Vandalism

[psydii]

There may be a website that I don't know about and the internationally managed/curated web categorization platforms certainly don't, set up by students here that proxies for a curated set of web games. I expect (if I knew about it and had checked it out) I would find it even filters to work only from our external IP to prevent it getting too much traction and coming to the attention of the aforementioned web filtering companies. Edited March 12, 2024 by psydii

[TriggerHappyUK]

I've recently moved on, but the last secondary school I was at had two CCTV cameras in each main IT suites (9) and one camera in each of the 6th Form IT rooms (4).

 

We didn't have that many damages, but like mentioned previously, we found it happened more when lessons were being covered, or if the equipment was slightly older/slower that the rest

 

Damages were reported straight away to us and CCTV footage was looked at to find who did it. Some cases lead to the parents paying for replacements (if it was a monitor/PC) most lead to the student having detention (keyboards/mice/other).

 

We also had over 250 laptops dotted around the school on trolleys. These were signed in and out for each lesson. Damages found on these would be reported to the teacher and the last user was usually the person that did the damage.

[mikes]

Our damage on Chromebooks is massive, our vandalism on our Windows suites however is a lot less - we've always had vandalism since I started here in 2007 - I guess now the Windows suites are used a lot less which is why the vandalism on keyboards/mice is less. However our new desktops all have 24" LCD panels which unfortunately we have had a good number smashed - either by kids messing about causing them to fall over, or even things thrown around the room (like I saw a pritt stick being thrown one time!) The bigger LCD's seem to be a lot more fragile (bigger targets too) so we see more of them broken.

 

The chromebooks are a nightmare, always missing keys, or stuff scratched into them, I think loaner trolleys aren't so good - other schools in our local authority are able to issue each student their own chromebook / ipad which I'd imagine would work a lot better, but sadly we were only given the funds to buy ~100 at a time. We've gone through almost 100 chromebooks in the past 4 years though a bunch of those are just general wear and tear e.g. hinges breaking, apparently the LEA suggests replacing each unit after 3 years (warranty expiry) but we don't actually get the funds to do this?

[gaz350b]

I think modern monitors are a lot weaker.

 

Our dell p2314H monitors from 2014 have stood the test of time pretty well, anything past 2019 and kids breathe on them and they crack!

[mavhc]

Try and punch a crt monitor and you'll know about it.

 

I assign one laptop per student, if they pull the keys off, now they get to use a laptop without keys, sucks to be you

[SamanthaD]

Time to install some fake cameras

Don't risk it - put real ones in. Issue with fake cameras is if something else happens in the room that needs the footage reviewing you then have to admit to them being fake, making them pointless.

 

We had CCTV in my old secondary school's IT suites, and damage was quickly picked up and vandals brought to SLT. Never had anything huge to deal with.

[psydii]

O The bigger LCD's seem to be a lot more fragile (bigger targets too) so we see more of them broken.

We've noticed this too. Damage is way up this year on screens, but on review nearly half of the broken screens occur from interactions that I consider normal. On more than one occasion I've seen a student react to a peer turning a monitor to show them something (and the screen does that lovely colour thing an LCD in distress does) advising them not to move the screen like that, to which the response is always "what like this?" while repeating the action and then the screen is broken.

 

I think loaner trolleys aren't so good etc etc.

 

Produce monthly IT management reports for the Finance Officer and your Line Manager - include device damage, cost of repair, department responsible. Also include other things like tickets open close/time to fix/first fix, change requests handled, new things done so it demonstrates what things you(r team) are able to do well. In a summary page allocate costs of maintaining the service to departments. Offer commentary as to the root cause of the damage (poor supervision in many cases, cover teachers (also poor supervision) in others. Suggest these costs should be marked against a nominal that links back to staffing / teaching and learning rather than IT.

 

I doubt they would acquiesce but these costs *are* attributable to staffing issues and should be included in the management reports (as produced by the Finance Team/SBM and reviewed by SLT and presented to governors) reports as such, even if the "fixing it budget" sits with IT at the end of the day its all the schools money so it doesn't much matter which pot it comes from.

