Connect the Classroom scheme extra funding

[DrCheese]

Utterly perverse, isn't it? Doing an IT project based on a metric that IT has limited influence on.

It's got to be extremely rare that an out-of-date IT system is the primary cause of a school's outcomes.

 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2025 by DrCheese

[ITGuyNW]

ugh, here comes the onslaught of cold calls from companies I've never heard of now we are on this RISE list

[PrimaryNetMan]

45 minutes ago, ITGuyNW said:

ugh, here comes the onslaught of cold calls from companies I've never heard of now we are on this RISE list

 

Yep, had 3 so far today 🙄

[RedwayNetworks_Michael]

yes unfortunately the RISE list is very widespread available.

 

Im going to take a wild guess here too that these cold callers you never heard of are suddenly approved suppliers for the DfE too haha despite the DfE not having a preferred supplier list.

 

At the same time having worked in sales for a very long time i imagine many of those reps are under alot of pressure to hit numbers, likely measured on KPIs such as number of calls. Drives me insane as that just creates call bashing rather than any quality.

[PotNoodleTech]

*opens phone system programming*

 

*adds each supplier number that cold calls, to block list*

 

Problem solved.

[speakercon]

59 minutes ago, PotNoodleTech said:

*opens phone system programming*

 

*adds each supplier number that cold calls, to block list*

 

Problem solved.

 

Been there, done that. Started calling from mobiles or 141'ing it...

 

Transfering them to a special call queue that doenst't go anywhere works quite well. I do feel abit bad as Micheal says they're probably just doing what they've been told too by their superiors.

[DrCheese]

& the age old techinque of pretending to be from "Microsoft" or "Aruba Direct" to get past reception.

 

It's a balancing act with suppliers... You need them on side when getting multiple quotes for things, but if you let every single one hound you constantly & have "Catch up meetings" You'll never have time for your day job.

[RedwayNetworks_Michael]

4 minutes ago, DrCheese said:

& the age old techinque of pretending to be from "Microsoft" or "Aruba Direct" to get past reception.

 

It's a balancing act with suppliers... You need them on side when getting multiple quotes for things, but if you let every single one hound you constantly & have "Catch up meetings" You'll never have time for your day job.

Good suppliers dont need catch up meetings, they understand your role and trust that when the time comes to need the supplier you will contact them.  I get so many calls from prospects wanting to do business because i didnt chase them daily. 

 

Its really simple but too many make it complicated.

 

Hi Mr Prospect, 

I do XYZ would it be possible to leave my details should you require anything in this area in future. Or if you have a requirement now id be happy to help. 

 

You wouldn't believe the amount of managers etc. that hate my approach like this, they say its not asking for business ect, 

Always funny as a few months later im asked where did you get that prospect from 

 

Well Mr Manager, when you laughed at me a few months ago for my approach, well the prospect didnt and has come back to me. 

 

Just to give my piece from the other side of the fence

 

 

[ITGuyNW]

Another round of cold calls today begging for business.

 

Can anyone answer this, from the moment you reply to the DFE with your network details how long do they take to come back to say if you are eligible or not?

[RedwayNetworks_Michael]

2 minutes ago, ITGuyNW said:

Another round of cold calls today begging for business.

 

Can anyone answer this, from the moment you reply to the DFE with your network details how long do they take to come back to say if you are eligible or not?

We currently have around 6 schools awaiting, next week will be the 3rd week with none still having a response,

 

Hopefully it will be next week which would mean around 3-4 weeks from submitting. 

Any longer they really leaving it to the last minute if they are wanting everyone to do in the summer.

[RedwayNetworks_Michael]

On 06/06/2025 at 11:01, ITGuyNW said:

Another round of cold calls today begging for business.

 

Can anyone answer this, from the moment you reply to the DFE with your network details how long do they take to come back to say if you are eligible or not?

 

Morning, We got our first couple of Schools got a response back yesterday, this would have been the 3rd week so i would say 3-4 weeks for a response from DfE after sending the asset forms back.

 

Hope this helps 

[casa]

Hello all just a word of caution if you are the sole ICT Support for your school.
Through our local Authority we replaced everything with Cisco gear, everything ran fantastic until a switch decided not to give out any POE to any connected devices, so we had to return it to Cisco Meraki and was asked to follow online instructions to clone the new switch with the old one, and then replace it ourselves in the cabinet.

Wow aint that what Meraki do !!  no apparently we did not ask for the onsite repairs as part of the support contract when the LA quoted for the job so it was left to me with no help from nobody.

