mthomas08

Hi All General query aimed at Secondary Schools/Academies especially those who have reprographics/managed printers. How much are you printing a month? Rough estimation is okay, even what you go through a year is fine. We are going through printing like anything and what keeps coming back to me is "Mr Gov wants us to do practise tests". The practise test is an average of 15 sheets per subject per Student so it doesn't take long to guess what we are going through. Also if your not printing the tests what are you doing instead? If you give me your estimates can you also add what size your School is again rough estimation on Staff/Students is fine. Thank you

Glad others DIDNT feel a thing: Sadly my last job didn't get a smooth ride, we was sponsored so if you are too be very very careful. Only reason why we got sponsored was simply because the Head saw a quicker solution to getting what he wanted. Even he didn't see coming what happened in 18 months to 2 years. The Head did his big thing and told Staff what happened, he got a phone call by a certain individual, this call told him "lets work together, instead of being rivals". After this conversation he said, no massive changes, no job losses/redundancies, no take over, working together. This was all a big fat lie, everyone at this other School knew it (they said it before us), some at our School was worried. The truth was this was about a full blown take over, this was about turning our School road map to match this other School, this wasn't about working together to improve both sites because this other School is considered to be "the way to go". The 1st targets were management: Deputy Heads who are on too much or WONT comply with the new way are made redundant. Our School had 2 removed (these two were essential and did a great job), strange thing is the money they made compared to their redundancy pay actually made sense in keeping them till they retired so this had nothing to do with money and we knew it. 2nd Target: Now that the Deputy Heads are dealt with, its time to promote the Head so he is off site and loses full control of the School. He was given a fancy title in the trust. Next put in place a new head of School, a new path for SLT forcing anyone that's left to re-apply for their jobs. Next Teaching staff, anyone not qualified was instantly put on the black list and evaluated heavily. Most were pushed out the door. ADMIN/SUPPORT Staff: The heavy casualties, the road map from this other School had a few ADMIN staff doing all the jobs. Most made redundant and some put down to an "off site area". IT was affected, 1 Senior person doing everything and 2 Technicians. Strangely enough the way the other School does things had 4 full time and 1 part time yet their site work was similar to us. We all knew this was coming the second they got rid of 2 deputy heads because they didn't agree with what the head did. Now? The priority is Ofsted regardless of anything else, this means anything which is good for the kids but gets no recognition by Ofsted is removed. Staff at the School don't want to be there and are being moved around in the trust left right and centre. People are still being escorted off site because they use their voice, Students and Parents are unhappy about the entire thing. Still the School recently got a GOOD Ofsted report, worst part is it was already not far away from getting it. SO after all the changes, sackings, take over it only slightly improved. My other posts have far more detail about everything, lets just say I watched my back, went for another job and left. They tried to persuade me to stay but there was no point. Even my previous boss there has just left.

Seen it before, not the video but a cat protecting some one. Seen a young girl get protected in a similar way although it wasn't no where near as bad as this video.

Kids are bad with the old generation of technology, Teachers are bad with the new generation of technology.

Website isn't working if that helps Must admit I have been tempted to give it a go, was at my last job and seemed to be useful for staff.

Said this a long time ago, everyone ignored me, now the very people who said "Leave him alone" are now using the exact words I used for him. I call it the Britney Spears effect because everyone in this generation knows what that means.

Parent Pay here, other then a few issues regarding importing data which ruined our usage of it for a few weeks last year its rarely been down.

To be honest all the Schools I have worked at and spent time with have never had a software Audit, although I did read on the news it happened once at a School in the midlands I believe. They were forced to remove the software. Now you know of it you can budget for it, spend the money and sort out what you need.

Ah, the brilliant WHY - I did that for a whole week as a kid. Till I had the belt on my bum cheeks, lets just say I never did it again.

