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How does FREE sound? Get yourself a Google Apps for Education domain and enjoy all the free storage you like. In all seriousness, this is what we've done and it's been brilliant but it does require a fair being of education for the teachers. Worth it though.

It might be okay as a one-hit thing if you're desperately short on disk space and have tried the 'official' routes, but I'd see it as largely unnecessary on a server which shouldn't have users logging onto it or much local software running at all. What problem are you trying to fix?

Stick with SOLUS - if your opinion is based on the 3.8 to 3.9 upgrade then I agree, THAT was a nightmare but some of it my own fault as we received a SOLUS upgrade at the same time as a SIMS update and the latter failed if the former failed... Lesson learned, check the SOLUS client is up to date on machines and everything goes a lot smoother. It's not perfect but it is pretty reliable and just needs a few machines 'mopping up' at the end of the update cycle.

Run a packet capture, I'd wager it is a proxy/firewall issue. One thing to point out, you're not stuck with the official tool, there are a couple of others out there - paid, but could be worth it. We've had some luck with InSync where the Google client hasn't worked...

Weird. We have a similar setup but are running 8.1 64bit and no issues. It DOES do a bit of churning quickly on startup but it's usually done and dusted and calm after a short time.

I can only call it like I see it (supporting my users) but it's not a problem with a combination of a little time spent ensuring people understand the differences in UI and a correctly configured set of policy. I can understand the logic of wanting to wait to till Windows 10 if you're trying to save yourself the work of redeploying etc. but don't forget you'll have the retraining headache with any new OS AND do you want to wait the typically 3-6 months for drivers etc. to stablise? Let's not forget application compatibility. Not trying to be confrontational but just making sure that the right reasons are driving this conversation - what are the teachers complaining about (if anything?) Cheers, James

I'd suggest that upgrading to Win 7 64bit just to make use of available physical RAM isn't necessarily the best reason for putting yourself (and your users) through the pain. Moving to Windows 8.1 64bit I could understand. It's a LOT quicker than Windows 7 on equivalent hardware on our network, YMMV. You'll have people that complain 'I don't like Windows 8' but there's plenty that can be done to make it more familiar. However, I would do a full analysis of what you want to gain by doing anything like an OS migration - do teachers complain as it is at the moment? Thanks, James

You'll always find people that LOVE their platform of choice (and vice versa) - whilst I'll get burned alive for it I would suggest avoiding Moodle for Primary - to me, it's just not that intuitive or user-friendly. There are companies that can skin it up and pull it apart to make it easier to use but I've no experience of those. What Frog does it does well - I think it's a good choice for primaries - especially if planning a rollout to parents etc. Google Classroom is an awesome tool but I think it's got a while to go yet before it becomes the 'go to' platform for schools. Frog's iPad integration is still not what it needs to be but I would assume this is only going to improve. You've got a lot of choice, eSchools are worth a look, Canvas (by Instructure) is AWESOME but I wouldn't recommend for a primary as the interface is simple but not that engaging and then there's the various others that float about - for example I'd check out ClassDojo, it's not a learning platform per se in the way that we might think of one but it's a superb tool and the cost is nada. Ultimately it comes back to why you are considering such a platform in the first place! What's the strategic vision? Is it all about T&L or are you looking to engage the wider school community? Good luck, implemented and used properly such systems can have a big impact - it's a lot of work but worth it!

We're quite a small school (although secondary) so probably of equivalent size (550 students) to a large primary? We went Meru - it wasn't the cheapest but it's worked GREAT and the only issues we've had have been a bit of interference from some dodgy burglar alarm sensors! In my opinion, WiFi shouldn't ever be scrimped on - that's not to say that cheaper systems wouldn't do a good job but I would look to find a company who can be your wireless 'partner' to help you make the right decision, like all mission-critical systems I find it IS worth having the extra support.

Nope - you can bind macs to AD without the server, but we use it to control a few aspects of the experience...we don't use Time Capsule at all, individual machines aren't backed up but can be re-imaged if need be from DeployStudio running on the server. The actual document shares that are mapped come from our Windows network (which is backed up) - students are made aware of the risk of not moving work to Google Docs or the network (doesn't mean they always listen, mind you!) Cheers, James

Yep, it certainly would - that's how we operate. We used to have a fancy script which ran at log off and copied stuff from the local storage to the students' network area but it rarely worked, so now we map the network share too and it's a manual process. That said, we're moving to Google Drive for most stuff and the students just save to the desktop and upload once done - takes a while to drill it into them but worth it in the end. I think in your case, I'd probably look at a backup system to 'image' a couple of the Macs (maybe even something like DeployStudio which would let you do it automatically) We have a single Mac Mini server which handles the auth with Active Directory - works okay but given the Google Drive stuff, I'm not sure I'd deploy like this again in future. If you want to talk to a supplier who can help, I'd give AT Computers (Tewkesbury) a shout - they've helped us no end and got it all set up without any fuss. Cheers, James

Quick question - what are you planning on backing up? Is it necessary to keep a separate backup of each machine? The whole lot or just data? In which case, would it make more sense to store that data elsewhere? What sort of number of iMacs are we talking about?

