April is fast approaching. Very soon, every government-funded school across the England will have to decide how to spend their annual budget.

ICT captures all the latest technologies used for communication, data processing, and data storage. It plays an essential role in society when we take into account the social, cultural and economic part of computers and the internet. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) provide a window of opportunity for educational institutions and other organizations to provide and use technology to complement and support the education and learning process.E-learning is an example of the use of these ICT-supported teaching and learning methods whose use in educational institutions is gaining energy with the passage of time.

Information and Communication Technology has a clear impact on the development of educational curricula. It is concerned with what is learned and taught and how learning and teaching occurs. What is learned and taught includes objectives, content, and learning outcomes (the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that students are intended to demonstrate). The “how” of the curriculum concerns teaching and learning methodology, teaching strategies, and media resources.

Why should recruiting for schools be any different from any other company?

Fundamentally computers are all the same, but the requirements of the education sector are significantly different from the average office-based business.

Software Support.

For example, many schools use a software platform from Capita called ‘SIMS’ ( school information management system ) this software is used by over 22,000 schools across the UK. SIMS is quite a specialist application, so it is highly likely that only IT Support Companies experienced working in the education sector will know how to install and maintain SIMS.

Hardware Support.

Many schools also use specialist hardware solutions such as SMART interactive whiteboards or touch screen technology. Again, not all IT Organizations will know how to support this type of technology correctly. Technical people will always pick things up quickly, but it is reassuring to know that the people looking after your network are not learning on the job!

Other things to consider.

When searching for a company online, I would strongly suggest using key terms that are relevant to the education sector. I would recommend searching for ICT Support opposed to IT Support, as ICT tends to be a term that is related closer to the Education Sector. I searched while writing this entry and I found that the results were more relevant when searching for conditions such as ICT Support for Schools, although if you use School IT Support, this is also very relevant.

It is also essential to ensure the safety of your staff and your pupils. Because of this, I would advise requesting written the proof that ANY members of team attending site and providing remote/telephone support have been CRB checked.

Sometimes we all need a bit of help.

Sometimes even the brightest and keenest of ICT Managers need a helping hand with computer problems that are proving hard to resolve. Also, complex projects such as server installations, migrations, and upgrades need a bit of extra attention from a company that has a wider pool of knowledge.