Sorry was being sarcastic, hence the wink but that was aimed at the super long posts that I don't tend to read. @superatticman I was using the example at kids that damage the equipment, I don't class a 25 or a 35 Year old as a kid even if their mental age fits As PC said though some peoples mentality is very different, my other half works with people that require a bit of support. And although they can do most things on their own there has been moments where they needed support. That support can really be for simply easy things the rest of us take for granted. Did I mention anything about nit picking earlier?

@Garacesh Trust you!!! That's being very nit picky! Although I didn't type what you just put ! Grrrrrrrrr

Totally agree with Lightfoot here, especially his entire post. The examples of different teachers was also a good point, I too have had the teachers who had the control of the class because of the shouting and another who simply never raised his voice but had the control. I agree with what others are saying about society, having worked in a School that has had severe trouble and those kids reminded me of my up bringing. It can be a million reasons why kids are the way that they are. My attitude towards Students who damage equipment is "They are kids". For the Student who did this murder will most likely spend his life regretting it and his life will never be the same as a result. The victims family will also never be the same. They all have my sympathy. Having been raised in a "troubled area" there really is a lot of reasons why kids do things (I was one of those kids). I had to seriously work hard to make something of my self. As for the flame wars on here it's usually based on the same thing "I have my opinion and I stick to it and I wont listen to what others say". Especially when facts are brought in, only have to look at other threads to see it usually the same ones (not naming and shaming). Then there is the "Nit picking" I noticed in threads, where some one will ignore all the facts and find that tiny part which may not include all the information. I too have had this done to me and it's not till everyone has joined in does the person admit that they are wrong, or its more like "my personal choice". In the words of Wise old Obi Wan - you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view. And in a forum it's really hard to type up everything we actually mean without creating a mile long post. And in all honesty I don't like reading them posts.

Thanks for letting me know, I didn't see it on the Beeb! Yet if it was any other OS it would be.

When it comes to the core system (it is that - the core). One thing that's always useful to add is the fact that no matter which path the School chooses to go to the Core system is always going to exist. If you go down the route of BYOD, Mobile devices, Windows PCs, Mac PCs, Laptops, Macbooks - the core system is going to be required. And it needs to be reliable, redundant, fast, fit for purpose and give you the capacity to expand. Having replaced several of our servers which were old, slow and struggling with a brand new dell virtual server we no longer find our selves getting complaints about systems being offline (except systems out of our control). We are in the progress of upgrading out network from 100MB to 1GB HP Procurve Switches and our new building (which is fully 1GB) has been fully noticed by teachers and SLT. Considering our current 100MB is HP ProCurve and has had a single failure in 10 Years certainly makes things look brighter for the next 10 Years. Our wireless has also just been upgraded and again people are noticing the difference and its rare now for us to get the "Its slow" comment. And at the moment they are only getting a 100MB connection due to the backbone. I provided all the costs, equipment, where it would go, timescales. As a result of the new building I was able to give them real physical evidence of the difference. I used transport as a good example to explain the speed differences when the new building was still being constructed. Then again I also had the slow system as an example, because the school didn't plan ahead it suffered and the best way to be is to anticipate upgrades not wait till it goes wrong.

I think Ron made it clear when he took back control that he wouldn't mind Lewis back one day. They would have to make a better performance package though or if Merc end up going backwards which could always happen. Still I am glad Lewis is putting his foot down against Nico who is a talented young driver. I look forward to more fights between these two and wonder when they will collide. As for Seb I do have sympathy for him but that tends to be thrown at the window with his attitude. When he does well he is so thankful to the team yet when he doesn't he isn't so quick to give Ric an easier life which at the end of the day benefits the team. If Ric continues to consistently score better it's going to be his results that make the difference between 2nd and 3rd. Sebs performance though goes to show that perhaps it was the blown diffuser that he managed to work so well. It was something that was discussed last year that Webber just simply couldn't get it to work so well for him. Sad thing is though it as mentioned on PF1.COM it really is adding fuel to the fire of Sebs overrated theory. Now he is on equal footing with another driver on a fresh rule layout he does seem to be struggling. Course I do believe that Seb is special (even Lewis has had an OFF Season) only question is will he return to his winning ways.

