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Hello! I have been asked to run a KS2 Coding club (starting tomorrow, nothing like short notice eh!) and I'm looking for suggestions and recommendations on what free websites are out there to use? I'm hoping to identify a group of children to become 'digital leaders' to pass on IT skills to younger children and run this club as a curated group, rather than a baby sitting service So far we only use Code.org, which is awesome! and free iPad apps such as SpriteBox, ALEX, DaisyTheDinosaur, BeeBot/BlueBot/etc. We are a chromebook (and ipad) school so websites with Google SSO would be fab. Suggestions are very much appreciated, Thanks!

We currently delivery the KS1 and KS2 computing curriculum through the use of Espresso Coding, supplemented with a couple of lessons from Barefoot Computing that cover specific topics that need to be taught in KS2 (computer networking being one of them). We have also used a couple of other coding apps such as code.org and Hopscotch. This is all going fine, and the kids are flying with it (it's all a bit too easy for them to be honest!), but I am worried that there has been no evidencing of the work done by pupils. All of the coding stuff is obviously online, and there is no hard physical evidence of their work. Espresso Coding allows you to save, as does Hopscotch - but it's all a bit of a mess and isn't easy to access all in one place (eg. a whole class' coding work for a particular unit). We use Classroom Monitor to track pupil's progress for other subjects, but this is not currently being done for Computing. So, basically there is no evidence of any work being done or assessed in Computing - and this can't be good for an OFSTED inpection. I'm the Network Manager - but I've been trying to take a bit of a lead with implementing the new curriculum, which wasn't being taught at all just over a year ago before I started. Does anyone know how Computing is being evidenced or tracked in their Primary schools? If anyone would like to chat further about this (I appreciate it's quite a complex post!), PM me and I'd be only too happy to have a chinwag.

We are currently recruiting for additional mobile ICT Support Engineers to support schools in Islington. SO1 - £28,845 - £30,525 including London Weighting Applications via the online form only please. Make sure you address all of the points in the person specification in your personal statement. ICT Support Engineers

Ive been asked to find some software for report writing. We want to replace Report Assist (THANKFULLY!) We want an online system where the reports are held online, I have found Report Box which looks excellent - ReportBox - online report writing for primary schools and teachers And one ICT co-ordinator has found http://www.bluehills.co.uk/prw Anyone used any of these websites? I personally like the look of Report Box. We would be looking at the £299 a year package which I think is reasonable. Our ICT co-ordinator mentioned that by 2012 all primary schools must provide online reporting to parents - I guess this is a government requirement... Any advice appreciated.

Hi, I support many small primary schools, most have Windows Server 2003 / XP Domains. Most currently don't have any desktop redirection and ones that do redirect all students login's to one folder on the server. I was asked today if I could organize the desktop icons in Class 1 of one of my schools, they don't have any redirection currently (Due to a large number of laptops), so I am looking for idea's of how you guys do this? Currently the school in question has class accounts, not per pupil. Class 1 which I am intending to more to redirected first don't tend to use laptops that often (If at all) and have wired desktops. So offline caching isn't the problem at the moment, but I am wanting to role this out to more class's or even schools. I am also wanting to make staff able to view and edit the desktop folders (A shortcut on there desktop) so they can put icons or website shortcuts on to the desktop and control what applications kids see. (I know they can launch them from the start menu too) So just looking for idea's really. Thanks a lot Rob Holmes

I'm looking to learn from other schools that are Progresso users at primary level. In particular, I'm keen to see how you track and report at EYFS, KS1 and KS2 stages and how that feeds through to reporting. We are an all through-school and we manage Secondary level well, produce PDF reports that we make available via the parental portal. We are looking at replicating something similar at primary level. Anyone able to help?

