dnanton1

St. Helen’s School is one of the leading independent day schools in the country, educating girls aged 3-18. The School is now seeking to recruit a Head of IT systems Managing a team of 5 and reporting to the Business Director the post holder will ensure that cost-effective future IT solutions are developed and implemented to meet the emerging needs of the School in line with the School’s Strategic Plan. We are looking for a graduate with a good working knowledge of contemporary technical issues including networking, wireless technology, major Microsoft and Adobe software applications, security issues, VPN/thin client technology and systems architecture planning. The post holder will also need IT management, team management and project management experience. Apply here: Work for Us | St Helen's Closing date is January 29th, 2018 with interviews in the w/c February 5th, 2018

Dear all, Has anyone worked with an external company/consultancy to do an systems audit/health check? I'm looking to have one done annually to look at our systems configurations and pick up on any errors or potential problems we may be overlooking, with a report at the end of it giving us recommendations or action points. It should be less about looking at developing or introducing any new systems and mainly about validating what we already have. Any recommendations will be helpful. Best wishes, David

I'm also looking for something similar - independent consultants to do a review/assessment of our IT services, structure & strategy - so I'd be grateful for any recommendations. I'm familiar with 9ine and about 8 years ago my school used a company called BlueSpark Consulting who did a very helpful and comprehensive review but I'm just checking the market before going back to them. In addition, I'd be interested in recommendations for an independent technicial audit/health check on servers and network. Cheers, David

Had the same problem today with lots of staff. Just tested it myself and the app worked fine until I ran the update from the App Store. Now it has lost its association code so it is definitely linked to the app upgrade. I haven't upgraded the IOS.

We are looking for a SIMS Manager to manage effectively and develop all aspects of the School’s SIMS database and have experience and knowledge of Nova-T, Assessment Suite, Cover, Examinations, Reporting, Systems Manager, Behaviour, SOLUS and the core database. You will have been educated to a minimum of “A” level standard and currently work or have worked in a large/medium sized secondary school. Please see our website for further details: SIMS Manager | St. Helen's School David

We are looking for an IT Technician to undertake routine maintenance, resolve and troubleshoot technical issues and assist with backups and virus checks, whilst supporting both teaching and non-teaching colleagues. You will be a graduate with a minimum of two years experience of working with computers, networks, printers etc. You should be well versed in current Microsoft operating systems and preferably have a MCITP qualification. Please see our website for more information: IT Technician | St. Helen's School or contact me if yoiu'd like to discuss the role a bit more. David

Check these guys out: CORE Education and Consulting (UK) Ltd - Talmos They do a Sharepoint-based parental-engagement and lesson management systems which is SIMS-approved. My school is thinking of using their solution at the moment.

I'm an IT Manager with over 15 years experience and there is something I've heard many times - the best technicians don't always make the best managers. That is because being a good IT manager requires a lot of compromising between the needs of IT and the needs of the business, and that's something techies don't always appreciate. I know in many schools the IT Manager is usually a technical manager who is expected to look after the servers and system on a day-to-day basis - a sort of senior senior IT technician, if you will. But as IT has become more crucial to operations in schools (as with any and every other business), they are slowly coming round to the understanding that they need more than just a good techie at the helm. So I'd say it's not just about getting the right qualifications, though these are important for your CV, but having the right mindset - being able to shift focus from the technical details to the bigger corporate picture: understanding the needs of the business and delivering relevant projects on time and within budget, being good at managing, motivating and developing your staff, good oral and written presentation skills, handling admin and paperwork, etc. I many instances, the job can be MORE about these skills and less about the technical stuff, although you will always need an understanding of IT systems. That is probably why a lot of IT managers I know in various industries didn't even do an IT or engineering degree, but developed their IT skills along the way. Many technicians assume the next upwards move in their career is to become an IT Manager, but the technical and the managerial are actually very different paths. If you're a very technical-minded person, the next move is probably to develop your skills along a specialist path - security, networks, etc. Depending on the field, you can earn much more than some IT managers. But you'd probably have to leave the education sector for that!

We're currently in the market for a Senior IT Technician with a minimum 3 years relevant hands-on experience and a good set of IT professional qualifications (CCNA, MCITP, etc). Please see our website for details: Senior IT Technician | St. Helen's School Feel free to pm me if you have any specific questions about the role and I'll get back to you ASAP. Good luck! David (IT Systems & Projects Manager)