Think your making your own over the top conclusions, I based the spec of the machine to what it will be doing. Exactly the reason why I say Windows PC over a Mac, no point spending that kind of money on a device which isn't going to be used for its max potential. I didn't give them misleading information I gave them what was needed and enough to last 5+ years as well. I did not say the cheaper Windows PC was matching the spec of the over priced Mac I simply told them this is what you need as shown with the current Windows PC which that staff member uses and has used for 3 years with no trouble. As for Premiere this isn't my choice nor my specialty it's all down to the teacher who actually uses the software. Sorry for going on but I am not having anyone claim "I give misleading info" the only time I would ever do that is if I actually didn't know and I am never afraid of putting my hands up on that.

YES! I know someone who is EXACTLY this, a mate who has a MacBook and took out a credit card to get it and often complains at having no money! Don't get me wrong it really is nice looking but he never uses more then what I use my laptop for which isn't much. Completely disagree. I have an iPhone and an iPad (latest one and previous model). Although the iPads were gifts the iPhone is my choice and still my preferred phone, I have played with others but the iPhone is still my preference and has nothing to do with me being Anti HTC, Windows Phone, Blackberrys (which I hated the older models tap tap tiny keys). If I had a choice to purchase a tablet I would go to an Android device mainly because of its cost and simply I don't use the iPad for its features but instead basic App/games and internet access and facetime over WIFI. These facilities are fully available on Android (which I fully tested on a Lenovo S6000). The main gripe many of us especially my self have is when miss-leading information is fed to the likes of home users/SLT to get them. As I mentioned in other posts staff I work with have been told to get a Mac without asking the one important question "What do you intend to use it for" when both came back to me and asked the same question I gave them that response. They came back with Internet/word. YET they were recommended to spend £1000 on a Mac. In regards to SLT I recently had to put up a fight to avoid getting additional Macs, luckily they actually listened to my facts of information. I then found out the miss-leading information that was given to them. The problems occurring in the room are all down to Windows (wrong down to CS4 Adobe Premiere) the problems wouldn't exist on Macs (wrong they will because Premiere works the same way on the Mac - the video editing teacher confirmed this). The Macs last longer and you will always be able to upgrade the OS free (wrong, our 7 year old Macs are not able to upgrade to the latest OS and are struggling to keep up - we are also not able to add them to the Mac server we have) - Confirmed by the Mac guy we had visit us. Our 5 year old Macs are also starting to struggle a little bit even after being fully rebuilt. The guy who fed this information to SLT because he has a Mac at home (and we don't) immediately made a pro at Macs although he hasn't been able to help us at all. He hasn't been able to build the Macs, maintain them, build the Mac server, maintain the imaging/profile manager yet he claimed he "knew Macs better then us because WE don't understand them". Also when problems occur its always the Windows PC's to blame, from Printing, projectors and software not working correctly. And then there is the 8/9 year old PCs that some Schools have (like mine) which of course according to Mr Mac above would be fixed by a brand new Mac. Without mentioning that actually a nice new spec Windows PC would make the difference too at 1/3 the cost!. Sorry for the going on/rant part but other people on EduGeek have suffered the exact same thing as I mentioned above. This is also only a small example of what I have personally experienced, I could go on to my other previous encounters including my last job. I have yet to have a single person come up to me or SLT and give REAL facts as to why they need to purchase Macs but the great thing about my boss is she has said "They need to PROVE to me why they need them". I also have the backing of the Business Manager who is SLT as well (he isn't a teacher but see's things from a financial/business view). Its very typical that people give real facts against buying an expensive device and the response is usually "Your Typical Anti Apple". I think the correct term would be Anti spending that kind of money for something that wouldn't ever get used to its full potential. when you can produce the same for a fraction of the cost. You have to ask your self is there a real point in buying a £1000 device for internet/office usage? Do you buy a device which will not be compatible with around 50 packages of Department software which teachers heavily rely on? (some of it is even 7+ years old). If all of us worked in a place which had extremely large budgets I am sure we would be fine for going more Macs instead of PCs, using Windows servers to run all the software we needed but we don't live in that world and many of our Schools are still being squeezed (even though the Gov claimed they are not). We currently have a lot (cant stress a lot enough) of desktops/laptops/projectors and IWBs which are around 8/9 Years old that are struggling with the day to day life that really should be replaced before going down the route of expensive devices. And I am sure a lot of my colleagues on here in the same situation would feel the same. If you can really afford that kind of money for a PC I don't think you're going to care about saving $2000. If you have THAT money to spend you most likely own a few Ferrari's, a dozen suits and have business meetings in a different country every month in a 5 Star hotel. Even then he/she will pay his PA to use it and probably never actually touch it. It's nice to see though one of the HIGH HIGH end of equipment which most Schools/home users would never be able to afford actually be cheaper then the Windows PC equivalent. Still Apple win on that price war just a shame no one in the "working class" will buy it.