I'd seriously urge against caution if you've already got access to it. What you'll find from speaking to people is that SOMEONE somewhere, loves ALL the VLEs, and there's plenty of schools that have got one of the big players to 'work' for them. However, I'd go back to basics and work out what you're trying to accomplish and what you'll need to get there? Sharepoint is not the easiest to get to use, so what you 'save' vs another solution may well get burnt up in time spent training (and remember that it's the middle ground of ability you want to focus on, not the high flying tech-wizzes....!) Again it goes back to 'what are you trying to do' - if you're trying to find a neat way of creating classes, sharing and communicating then ClassDojo may have you covered, or even Edmodo. If you want to go super-snazzy then there are still some premium VLEs out there (Frog et al) but in a lot of cases these are overkill if you don't use all the bells and whistles and they can be quite prescriptive in HOW you work, which you may not dig. Lastly, I'd suggest the decision forms part of the overall strategy for where you see your ICT Strategy going - for example if you're mad about Chromebooks then a move to GAfE and perhaps classroom is worth looking at. If you're doing huge amounts with iPads then iTunes U is great for older ones but not as suitable IMO for Primary so my pick there would be Class Dojo. If you're hedging your bets and/or haven't fully committed to one particular manufacturer then Edmodo could do a lot of what you need for the setup of classes and the transit of work between teachers and students. That being said, for Primary level I'd even look at something like Padlet for the teachers - it may hang on how much the students will be active creators and curators of content but class blogs, showcasing of exemplar work and a basic communication system could easily be done using other free (non-techy) tools. Sorry, I don't feel I've given you a very clear answer here but in my experience I would think really carefully before pushing Sharepoint... Cheers, James

Yep...I've been desperate to get a couple of apps pushed out via the VPP today and this has screwed with those plans a treat. It's true, it doesn't happen often, but when it does a cloud service going down REALLY causes grief.

xPrintServer was a bit of a bargain and works well with AirPrint - don't know about Android *spit*

Why not look at a cloud service for this storage? Best thing we ever did was our GAfE migration - unlimited storage? Thank you very much Google

Are you using Windows Authentication for the account? Or the SSMConnector account as per the instructions - I accidentally skipped that bit and it caused problems for me.

We're centrally supported so I don't have direct contact with Google - would someone mind posting here when it's fixed as it'll be doubtless faster than waiting for our central support team

Same here

We use Geode Networks (both at my current school and my previous one) and they've been GREAT. Worth dropping them a line, here are their details - I have no commercial links with them bar being a happy customer. Nikki Randall Geode Networks Tel: 0845 505 0103 Fax: 0845 505 0104

What do you want to expose to parents? Are you looking to shove data at them, if so, attendance, behaviour, assessment? Or are you looking to open up a 'view' on the wider school environment. For example, some Praise systems allow basic MIS info to come across and you also get all the 'good news' too which gives a much better flavour for what's going on in school.

Google Classroom. Seriously, why WOULDN'T you look at this! It's early days but if you do a proper implementation (and spend time with the staff re-training in Google Apps) the results can be great and the only outlay is time. We have a learning platform but more and more content is being transitioned to Google Drive as this keeps our options open - a learning platform should absolutely not be a place for dumping files, to do so is absolutely missing the point. I think Classroom is about a year away from awesomeness, so I vote for starting the project now with a move to Drive n' Docs. Cheers, James

£15,598 - £17,980 per annum 37 hours per week, 52 weeks per year Millbrook Academy is based in Brockworth, Gloucester and is a co-educational, fully comprehensive academy which joined Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) on 01 January 2012. The age range of the Academy is 11-18, and currently has 600 students with a Sixth Form of 70 students. We are looking to appoint a Learning Technologies Technician to join our team. This is a central role in the maintenance and development of the Academy ICT environment. By working as part of the Learning Technologies Team, you will provide front line support for students and staff ensuring that all Academy ICT systems are fully functioning at all times. The emphasis on ICT within the Academy means that this post is critical to the long-term success of the Academy and integral to delivering the Academy ICT Vision. The successful candidate will hold an A Level in Computer Studies/ICT/Computer Science and will have experience of Microsoft Windows computer networks, technical knowledge of network infrastructure and experience in using Apple Mac computers. As the sponsor, AET believes that all young people deserve to become world-class learners – to learn, enjoy, succeed and thrive in a first rate educational environment with the best facilities, the best teaching and the most up-to-date resources available to them. In each of the AET academies, you will benefit from visionary, inspirational and dynamic leadership and be empowered to develop your own skills with access to world-class CPD and Talent Management programmes. You will also be offered membership of a Health Cash Plan, Vehicle Affinity Scheme, Cycle2work, Childcare Vouchers and Westfield Rewards. The position is required as soon as possible. Closing date: 26 October 2014. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response. All candidates are advised to refer to the job description and person specification before making an application. For further information on this position and to make an application please visit: http://www.academiesenterprisetrust.org/careers Each of the academies within the AET is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. A Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate will be required for all posts. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. Further details can be found on our AET are currently recruiting for School Direct Placements, please visit our website http://aetnationalteachingschoolalliance.org/ for further details. careers page.

'Real' advert now up - get those applications in, you get to work with me! https://www.hirewire.co.uk/SG/1058184/MS_JobDetails.aspx?JobID=52560

Meraki? Works great for us but takes a wee while to populate