curiousoranj

"When I started four years ago there was someone working in reprographics, she's since gone and of course all that comes down to me now as well." Would just like to point out that this quote from me in this thread isn't strictly true, someone in the office does all the photocopying etc! I meant the changing of toners in copiers throughout the school! I hate to 'lie'!

Yeah staying there too long is exactly what I've done. The previous Business Manager who got suspended in suspicious circumstances just before Covid hit (was this time last year actually) said he'd pay for Network Management training for me, that I'd do it in my hours after kids/teachers left school for the day etc so it seemed like it was on the up! Being interviewed in a secondary school next week where I'll work with another person, would be faaar better than being on my own!!

Thanks for the responses all. It sounds like most of you are working in a team of at least two people, that's been sounding faaar more preferential to me for the last four years now! Being alone and therefore an easy target is extremely hard work. And as for having an IT sympathetic line manager as I think someone put it - no chance! They expect the same level of service from the one member of staff regardless of the drop in SLA contracts and people on the ground. One tech used to apparently go around cleaning all the monitors and keyboards throughout the school - something they tried to get me to do a couple of years back; I essentially managed to laugh it off and they seem to have realised with my workload that that simply was not happening!! My line manager is essentially a direct extension of our Head Master, he makes crazy demands on us support staff throughout the school all of the time. Tefters - They asked TAs in your school to help with PAT testing?? They've asked (more told!) caretaking staff etc to do other areas of the school at ours. SLT have done exactly the same to us in respect to PAT testing, no formal meeting at all and just an email from my Line Manager to say "You need to do this training course next Monday". Total joke! Haven't heard much since so hopefully they've messed that one up and they'll be trying to get a refund on the £3000 they've spent on the kit. How on earth I'd test everything working 9 weeks less in the year on top of everything else, I DO NOT KNOW. psydii - You mentioned a pay rise to reflect extra responsibility with the dropping of SLAs, absolutely no chance!! MGSTech - That sounds much more like it. I'm guessing I've got your sympathy here! My partner's school sounds similar, there's three of them in their IT dept and that's a 1000/100 kind of school - same as mine. When I started four years ago there was someone working in reprographics, she's since gone and of course all that comes down to me now as well. I'll give my school ONE plus though, they did fork out for single sign on after the first year or two - not having to change network passwords and they're google logins has been a massive massive help!!! Prior to that how I wasn't off every month with stress I feel is an achievement!

I'd be up for a meetup (SD of course!) if anything is arranged! Also bookmarking!

Done, thank you Elsiegee40

I'm the IT Technician in secondary school in South Wales, 1000 or so pupils and about 100 staff. There's just me on the ground and our network is remotely managed by RM. I wanted to get a feel for how other forum members schools etc are set up please and what's expected of you. I deal with pretty much most day to day IT running of the school and assist our remote team where I can, been doing this for just over four years now. When I started we had a few SLA contracts that would help me massively with iPads etc but slowly and surely the plug has been pulled on such invaluable help. The latest money saving exercise my school is looking to undertake is getting me to PAT test all the IT equipment in the school while dropping me from full time to term time only. And don't get me started on my requirement to be 'onsite full time during a lockdown', I've had some battles with this and it's been wearing! Before I started my current role the school had a Network Manager along with a technician for assistance. With the amount of IT equipment growing pretty substantially over the years and workload showing no sign of easing off cut backs just aren't manageable, are they??! If another such thread exists please direct me to it

I work in a secondary school as the IT Technician, 1000 or so pupils and about 100 staff. There's me on the ground and our network is remotely managed. I wanted to get a feel for how other forum members schools are set up please and what's expected of you. Please regale me!

Thanks both, I jumped in a bit too quick there!

Hi there. I'm brand new here and looking for such a thread, if someone could post a link for me to one that'd be great! Cheers