The ever increasing regulatory burden in education IT

[localzuk]

Having been working in school IT for 17 years now, it has dawned on me how much it has changed. Not from a technical standpoint, but from a regulatory one.

 

Today, we have to deal with:

 

• KCSIE, and the linked filtering and monitoring guidance
  
• Cyber Security training and guidance from the DfE, EFA and NCSC (eg. we have to train staff and other things to get cyber security cover under the EFA insurance)
  
• The KCSIE guidance now advises schools to follow the DfE's various IT standards, so I'm guessing at some point this may change to being required for some aspects as well
  
• There's apparently some new guidance on anti-fraud as well which seems to include IT from what I've been told
  
• UK GDPR & PECR
  

 

Then the usual policies

• Acceptable Use
  
• Online Safety
  
• CCTV
  
• Data Retention
  

 

And then on top, disaster recovery planning and procedures.

 

Add in the need to maintain a risk register as well.

 

Its getting to the point that there's almost enough to do from a regulatory standpoint that it is a full time job. Its rather a lot!

[DrCheese]

The new KCSIE guidance around monitoring the other day is a headache - We've always had Netsupport DNA blah blah & of course we have our web filtering, but all systems are so chatty it would be almost a full time job to sit and review everything - So in reality it's always just been a reactive instead of a preactive setup.

 

You've also got procurement guidance that's getting tighter as well - eg Being pushed to use frameworks.

[mrbios]

Anyone got a TL;DR for the new KCSIE guidance? What's changing from 1st September? (Is there a document that outlines changes only?)

[Andrew_C]

Anyone got a TL;DR for the new KCSIE guidance? What's changing from 1st September? (Is there a document that outlines changes only?)

I think that you will only find out what has changed on the 1st - when the law changes. Or so one of our team said a couple of years back.

[ITGuyNW]

Anyone got a TL;DR for the new KCSIE guidance? What's changing from 1st September? (Is there a document that outlines changes only?)

 

KCSIE 2023-24: Key changes to safeguarding guidance for schools | Tes

[foofighterjim]

There is a summary table of substantive changes in Annex F of the KCSIE document.

[psydii]

 

Its getting to the point that there's almost enough to do from a regulatory standpoint that it is a full time job. Its rather a lot!

 

Some months I spend more time working with lawyers and SLT than I do with systems and servers.

[mavhc]

Some months I spend more time working with lawyers and SLT than I do with systems and servers.

 

I'm sorry for your loss

[andy_b]

Personally, I am finding it is sapping the joy out of the job.

 

Endless policies and procedures.

 

The stress of cyber security.

 

I wouldn't want to be starting this job now.

[ITGURU]

The new KCSIE guidance around monitoring the other day is a headache - We've always had Netsupport DNA blah blah & of course we have our web filtering, but all systems are so chatty it would be almost a full time job to sit and review everything - So in reality it's always just been a reactive instead of a preactive setup.

 

You've also got procurement guidance that's getting tighter as well - eg Being pushed to use frameworks.

 

I've never used the suggested frameworks, however i was forwarded an email the other week about the IT frameworks.

I got quotes even for the likes or Microsoft agreement, and other items, and they were all more expensive than my other normal education providers!!

[PotNoodleTech]

Personally, I am finding it is sapping the joy out of the job.

 

Joy???!!!

[mikes]

Honestly when I see the local authority IT support being able to work comfortably in their homes with daytime TV on and I'm stuck in a cold gray office with kids banging the door every 10 minutes I often wonder WTF am I doing here???

[localzuk]

Honestly when I see the local authority IT support being able to work comfortably in their homes with daytime TV on and I'm stuck in a cold gray office with kids banging the door every 10 minutes I often wonder WTF am I doing here???

This is something schools and Trusts are going to need to grapple with - hybrid working is useful these days. I regularly work from home now, when I need to sit and concentrate on some detailed tasks - policies, designing a system etc... The interruptions being in the office on site are too often to focus I find.

[TechMonkey]

I think what this highlights what a lot of us have said for a while. There is an ever greater need for a top level IT person that isn't front line, who mostly deals with long term, strategy and policy not just having it as another line on the job description. Trying to do all of that and understand deep level things like KCSIE is not possible while also answering a phone and being interrupted with password resets.