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ICT In Leicester City BSF Schools

While BSF does include new school buildings, it is intended as far more than a simple building project. Using ICT to support new approaches to teaching and learning enables students to learn outside the normal school routine and offers access to a new and exciting range of information and resources. Through extended opening hours, the new facilities are available for use by the whole community.

Northgate Managed Services was appointed ICT managed service provider as part of Leicester City’s BSF programme in December 2007.

There are four schools in Phase 1 - all of which have opened in the first half of 2009:

• Fullhurst Community College - Jan 2009
• Beaumont Leys Secondary School - April 2009 (6 weeks ahead of schedule)
• Soar Valley College - June 2009
• Judgemeadow Community College - June 2009

Northgate’s ICT Managed Service

Northgate Managed Services has worked closely with the schools and LMEC to tailor and personalise technology. This has ensured that the ICT needs of students are met, as well as the education vision of the schools. Keen to help students take ownership of their own learning, the common technology vision for the schools is to strongly emphasise personalisation and the provision of anytime, anywhere learning.

Also committed to supporting the schools on a day-to-day basis through its managed service, each of the school’s networks and infrastructures is supported and continuously monitored by Northgate’s dedicated Service Desk.  The service, modelled on industry best practice, promotes high first-time fix rates and provides the schools with a proactive and continuously improving service that ensures ICT incidents and problems are managed efficiently to minimise disruption to teaching and learning. The Service Desk, together with the dedicated on-site team, provides an integrated managed service, supplemented where required with resources drawn across Northgate, ensuring maximum flexibility and secure efficient delivery.

N-able Managed Learning Environment (MLE)

Each student within the completed BSF Schools now has access to an on line Managed Learning Environment (MLE) called N-able. Designed by Northgate, N-able provides students with their own personalised learning area with the support and assistance they need to maximise independent study and to progress according to their own individual learning plan. Accessible through the internet from any location, the MLE gives each student their own on line space to work on assignments, store work and access emails, enabling them to communicate with teachers and fellow students.

Each teacher has a digital tool box to enable them to continually assess pupils’ work and offer as much or as little guidance as they need. N-able also allows the school to incorporate administrative systems such as pupil access and registration, as well as pupil achievements such as exam and homework marks.

Over the course of the project, N-able will provide parents with secure access to information about their child such as their attendance, homework assignments and assessments. Leicester parents are able to keep up to date with their child’s achievements online and really get involved in their child’s education, improving communication between parents, school and students.

Implementation of N-able has been tailored to the requirements of the individual school, with each school integrating with different administration systems such as registration, student assessment and cashless catering.

The Schools

Beaumont Leys Secondary School

Students and staff at Beaumont Leys Secondary School have access to 350 computers and laptops and 52 interactive whiteboards. Through a wireless network which reaches out to the playground, students can even send work to the school’s printers from the comfort of their own home.  The network also supports a podcasting facility which is being used as a teaching and learning tool in the English Department.  The school is keen to try different devices in the classroom and with the support of Northgate are currently trialing Net-Books. Using the Managed Learning Environment staff, students and their parents are able to access important learning resources and information about events in the school, a student’s progress, attendance, behaviour and positive contribution from any computer - anywhere in the world.

The school also benefits from Smart Card Technology. Staff use the cards to access the school and students to register for their morning and afternoon classes.  The cards are also used to print to centrally located printers within the school. The Smart Card Technology also supports Cashless Payment Systems which are used by students and staff to purchase equipment, uniforms, trips and food.  These administration systems are incorporated into the MLE, N-able to reduce administration and reporting time allowing teachers to once again focus on teaching.

Judgemeadow Community College

Judgemeadow Community College aims to create the best possible setting for young people to learn in and in which to meet the educational needs for over 1200 students.  Keen to help students take ownership of their own learning, the college is equipped with 550 computers and laptops and 57 interactive whiteboards and is fully wireless enabled, allowing students to access a wide range of media from different locations.

The creation of a safer school environment was also a key element of their vision for technology. Northgate implemented cashless payment systems to help make the school a safer place for everyone. This Smart Card technology provides school library access and cashless catering with the facility for parents to top up the cards on-line – which means children no longer have to bring money to school.

A centrally managed printing solution, accessed by identity cards, has been implemented. Limiting the amount of printers and paper used, the schools can help control paper wastage, maintaining a ‘green’ school environment.

Soar Valley College

Students benefit from a range of new systems including Cashless Catering, Electronic Library systems and registration, a new and efficient Print solution and each student being able to utilise the Managed Learning Environment at school and at home.  These systems also support Parents and the school to communicate even more effectively.  The use of smart cards allows the school to monitor pupil’s attendance and reduce truancy.

To help the school innovate, Northgate have created 2 ‘classrooms of the future’ to allow staff and students to experience and trial new technologies, to evaluate how embedding innovative ICT into the learning process can engage and motivate students.

To hear from this school please click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ssyue-jP7dA

Fullhurst Community College

The existing new school spine was refurbished with the front façade retained.  The College IT system was implemented over two phases.  In January 2009, a new extension to the existing school containing new IT rich flexible teaching space with 250 PC’s, 140 laptops and a new voice over IP telephone system. 

Once this initial stage was completed, the original school was re-opened with the incorporation of a further 60 PCs, 50 laptops, additional phones and 30 new interactive whiteboards.  Students are benefiting from Cashless catering and an electronic library system.

Smart Card technology provides school library access and cashless catering, these administration systems are incorporated into the MLE, N-able, to reduce administration and reporting time allowing teachers to once again focus on teaching.

The College is fully equipped with high speed broadband, giving learners access to a variety of online learning resources to help support their education. 

In Addition

Northgate’s IT Apprenticeship Scheme offers school leavers a direct route to develop a long-term career in the IT sector. In addition to studying for the NVQ Level 2 IT qualification, the apprentices will ‘earn as they learn’, combining educational study with hands-on training as part of the IT service team in Leicester. Our first Apprentice is in place with future plans to continue to grow the scheme.

To help encourage teachers to embrace ICT and integrate it into the classroom, Northgate has taken over 50 staff from Leicester schools to key events where they can learn about and try out new technologies including the handheld technology conference, BETT and workshops at which teachers can learn from Northgate experts about new technologies

Overview of ICT Managed Service in Leicester City

• Integrated Managed Learning Environment
  • - On-line access to portal anytime, anywhere and from any device
  • - Fronter VLE and on-line content
  • - Mail and communications
  • - Reporting
  • - Integration of access control, library, cashless catering and e-registration


• Provision and management of school based infrastructure
  • - Central support – servicedesk and remote management
  • - Local support - on-site technical teams
  • - Wired and wireless network
  • - Teacher tool kits - laptops/whiteboard/specialist equipment
  • - Student access devices - desktop/laptop/hand held devices
  • - SEN equipment
  • - Managed Print


• Wide Area Network
  • - WAN and Data centre provision and management


• Curriculum software
  • - Authority wide and school specific software and business applications

www.northgate-is.com/education

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