DfE Connecting the Classroom project funding

[Mr.Ben]

I know it's frustrating, but if a school that is not a member of a Trust drops to RI then the DfE will force a conversion.

 

Most large MATs assess any new schools joining the Trust and replace their networks to their standards.

 

A forced joiner also comes with 75k of funding to sort out contracts, infrastructure and start on improvements.

 

I can see why the DfE are restricting the funding, as it would be a waste.

[DrCheese]

You only get forcefully converted if you have two RI inspections in a row - We haven't - Also not all trusts are large enough to be able to throw capital at new joiners to replace their entire network.

 

As I've said in the thread earlier on, the way of allocating funding is just bizarre. For starters, it's a postcode lottery.

Secondly, it's implying that a school switching/wifi infrastructure is partly responsible for its Ofsted result which makes no sense. I have seen new build schools fail Ofsted repeatedly (To the point where their trust sponsor was removed) & under this scheme, they'd have got a new network, even tho their existing equipment is fine.

Equally, I know of an outstanding school (In a trust) that has an ageing network that they can't afford to replace - They've had other things to spend money on (Ageing buildings) that a shiny new school doesn't.

 

As it stands, our switching infrastructure meets the majority of the DFE current requirements (Bar the cloud management point) - It's just old, hence why want to access this funding.

I could maybe understand the way the funding is allocated if they want to remove barriers towards schools putting in 1:1 student device schemes (Which is clearly the future of IT in education) but they aren't forcing RI schools to set this up or even recommending it. Also if this was the case then the funding should be national.

 

 

Forgive me if I come across as ranting, it's not aimed at anyone in particular. I'm just really passionate about getting the best resources we can and this scheme seems unfair because IT needs haven't been taken into account & the allocation is arbitrary, being based on a criteria that has nothing to do with IT.

[Mr.Ben]

Not ranting at all - it is frustrating!

 

I've had a school have funding withdrawn as well as the process for joining a MAT allocates a new URN and 'closes' the original school.

 

I also think the specs are wildly inappropriate for primaries for the next 5 years , which is wasting money that could be spread further!

[DrCheese]

Not ranting at all - it is frustrating!

 

I've had a school have funding withdrawn as well as the process for joining a MAT allocates a new URN and 'closes' the original school.

 

I also think the specs are wildly inappropriate for primaries for the next 5 years , which is wasting money that could be spread further!

 

ugh that's what I'm worried about also - We are joining a trust at some point (Not a big one) & was afraid if we had got the funding we'd potentially lose it midway because of the whole "Closure/Reopen" thing - ugh! I guess because the ofsted also "Resets" as it were.

 

Yeah, keeping the same specifications for Primaries is a little nuts. The company I used to supply our new core last year said that even they knew it was overkill & felt bad for supplying some of it (Of course, not from a financial POV, but they knew a lot of it would be wasted)

[RedwayNetworks_Michael]

ugh that's what I'm worried about also - We are joining a trust at some point (Not a big one) & was afraid if we had got the funding we'd potentially lose it midway because of the whole "Closure/Reopen" thing - ugh! I guess because the ofsted also "Resets" as it were.

 

Yeah, keeping the same specifications for Primaries is a little nuts. The company I used to supply our new core last year said that even they knew it was overkill & felt bad for supplying some of it (Of course, not from a financial POV, but they knew a lot of it would be wasted)

 

Lets just say if i quoted the specs to a school not part of the program they would likely laugh at me and never speak to me again

However i think the idea is they invest now with high specs in hopes the schools wont need to change anything again on the solution for years to come.

 

Most are going with 10years on licencing as the main 2 players for the CTC solutions Meraki/Aruba are offering these for the price of 5.

 

What happens in 10years when renewals are due I'm not too sure, maybe the plan is to do another scheme maybe, i really don't know.

 

As suppliers we have to work to the DfE guidelines on the CTC schools, DfE will reject any submissions where anyone is trying to squeeze extra kit out of scope ect..

They do question suppliers too on the solutions who then have to justify them.

 

Is it overkill for primaries? yes i think it is personally but I'm sure the DfE have reasons for this when they set out the guidelines which I'm unsure of.

@DrCheese i see you have mentioned you have been speaking to them but getting mixed messages if I'm correct, have they sent you any network asset forms to complete at all at this stage or any docs?

[DrCheese]

Lets just say if i quoted the specs to a school not part of the program they would likely laugh at me and never speak to me again

@DrCheese i see you have mentioned you have been speaking to them but getting mixed messages if I'm correct, have they sent you any network asset forms to complete at all at this stage or any docs?

 

Yeah, that's more or less what our supplier said, that they wouldn't quote the specs because they know it would be overkill - The worry (As you say) is what happens in 10 years, especially as primaries may not have the resources to extend the licensing or replace. If they're using Meraki kit then they become almost like bricks without licensing.

 

No, haven't had the forms from them yet - The last I had from then was that we'd know by April 2023 if they are able to rollout to schools that hit RI in Wave 5 areas after the scheme started. I just have to keep my fingers crossed!

[RedwayNetworks_Michael]

Yeah, that's more or less what our supplier said, that they wouldn't quote the specs because they know it would be overkill - The worry (As you say) is what happens in 10 years, especially as primaries may not have the resources to extend the licensing or replace. If they're using Meraki kit then they become almost like bricks without licensing.

 

No, haven't had the forms from them yet - The last I had from then was that we'd know by April 2023 if they are able to rollout to schools that hit RI in Wave 5 areas after the scheme started. I just have to keep my fingers crossed!

