Triumph

I've been asked to provide a PC to reception class(4 - 5 year olds) for unsupervised use. It needs internet as they want education city, some local games, printer - scary idea! and ability to save their work. They have an ancient XP standalone PC that was locked down by a previous technician using dark arts many years ago but it's dying. Any suggestions for a solution that allows them to have a positive independant educational experience with a PC but stops them trashing it and making lots of work for me will be gratefully received. We are a primary school using ranger, server 2008 R2, Win 7. Thanks.

From this post I've found there is no rule, every school is different and it seems to depend on what the school is prepared to pay for. I have had a discussion with my school and they have uped my hours to 10 a week - 2 hours everyday. But what is funny, now I'm there everyday teachers are asking for help with more things like can I come in and help with a KS1 ICT lesson? the more your there the more they want your help, the less your there the more self-reliant they have to be.

I think it also depends on what your responsibilities are in the four hours. I am asked to spec and get quotes for and buy and install new kit, somethings I really don't know about like audio for the school hall, i had to measure up the hall and start phoning around to get advice. I've been asked to get digital display screen for the front office, after loads of research they decided they were too expensive and I found a 20" photo display screen for them instead! I think the job has 4 functions, 1 basic systems admin-keeping everything ticking over, 2 fault calls - things that used to work but now don't, 3 move and changes - current hardware/software/data moving around, and 4 procurement - research specing quotes buying installing new stuff. I have just realised do all of this in my 4 hours, not all of it is on my job desc! and needless to say lots of things get missed, thus I feel like I'm just fire fighting.

Its the planning part that never seems to get any time! Your right I need to put together a plan of what really needs doing and get a good vision of how it can work. I need to make a distinction between the basic system maintenance, fault fixing and commissioning new equipment - for some time now the basics are not getting done. I have to stop seeing the school as a penniless institution I'm helping out and see it as a small business that needs professional direction. Thanks for all your advice.

No they don't have any other support contracts, I'd love to get to the point where things 'tick over nicely' but my 4 hours get sucked up by staff downloading viruses on their laptops, or squishing memory sticks with all their lesson plans on and no backup, pupils profiles getting corrupted etc etc I don't have any other work in the school but do organise extra hours when they want to get something sorted that I can't get done otherwise. Problem is I'm not always going to be available to do this ad-hoc work when they want me. I have to fill my time with some regularly paid work, so if I get another part-time job i need to make sure they are getting a reasonable amount of Technician time for their setup before I start looking.

How many hours a week should an ICT technician job be ? I few years ago I took on helping local primary with their IT for a few hours a week. From a very simple RM network 20 pcs 8 user accounts and 7 teachers laptops whiteboards and projectors, we now have windows 2008 server, ranger, meru wireless network, 32 wireless netbooks, 15 teachers laptops 10 pcs 10 whiteboards and projectors and 150+ user accounts. I am given 4 hours per week to look after this and feel like I am constantly firefighting. Primary school is 200 pupil size. Can anyone with similar responsibilities advise on what hours I should be working? All ICT Technician jobs I have looked at range between 15 hours term time to 37 hours full time. Previously I did IT support in business IT Departments(Novell Sun Windows) before becoming a mum and needing work in school hours!