Hi. I work in a primary school in Barnes SW London and we are looking at getting a 3D printer as well, but wanted to get some views from someone who already had one, I would very much appreciate it if anyone was able to share their experience. Specific questions I have are 1. How much does it cost to print a model - I realise it will depend on the model but I'm struggling to find info on this 2. How do you organise support 3. What software do you use 4. What areas of the curriculum do you link to 5. How did you go about introducing it/training 6. Any health & safety considerations 7. Anything else? Danny

I work as an ICT teacher at a London based private primary school. We've recently decided to introduce a 3D printing topic over this term with our Y6 classes - the first time we've ever done it. The biggest issue for us has been finding a way of scaffolding it for 10-11 year olds. All softwares we have found have been aimed more at secondary school children. There's an amazing one called Tinkercad which would be perfect were it not for the $1000 a month (for 10 licences!) price for using it. Our children are currently designing their own robot models using FreeCAD (opensource) - simple and free, but with lots of issues at the moment too with memory floods. When it eventually arrives, we'll be printing off their designs on a Cube3D printer. The entire topic is very trial and error - realising issues around the subject each lesson and solving problems when we come to them! As far as we can tell, we're the only primary school in the country that's currently doing this. Does anyone know anyone else who is? It would be very useful to share ideas or suggestions. Alternatively, once this is done we're happy to offer any thoughts! Cheers!

Hi Folks! A client of mine is a large Primary school of approx 600 pupils (3 form entry) We have to upgrade our MIS and are looking for alternatives to Integris G2 and Pearsons E1 We would like to hear about a similar sized school that has been using an MIS for a while which works for them, (and how it integrates with their MLE/VLE and assessment if relevant) I dont want this thread to become an opinion on which MIS is best as it's already been done... Simply we are looking for good working examples and leads I can follow up with prospective suppliers Any recommendations would be appreciated or we are going to go the default route of safety in numbers is there a sheep icon in here somewhere?? Seriously, many thanks for all the great posts on this forum, i read with interest! L

Peripatetic IT Technician to work in Primary Schools across Merseyside or Greater Manchester area Salary Range: £21,000.00 - £29,000.00 per annum (Full time, permanent) Closing Date: 21st July 2023 Start Date: 1st September 2023 or earlier MGL is a North West based schools IT support team, providing technical support to 200+ primary schools. We have an established team of 20 technicians and are looking to recruit someone who is not only passionate about IT but is also a great communicator. The right candidate will have a pro-active can-do attitude, and will go the extra mile to ensure our school customers receive excellent support. This is a great opportunity for an enthusiastic individual to join our team and develop their technical knowledge and skills to the next level. Our staff are given a high degree of responsibility to manage and maintain their own group of schools networks. MGL is a company of 45 staff providing curriculum and technical support to schools across the North West to enhance the teaching and learning of young people. Key responsibilities of the post are: Manage, maintain and update a group of school's networks, ensuring they are operational, and to respond to and resolve IT issues. A strong technical knowledge of Group Policy management, User profiles, Server 2016/19/22, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Intune are all desirable. Also experience with SIMS/Arbor MIS system, Jamf MDM, Chromebooks, Unifi/Ruckus/Cambium wireless & switches, and Smoothwall firewall/filter would be a real advantage. Maintain, set up and test all IT equipment in schools, including peripherals. Undertake regular server maintenance, upgrades, housekeeping including virus checking and backups. Manage and maintain iPads and other wireless devices. Manage helpdesk issues and feedback to the school IT Co-Ordinator on progress. Be involved with larger installation builds/projects and server cloud migration with other team members during school holidays. A full driving licence and car are essential. If you would like more information or would like to apply please email your CV to [email protected] with a covering note to explain why you would be our ideal candidate. We look forward to receiving your application. **APPROVED**

Hi there, I've been advising a single-form primary who have decided they want to go 1:1 (starting with one or two years in KS2), and have settled on Chromebooks as the device for them (specifically they seem fairly set on the cheap LGFL Lenovo 300e ones). I know plenty of secondaries that have gone down this route, but haven't been able to directly connect them to any other primaries. So, stab in the dark, anyone out there with or familiar with a primary that's opted for 1:1 Chromebooks in at least KS2, who'd be happy to chat with the Assistant Head? Anyone out there have first-hand experience with these particular devices and happy to share some feedback? Bonus points if London-based. Thanks!