 

Fingers crossed. Please do let us know how it goes

[pete]

I know it's frustrating, but if a school that is not a member of a Trust drops to RI then the DfE will force a conversion.

 

Most large MATs assess any new schools joining the Trust and replace their networks to their standards.

 

A forced joiner also comes with 75k of funding to sort out contracts, infrastructure and start on improvements.

 

Can the forced join 75k actually be spent on hardware though? The lower amount for taking on a RI school (~£50K for a non-forced join) can't be spent on hardware. Or couldn't in 2021-22 at least - software, services and labour was fine, hardware wasn't.

[Mr.Ben]

Can the forced join 75k actually be spent on hardware though? The lower amount for taking on a RI school (~£50K for a non-forced join) can't be spent on hardware. Or couldn't in 2021-22 at least - software, services and labour was fine, hardware wasn't.

Yes, if it's part of the school improvement plan - at least we have not been challenged on it!. Some schools joining us can't deliver any IT based curriculum because of the poor state of their equipment (it's a theme with RI schools joining us at the minute).

 

We also charge a market rate to new joiners for the conversion and associated consultancy/project management - this goes into the IT pot and we spend on new networking kit. We also charge the cost of support as well (which generally means the school have to pay twice whilst ending their existing contract). At £250 per day for techs and £500 for project management this adds up quickly.

 

All this is done with transparency with the school - our ICT strategy dictates that Heads are only responsible for curriculum equipment, we dictate replacement cycles for Staff laptops and networking equipment.

 

Subsequent replacements are funded from our capital allocation as a Trust, not school budgets.

 

One thing in our favour is that we are a primary only MAT and using Unifi kit, so realistically we can replace and entire network Inc cabling for £10k in the biggest schools, most come in under £5k.

[mdrabble]

Sorry to jump on board - been asked to check how a school goes about checking if they are eligible.

 

I've said I don't think we are as I think school are contacted by the Dfe directly - but if anyone has any links I can forward on to our Business/Finance person it would be very much appreciated.

 

Cheers

[localzuk]

The DfE contact you directly for CTC. I've not seen any links to anything - everything about it is emailed to you.

[RedwayNetworks_Michael]

Sorry to jump on board - been asked to check how a school goes about checking if they are eligible.

 

I've said I don't think we are as I think school are contacted by the Dfe directly - but if anyone has any links I can forward on to our Business/Finance person it would be very much appreciated.

 

Cheers

DfE contact schools, however there are alot that miss the invites,

 

The DfE will email what they have on record so sometimes this can be an @head or @office email.

 

Also if your ofsted rating was needs improvement or below.

 

Its worth getting the staff to check all the emails.

 

I know wave 5 all invites have been sent now.

[Primus]

DfE contact schools, however there are alot that miss the invites,

 

The DfE will email what they have on record so sometimes this can be an @head or @office email.

 

Also if your ofsted rating was needs improvement or below.

 

Its worth getting the staff to check all the emails.

 

I know wave 5 all invites have been sent now.

 

If you email [email protected] with the name of your school(s) and URN(s) they will confirm if you are or aren't included.

 

It's not just schools who are RI or I - it's all schools in Priority Education Investment Areas - no matter their grade. The requirement to be RI or I only applies if you are in an Education Investment Area (not a Priority one).

[pete]

^ Definitely email. The DfE tend to email catchall mailboxes that may no longer exist (or are predominantly spam), so it's easy for the missive to be missed.

 

Turnaround / confirmation time is pretty quick. We had Confirmation of Acceptance within a week.

 

The network asset form will ask about the make/model/age/warranty remaining of existing kit, so I'd gather that info while you wait for the initial response.

[StevieM]

The first two emails (sent to our general email address) were missed. A third, which assumed that we had responded and thanked us for our application, was forwarded to me as a potential phishing email. It was after that I retrieved the initial invitations out of deleted items.

[cheekycharly]

So its not just primary schools then? I'm not going to look a right tit when I email them as a PRU am I?

[chrisgreenwood]

we just got our quote - 92 aps, bunch of aruba switches and fibre runs and network points for the aps, this is to boost what we already had

[Disease]

We have had our proposal approved and the first part of the funding paid total contract £370k

[chrisgreenwood]

For ours we doing wifi upgrades and extra switches,

 

Would extra UPS for all the cabinets be covered under the scheme as well or does it have to be pretty much all networking?

[Dom_]

For ours we doing wifi upgrades and extra switches,

 

Would extra UPS for all the cabinets be covered under the scheme as well or does it have to be pretty much all networking?

 

We had one turned down for including a UPS on the quote

[chrisgreenwood]

We had one turned down for including a UPS on the quote

 

Typical

 

We had 7 access points knocked off due to power issues

[Mrpower]

Now waiting on a site survey and start date and hardware order, o, and, three day left of the term.

[StevieM]

For ours we doing wifi upgrades and extra switches,

 

Would extra UPS for all the cabinets be covered under the scheme as well or does it have to be pretty much all networking?

 

We had one turned down for including a UPS on the quote

 

Same here. New cabinets, new switches...no UPS.

[atcoates]

Connect the classroom is effectively a wifi project. The other items that are getting replaced are generally to accommodate the deeper switches that the DFE has specified, or where needed to consolidate several smaller cabinets into one. New cabling again is only installed to deliver the DFE specification of multigigabit to the APs or 10gig links between the cabinets.

 

Where the project touches WIFI you will see investment. UPS would not come under that. I think the DFE would rightly say the schools are getting enough from these projects, I know we are!

[Theblacksheep]

DfE have rejected cases on WiFi being 3 years old despite the WiFi not meeting spec (wifi 6).