Ps I did have fun Lol

 

[robslack]

1 hour ago, RedwayNetworks_Michael said:

 

Morning, We got our first couple of Schools got a response back yesterday, this would have been the 3rd week so i would say 3-4 weeks for a response from DfE after sending the asset forms back.

 

Hope this helps 

We got our response back yesterday as well.

Edited June 10, 2025 by robslack

[NKPaul]

We might have got the email last week when I wasn't here, I see something in the logs came to our enquiries address and after searching through that I found it was forwarded (I assume to the Head Teacher) and deleted.  No one has said anything about it since I've been back.

 

Subject is [01_SCH] - Connect the Classroom: Grant Funding Opportunity 2025-26 from [email protected]

 

Can anyone say if this is real and needs chasing.

[PrimaryNetMan]

Yes, that matches the subject header of our email from the DfE that went to the HT

[RedwayNetworks_Michael]

7 minutes ago, NKPaul said:

We might have got the email last week when I wasn't here, I see something in the logs came to our enquiries address and after searching through that I found it was forwarded (I assume to the Head Teacher) and deleted.  No one has said anything about it since I've been back.

 

Subject is [01_SCH] - Connect the Classroom: Grant Funding Opportunity 2025-26 from [email protected]

 

Can anyone say if this is real and needs chasing.

 

The email [email protected] is correct for sending back the asset forms from just checking one of the sheets for us.

[NKPaul]

Thank you, I need to find out what happened.

[ITGuyNW]

So we are finalising the quote now and the DFE have emailed to say they need all quotes in within the next 7 days, with all work done and claimed by end of February.

 

I just wish they announced this sooner so we could have sorted it during Summer. Now we are going to have to look at evenings and weekends.

Edited July 15, 2025 by ITGuyNW

[Primus]

1 minute ago, ITGuyNW said:

So we are finalising the quote now and the DFE have emailed to say they need all quotes in within the next 7 days, with all work done and claimed by end of February.

 

I just wish they announced this sooner so we could have sorted it during Summer. Now we are going to have to look at evenings and weekends.

We got that email on Saturday morning - very frustrating although it does say "or provide an update within 7 working days".

[RedwayNetworks_Michael]

5 minutes ago, ITGuyNW said:

So we are finalising the quote now and the DFE have emailed to say they need all quotes in within the next 7 days, with all work done and claimed by end of February.

 

I just wish they announced this sooner so we could have sorted it during Summer. Now we are going to have to look at evenings and weekends.

Dont worry about this so much, i beleive they want them all done by feb however we have several we are working on and aslong as you are in communication with DfE it will be fine.

 

If im totally honest we have found DfE to be very efficient this time around with very fast turn around times too. 

 

If you reach out to them and explain the situation they will work with you, i think what they are trying to avoid is lots of people going to them last minute. 

[biggjb]

I have been liaising with the DFE.  The actual issue now is Solution over Budget.  The DFE have a very precise vision on what work needs to take place.  Actual issue is the Budget schools are receiving don't always match the solution proposed or the to make the solution fit the budget you don't meet all there requirements. You may find you have to dumb down your solutions to an entry level Wifi and Switching to match the budget

[RedwayNetworks_Michael]

6 minutes ago, biggjb said:

I have been liaising with the DFE.  The actual issue now is Solution over Budget.  The DFE have a very precise vision on what work needs to take place.  Actual issue is the Budget schools are receiving don't always match the solution proposed or the to make the solution fit the budget you don't meet all there requirements. You may find you have to dumb down your solutions to an entry level Wifi and Switching to match the budget

yes, we have come across this too. 

 

Ive done some schools where budget was too much and didnt use it all but a few others where budgets are just not enough for what requirements are and having to now look at alternatives as a backup if reject the original proposals. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PrimaryNetMan]

5 minutes ago, biggjb said:

I have been liaising with the DFE.  The actual issue now is Solution over Budget.  The DFE have a very precise vision on what work needs to take place.  Actual issue is the Budget schools are receiving don't always match the solution proposed or the to make the solution fit the budget you don't meet all there requirements. You may find you have to dumb down your solutions to an entry level Wifi and Switching to match the budget

In exactly the same situation here too.

[ITGuyNW]

Also be aware that for some schools, the budget includes VAT

[biggjb]

The DFE did say if you can justify your solution i.e not using cat6A (if you are using some existing data and adding some new) - Cost of Fibre is huge so reducing to 8 Core from 16. Or show that if AP's can be managed through a portal with out a licence (Thinking Aruba Instant). Then they may consider and accept.  However they did say they felt that the budget each school has received was sufficient to provide a solution that meets there standard