Responsible for providing technical support for primary schools or business on both a regular and ad-hoc basis. Manages own appointments, and prioritises tasks during each visit according to the client’s needs. Technical support includes maintenance of servers, computers, and other hardware, software installation, and network support. We are looking for a dedicated and enthusiastic person to fill an IT Technical Support field role within Rotherham and surrounding area Day to day tasks may include - Management of Windows Server 2003, 2008 and 2012, Windows XP, 7 and 8. - Installation and troubleshooting Office, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013. - Active Directory and group policy management. - Apple Configurator iOS deployment and hardware management. - Set up, troubleshooting, and repair of computer hardware. - Troubleshooting, repair, and deployment of printers and photocopiers. Person Spec (Essential) Must have a good understanding of the operation of IT Hardware and Software,particularly in the Microsoft Windows operational environment. Must be self-motivating and able to demonstrate an ability to achieve specific projects. Must, at all times, achieve high standards of professional behaviour in dealing with pupils and staff Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Knowledge of Windows 7/8/10/2008/2012 Knowledge and experience of working with audio visual media. Hardware troubleshooting Person Spec (Desirable) Software installation Knowledge of Cloud applications (ie Office 365 / Google Apps) Knowledge of Mac operating systems Experience with Ethernet Local Area Network Experience of Hardware repair and maintenance Knowledge of Active Directory / Group Policy Wordpress / Website skills Please send your CV or questions to [email protected] Transport and driving license ideally requried and a mileage allowance will be paid.

ICT Technician - Greater Manchester 18-22k Peripatetic ICT Technician to work in Primary Schools throughout Greater Manchester Salary Range: £18,000.00 - £22,000.00 per annum (Full time, permanent) Closing Date: 13th June 2014 Start Date: ASAP MGL is a North West based schools ICT support team, providing ongoing technical support to 200+ primary schools. We have an established team of 16 technicians and are looking to recruit someone who is not only passionate about ICT but is also a great communicator. The right candidate will have a pro-active can-do attitude, and will go the extra mile to ensure our school customers receive excellent support. This is a great opportunity for an enthusiastic individual to join our team and develop their technical knowledge and skills to the next level. Our staff are given a high degree of responsibility to manage and maintain their own group of schools networks. MGL is a company of 45 staff providing curriculum and technical support to schools across the North West to enhance the teaching and learning of young people. Key responsibilities of the post are: Manage, maintain and update a group of school's networks, ensuring they are operational, and to respond to and resolve ICT issues. A strong technical knowledge of Group Policy management, User profiles, Server 2008 / 2012, Active Directory, Mac OSX, DNS, DHCP are all desirable. Also experience with SIMS MIS system, Meru wireless, and Smoothwall would be a real advantage. Maintain, set up and test all ICT equipment in schools, including peripherals. Undertake regular server maintenance, upgrades, housekeeping including virus checking and backups. Manage and maintain iPads and other wireless devices. Maintain a log of issues and feedback to the school ICT Co-Ordinator on progress. Be involved with larger installation builds/projects with other team members during school holidays. You will have the opportunity to take part in Research and Development for the team, developing our service and producing team documentation and standards. A full driving licence and car are essential. If you would like more information or would like to apply please email your CV to [email protected] with a covering note to explain why you would be our ideal candidate. We look forward to receiving your application.

