)

 

I did:

- Created 4000 users from Arbor/SIMS into AD, set all attributes and passwords

- Configured PowerShell scripts to license, set the Teams policies and other per school/year specific requirements as per the Trusts request.

- Arrange DfE Demonstrator training with a local Microsoft Partner school.

 

£10k for the work they did was a joke. I got paid about £300 for what I did, and could have completed their side for any extra £300 probably

[supportman]

"Created teams policies" haha pretty sure microsoft has now done that with the policy packages!

[snagrat]

"Created teams policies" haha pretty sure microsoft has now done that with the policy packages!

 

I know!

 

Plus every school I have worked with has changed these anyway as they want something different to what Microsoft set by default

[paulkerton]

I wondered what they are actually getting paid to do. I've heard although not sure, that they are getting paid between £1500 - £2000 for what ? Apparently the monies are paid to the schools who then pay the MSP recommended by Dfe, but it would be interesting to know what they are actually being paid for. One MSP who is setting up Google G Suite said they will be supporting the G Suite for a year. So this must be the same for the O365 possibly ? But we look after the O365 anyway so very curious what these MSPs are actually supporting or doing.

 

Thanks

 

On the Google side they have to setup the platform to a DfE agreed configuration. I believe that includes MIS Sync (with any costs for the first year), a handover training session and a school homepage as part of this, but again, don't quote me.

Schools can always ask not to have MIS sync, but I'm guessing that wouldn't then be absorbed into that £1500/£2000.

[nathan]

This projecct should just be for the setup, the training should be run with the EdTech Demonstrator programme - which we are one of them

[paulkerton]

This projecct should just be for the setup, the training should be run with the EdTech Demonstrator programme - which we are one of them

Except for handover. Also they don't have to go through the EdTech Demonstrator Programme for training, they can buy their own in or the Partner can offer it gratis if they have the PD trainers with no additional cost to the school.

But training is definitely not a guaranteed part of the funding, nor can a partner try and bolt it on for extra. Free PD should always be welcomed if the EdTech Demo Programme is offering it though.

Edited June 25, 2020 by paulkerton

[discoveranother]

Thank for these replies.

 

From the replies provided, if they are going to get paid all that they can do the work. My only apprehension is if I have to be doing some work due to preventing them access to school servers, depending on the work involved, then naturally I would want a small cut unless the work on my side is very, very minimal.

 

I spoke with someone at Dfe, they said that as far as they are aware these partners and schools have been notified about the security side of things in terms of accessing any school systems onsite remotely and confidentiality etc and that all funding costs should be going to the partner and that they should be doing all the work !!!

Edited June 25, 2020 by discoveranother

[paulkerton]

From the replies provided, if they are going to get paid all that they can do the work. My only apprehension is if I have to be doing some work due to preventing them access to school servers, depending on the work involved, then naturally I would want a small cut unless the work on my side is very, very minimal.

 

Well.. If you're doing that work on behalf of your school and the school ask you to do it, that's up to the school to provide compensation if it's above and beyond the scope of your existing work. It shouldn't come out of their funding because they're being obstructed.

[bobsmith]

From the school side of things this is the killer clause they inserted.

 

Who is eligible?

This grant is available to state-funded primary, secondary, special schools and pupil referral units in England that:

-Do not currently have a digital education platform;

or ·

-Are already using Office 365 or G Suite, but are not yet set up to assign work and communicate with pupils, and have not made accounts for their pupils

 

Also they assign you a partner before checking for eligibility - so the partner then has to check through the criteria and tell you if you can actually get the money.

 

So as a prime example - let's say you have o365 email in the cloud but nothing else - you're not eligible.

[paulkerton]

So as a prime example - let's say you have o365 email in the cloud but nothing else - you're not eligible.

 

But if you have o365 mail in the cloud for just staff, you are.

[bobsmith]

True - but it's an exemption that is probably catching a lot of schools out - they may well have automatically added kids to their cloud tenancy without ever considering remote learning so never set up any of the extras that actually make it useful - like SDS imports.

 

Head teachers don't always read the small print - so there's lots of nagging about getting the funding when we can't!

[nathan]

Except for handover. Also they don't have to go through the EdTech Demonstrator Programme for training, they can buy their own in or the Partner can offer it gratis if they have the PD trainers with no additional cost to the school.

But training is definitely not a guaranteed part of the funding, nor can a partner try and bolt it on for extra. Free PD should always be welcomed if the EdTech Demo Programme is offering it though.

 

Definitely, but i would guess most would go for the already funded option unless the supplier were giving it away for free.

[SpaceInvader83]

From the school side of things this is the killer clause they inserted.

 

Who is eligible?

This grant is available to state-funded primary, secondary, special schools and pupil referral units in England that:

-Do not currently have a digital education platform;

or ·

-Are already using Office 365 or G Suite, but are not yet set up to assign work and communicate with pupils, and have not made accounts for their pupils

 

Also they assign you a partner before checking for eligibility - so the partner then has to check through the criteria and tell you if you can actually get the money.

 

So as a prime example - let's say you have o365 email in the cloud but nothing else - you're not eligible.

I believe the wording has changed slightly, so a supplier told me today. It's now if you don't have all your pupils setup on the platform then you should be eligible.

[paulkerton]

Definitely, but i would guess most would go for the already funded option unless the supplier were giving it away for free.

Well that depends on the training too. Our school is at least an hour from the nearest Ed Tech Demonstrator, and we only allow remote training at the moment due to the current crisis.

Very dependent!