This made me crack up! Brilliant. Although I will add: If you need internet access: There are tons of choices on the cheap.

To be fair to Macs, I do agree (I'm no fan as many know) that for Music they are probably the best choice. Amount of times I have seen documentaries/real life shows and at business's and offices there is a Windows PC (even if the person has a tablet) but for Music Studios there tends to be a Mac sitting on the desk. I do know a few DJs and they do all use Macs. BUT for Schools I think the IT Department should be fully responsible for putting them in place not the Head of Music who has visited another School and seen a bunch of Macs and said "I want them". If it's done properly and for real reasons not misleading information (as I said before) then there would be a lot less gripe against Apple products in Schools. I think at the end of the day the one question should always be asked "What do you intend to use the device for?". Regardless of preference or even the shiny factor, that one question should always be asked.

Yeah, I don't have nay malware issues. Our students do though because they insist on trying to download games and they see "Click here/Download" and they do - they also accept/install anything they see including a ton of toolbars. All this is on their netbooks which have limitations setup. Had my machine at home going 2 years nearly with zero issues, accept the large amount of Windows updates.

Same, it's also what I recommend to other people. I've had two members of staff this year alone asking shall I buy an Apple, I instantly ask "what do you want to use it for". Both have said word/internet. I respond with that's expensive device just to use word and the internet. I give them products e.g. tablets, laptops, PCs and let them choose. As long as they get accurate information it's down to them what device they get but both times the person who is a Apple fan has told them to simply buy Apple without even asking them what they intend to use it for. Have to remember there is such a thing as expensive machines that come with Windows that are the same high quality build as an Apple device. The only thing that really is different is the OS. I know some one that spent the money on the Alienware laptop, very expensive, very impressive and he's had no trouble with it after 2 Years. At the end of the day if you shop around you can find other machines that just look as pretty, same components inside and as mentioned above it's only the OS that's any different. We have 5 Year old all in ones here and the only difference is they are black compared to White. The keyboard are cheap but again Lenovo do nice flat keyboards (have one at home) which cost a little more. It looks the same as the apple ones but black instead of white (don't cost as much as a Apple keyboard either). So yes, if you shop around you can find something that is very similar in quality but the OS will be different.

This has been the question even before he joined in F1, his history shows that he has a habit of doing what he wants regardless. Worst thing is he never takes responsibility and plays the victim.

We currently allow BYOD. All on a separate hotspot which has no access to anything else across our system, even some of the smarter Students have tried (especially those really clued up). They still need an account to access our internet though which is filtered. Pretty much covered site wide for wireless APs and everything is configured by our network guy who does know his stuff.

I thought it would only be a matter of time till Maldonado was involved in yet another direct crash, not the first, second or even the third time he has done it. He drives like I used to play F1 96 where I used other cars to break and my rivals would get a clip on the front wing so they were out of the picture.

Treat your self to a nice expensive lunch!