Role We are looking for someone to join our small IT team, currently looking after over 20 primary schools in Coventry and Leamington Spa. Being such a small team, this is a good opportunity to really get involved with a company looking to provide exceptional IT support to its subscribed Primary schools, and potentially be an influence to the growth and direction of the company. We are looking for someone already working in schools in an IT capacity, and for someone with a friendly, approachable personality, paired with a good work ethic and positive attitude to problem solving. We personally believe every problem can be solved one way or another, and will keep trying until the client is happy! The right person will be able to form relationships and rapport with their own clients and be responsible for the day to day running of several schools, mostly in Coventry and Leamington Spa, providing on-site and remote technical support. Support will also be provided by the senior technicians. The role comes with a good level of independence, you would be responsible for managing your own workload and prioritizing jobs logically. There may be some opportunities to work from home, and holidays are 30 days instead of the usual 25, but would be taken out of term time. The full job specification is here: https://postmyjob.co.uk/job/ict-technician-coventry/ Pay and Hours 38 Hours per week. Pay range is between 17k – 21k depending on experience and knowledge, full time or 39 weeks (pro-rata) will both be considered. Please make this preference known in your application letter. Pay higher than the above scale may be considered for someone with exceptional character and experience. Questions and applications to: [email protected] . Thank you for reading, we would love to hear from you and an application letter is strongly preferred to just a CV - we are happy to answer any questions you might also have, so please ask away to the email address above. **Approved**

Hi all We are having a nightmare in our Primary Computing lab with the Windows 10 Photos app not working on half the computers - seems to be user-dependent too, with it working for some users and not for others. Our technicians (who are normally very competent) assure me that they cannot find a solution. We liked the Photos app for it's simple interface and basic photo-editing features. Can anyone recommend another app that will open photos and allow basic editing (e.g. cropping, filters etc.)? We have paint.net but it's way too complicated for Y1 and Y2 children to use - we'd like to avoid anything with a layer system, and we don't want to use an online app like Pixlr (although the features and interface of Pixlr are at about the right level). It needs to be something that will open when you double-click a JPEG/PNG etc. We've had XnView and ACDsee recommended but they don't seem quite simple enough. Anyone else had problems with the Photos app? Anyone have a good alternative for use with younger children? Thanks

Any suggestions on a primary school pupil achievement software. we have SIMS, but we find it does offer any flexibility for primary schools. Also what kind of information are you storing and using?

Peripatetic IT Technician to work in Primary Schools throughout Cheshire/Merseyside/Greater Manchester Salary Range: £18,000.00 - £22,000.00 per annum (Full time, permanent) Closing Date: 8th July 2016 Start Date: 1st September 2016 MGL is a North West based schools IT support team, providing ongoing technical support to 200+ primary schools. We have an established team of 18 technicians and are looking to recruit someone who is not only passionate aboutI T but is also a great communicator. The right candidate will have a pro-active can-do attitude, and will go the extra mile to ensure our school customers receive excellent support. This is a great opportunity for an enthusiastic individual to join our team and develop their technical knowledge and skills to the next level. Our staff are given a high degree of responsibility to manage and maintain their own group of schools networks. MGL is a company of 45 staff providing curriculum and technical support to schools across the North West to enhance the teaching and learning of young people. Key responsibilities of the post are: Manage, maintain and update a group of school's networks, ensuring they are operational, and to respond to and resolve IT issues. A strong technical knowledge of Group Policy management, User profiles, Server 2008 / 2012, Active Directory, Mac OSX, DNS, DHCP are all desirable. Also experience with SIMS MIS system, wireless networks, and Smoothwall would be a real advantage. Maintain, set up and test all IT equipment in schools, including peripherals. Undertake regular server maintenance, upgrades, housekeeping including virus checking and backups. Manage and maintain iPads and other wireless devices. Maintain a log of issues and feedback to the school IT Co-Ordinator on progress. Be involved with larger installation builds/projects with other team members during school holidays. You will have the opportunity to take part in Research and Development for the team, developing our service and producing team documentation and standards. A full driving licence and car are essential. If you would like more information or would like to apply please email your CV to [email protected] with a covering note to explain why you would be our ideal candidate. We look forward to receiving your application.