The DfE published their latest ‘Meeting digital and technology standards in schools and colleges’ in March 2022. The guide includes some major changes to broadband provision that will affect most schools. With many broadband contracts renewing in March and April 2023 it is important that schools act now to ensure that compliant solutions are in place for next year.
The DfE broadband standards have changed as a result of the increased broadband usage in schools and to ensure that schools have resilient, future proof connections. We have welcomed the DfE’s recommendations as they echo the advice that we had already been giving to schools for the past two years.
The main changes to broadband standards that schools need to be aware of are:
- Schools and colleges should use a full fibre connection for their broadband service. There are two types of full fibre connections, they are FTTP (fibre to the premises) and leased lines.
- Copper connections often referred to as FTTC or ADSL are widely used in primary schools, these do not meet the required standards.
- Primary schools should have a connection with a minimum of 100Mbps download speed and 30Mbps upload speed.
- Secondary schools, all-through schools and further education colleges should have a connection with the capacity to deliver 1Gbps download and upload speed.
- Schools and colleges should have a backup broadband connection to ensure resilience and maintain continuity of service if the main broadband line fails.
- Schools should look to implement these standards as soon as they can. This is usually at the end of an existing contract term or as soon as full fibre is available.
- In addition to the above changes, it remains a requirement that all schools and colleges must have appropriate IT security and safeguarding systems in place.
It is important that the latest standards are met as they deliver many benefits. Resilient full fibre connections provide; faster speeds that can improve teaching and learning, cost savings and efficiencies from implementing cloud-based technologies, and a stable platform on which you can connect VoIP telephony services (this is crucial for schools looking to prepare for the BT Network Switch Off). Full fibre connections also enable you to increase speeds when the demand for internet services increase.
To meet the new standards the DfE recommends that all schools investigate the availability of full fibre services and speeds.
Our team of experts can help you establish if your current broadband connection meets the latest DfE standards along with what connection types and speeds are available for your school. If your broadband is not compliant we can assist you in preparing a detailed tender with your requirements, that can be issued to suitable companies that specialise in supplying broadband solutions to schools and colleges. We will then review all proposals to ensure you are procuring a compliant solution from a trusted supplier at the best possible price.
If you require any assistance or if you would like to discuss our Broadband Procurement Service please contact us at info@tgesolutions.co.uk or call us on 01937 420052.
Please see below some testimonials from schools and Multi Academy Trusts that have used our Broadband Procurement Service.
“St. Bart’s Academy Trust requested the support of TGE Solutions to source a broadband tender for our Multi Academy Trust of 19 Academies. Phillip was a wealth of information and the process from start to finish was seamless. Phillip’s knowledge and experience were an asset to us and The Trust would have no hesitation in recommending TGE Solutions.” Josephine Edwards, Head of Operations, St Bart’s Multi Academy Trust
“With our broadband contract coming up for renewal, we approached TGE Solutions following a presentation at a local School Business Managers conference. Reliance on internet connectivity had significantly increased over the course of our existing contract and so we wanted to ensure this vital service was future-proofed to meet the growing needs of the school. We knew from our initial meeting that a partnership with TGE Solutions would be extremely beneficial to our school, tapping into their years of experience and knowledge of the industry has helped us make significant improvements and savings on one of our most crucial contracts. We can’t thank TGE enough for their work and we look forward to working with them again.” Matt Humphreys, ICT Network Manager, The Kingsway School, Cheadle
“Several schools within our Trust were approaching the end date for their broadband contracts and we wanted to move to a single supplier that could help with both these schools and the wider Trust. To assist us with finding a suitable supplier who could implement an appropriate solution which could manage the Trust’s existing and future needs, we engaged the services of TGE Solutions. TGE Solutions helped us engage with suppliers and request pricing as well as providing a detailed report, recommending companies to shortlist, and helping us select a preferred supplier. TGE Solutions independence and advice helped ensure that we selected the supplier who was best able to implement the solution we desired at the best price possible, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.” David Burns, Network Services Manager, Red Kite Learning Trust
“TGE Solutions had previously helped us with a couple of telecoms projects, having been delighted with their previous work we recruited their services again when our broadband contract came up for renewal. Their knowledge of the market saved us both time and money, enabling us to procure a new Leased Line, Firewall and Web Filtering solution that was far superior to our old setup at a greatly reduced price. I would happily recommend their services to any school.” Nigel Penn, Finance Director, Scalby School