 

(We don't quite do this - the finance system is set up to make analysis like this possible with a quick export from there, export from the service desk (where we have custom fields and a strict format for ticket descriptions/categories) and vlookup on the Purchase Order number for the repairs. The reports are more comments at meetings, and from time to time an email with summary of the above gets sent if repairs/breakages start to escalate.)

[simpsonj]

The chromebooks are a nightmare, always missing keys, or stuff scratched into them, I think loaner trolleys aren't so good - other schools in our local authority are able to issue each student their own chromebook / ipad which I'd imagine would work a lot better, but sadly we were only given the funds to buy ~100 at a time.

 

You'd think students would look after a device they owned wouldn't you? I did before we went down the 1:1 device, and they really, really don't.

[Brax]

You'd think students would look after a device they owned wouldn't you? I did before we went down the 1:1 device, and they really, really don't.

Yep, we rolled out iPads about 5 months ago and some students today decided to break each others iPads. Screens completely smashed through.

[thimon]

but sadly we were only given the funds to buy ~100 at a time.

 

Could you lease? We no longer purchase laptops, which helps with lifecycle and performance. Also helped us replace all non Windows 11 compatible devices last summer.

[jthompson]

... the main issue we have atm is stealing the metal bar below the spacebar, so it wobbles around (still better than the spacebar itself) and we've taken to buying garden wire to fix these

 

I'm stealing this idea! OMG I hate a see-sawing space bar.

[Warwick_Tech]

I'm stealing this idea! OMG I hate a see-sawing space bar.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/250x0-7-green-lacquered-Wires-Florists/dp/B006ITG1O6/ref=sr_1_5?crid=DWJ8ND26E17F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jslM1haY1WN28QYagdOqycHiaW9e-1GVFLSHjRpSWSxjQuiawc0TpGVfxK3TwhPmB0KzJJO2xVe7mHFwKWHf8wXTTAoPB0zJ1yUe5JhVK86VceffiGoyfp_ofIqqwn3xOwsIXwgu-f0hkKrWyjHmK1GfZvbyXVH3Rf2IlmoLDNc27zjBiEbWQBCrbg1WV9ACsN6aKXgIMD4iWHMTITkbWL6aDn3pI5sMow2n_3tzIv2s3H3iOxq8Yx6_0q6ZQ9N5sEZhfPj7DHq2zCz0po_1H4WHPWR_bGYpavE_33TGabo.oqPqWSgnKOghoPv1g1Jyx-iYeFQRUrSfrKJcLXpJn0M&dib_tag=se&keywords=florist+wire&qid=1710923478&sprefix=florist+wire%2Caps%2C68&sr=8-5

 

Use a set of Calipers to measure the existing thickness, then order florist wire accordingly - It's a little fiddly, but worth it to prevent the wobbly bar

[PotNoodleTech]

Damage seems to be the bane of our lives here, whether accidental (mostly) or purposeful (occasionally).

 

I've been into a few schools around the area and not one isn't having massive issues with Damage.

 

Sadly, it's an SLT issue first and foremost (how it is dealt with and re consequences for pupil and parent) and a Classroom management issue second and second foremost (whether pupils are held to account in each lesson or allowed to rampage) - we're just passengers really if those two things are not dealt with I doubt any of us will get anywhere.

[Olliedawg]

Damage seems to be the bane of our lives here, whether accidental (mostly) or purposeful (occasionally).

 

I've been into a few schools around the area and not one isn't having massive issues with Damage.

 

Sadly, it's an SLT issue first and foremost (how it is dealt with and re consequences for pupil and parent) and a Classroom management issue second and second foremost (whether pupils are held to account in each lesson or allowed to rampage) - we're just passengers really if those two things are not dealt with I doubt any of us will get anywhere.

 

It's fairly bad at my school. I'd hate to know how much we've spent on keyboards, mice and headphones.. & Yep you are right there's only so much you can do, end of the day its the teachers responsibility to control the class

[mavhc]

Just make sure you report to SLT how much money and money via time it being spent on vandalism every month

[6Foot2]

Just make sure you report to SLT how much money and money via time it being spent on vandalism every month

 

Tried that. My experience was that I was told to "get on with my REAL work"

[mavhc]

That fine, it's up to them if they spend money on parts and IT people, or the time of teachers and not letting kids break stuff with no consequences (I'm sure that won't lead to problems)