If independent schools don’t adapt to change, they could be left behind technologically allowing other schools to scale up and become a more attractive prospect for parents with offers of online learning environments and productivity tools; because of this many independent schools are beginning to embrace this change by investing heavily into their IT infrastructure and are starting to see the benefits that having a hybrid learning environment can bring.
We’ve worked with many independent schools which has given us a chance to speak with multiple bursars and IT managers and they’ve let us know what their biggest challenges are entering 2022. we’ve put together the top three challenges independent schools are likely to face in 2022.
1) Everything Costs More
Recruiters’ fees are closely correlated to the strength of the jobs market, which was hit hard at the start of the pandemic, along with this talented IT staff are becoming harder to find due to many large companies sweeping up these workers with offers of higher pay that often can’t be matched by smaller businesses.
Now that we are entering a post pandemic stage the cost of hiring IT staff is at an all-time high, many businesses have found the cost of hiring someone with the same skill set as they would have pre-pandemic is costing approximately £3000 to £4000 more annually according to a study conducted by the Office for National Statistics.
So, with an increase in wages but a drought in talented employees the pool of viable yet reasonably priced IT staff is at an all-time low. With all this said it’s no surprise many independent schools are starting to partner with a reliable MSP which are taking the stress concerning their IT infrastructure off their minds.
Unfortunately, it’s not only the cost of staff that’s seen an increase over the last two years, below are some other cost increases independent schools are reporting in 2022.
- Hardware – Almost all industries have had to increase their online workforce over the last two years, this paired with a large spike in crypto mining has caused a shortage in computer components, which in turn means parts are either impossible to get a hold of or are costing up to double their pre-pandemic price.
- Energy price hikes – With Europe experiencing an extremely cold winter and many energy companies going bust it’s no surprise a report conducted by Trade Body Energy have forecast that gas and electricity bills could rise by up to 50% by spring 2022.
- Materials and building work – With the UK currently facing a material shortage the cost to physically expand schools is at an all-time high which is causing investments in e-learning to be a lot more cost-efficient, by keeping students in the same physical facilities but with more online tools it can be the perfect compromise.
2) Cyber-Security
As we mentioned in our recent security considerations for 2022 blog, cyber-security is going to be a top priority for businesses this year. With cyber criminals becoming more sophisticated and most businesses having a much larger online presence the need to be in control of your school’s cyber-security is more important than ever.
The challenge schools will face is in the scale their systems are being used, often security breaches are caused not by a fault in software but a lack of education by staff. The reason this is especially difficult for schools to manage is that it’s not only staff needing to be educated it’s also hundreds of individual students who have more than likely never had to think too much about their cyber-security and the devastating effects it could have on the school if breached. Educating staff and students on the causes and risks of things like phishing emails, viruses, and fake Wi-Fi will need to be mandatory to assure the security of your IT infrastructure.
To take the burden off their shoulders many independent schools partner with a MSP like entrust IT group that deals with a large portion of the cyber security in-house, some of the things an MSP do to increase your security include the following:
- Implementing multifactor authentication - This can reduce the chance of an unauthorised individual being able to access your network
- Implementing antivirus and internet security software - Investing in antivirus software for your employees can be massively beneficial for keeping data safe
- Enforcing password rules - Making regular mandatory password updates and implementing password rules such as character minimums and symbol inclusions can help to keep hackers out
- Managing and keeping software up to date - Having your businesses software up to date should be a top priority, the methods hackers use to access company data will frequently change so updates are needed to counter these new methods
- Implementing VPN’s - Now that the use of public Wi-Fi for work is becoming more common having a virtual private network (VPN) is almost a necessity, if an employee or student uses public Wi-Fi this can allow cyber-criminals to intercept the connection which grants them access to the victim’s data.
3) Making Students Feel Productive and Connected When Working Online
Getting students to be productive and feel included can be hard enough, let alone having to do this all on through an online workspace, and with e-learning here to stay this will be one of the biggest challenges school will have to overcome. We believe if the right productivity tools are put in place students will be able to work efficiently whilst still feeling connected to their peers even through a virtual learning environment.
Below we have listed some of the productivity tools that could be implemented into your school and the benefits these would bring.
- Teams – Is Microsoft’s communication and collaboration platform used to host videoconferencing, store files and work as a general chat box tool for colleagues and students. The implementation of teams would allow students to see each other face to face and speak directly with one and other making classes feel as natural and connected as possible.
- VoIP – stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and allows calls to be securely made to one and other from anywhere with an internet connection, so whether it’s in the classroom or at a student’s home your pupils will always be connected.
- Microsoft 365 - Microsoft 365 is a combination of online productivity tools that are essential for any business especially schools. Once implemented students and staff would have access to tools like Word, PowerPoint, OneDrive, and Outlook to name a few, these applications integrate with one by securely storing all files and allow students and staff to work on single documents together in real time.
Help Is Out There
With a report conducted by the World Economic Forum stating, “students retain 25-60 percent more material when learning online compared to only 8-10 percent in classroom.” It shows that hybrid learning doesn’t have to be a negative thing and if schools are willing to embrace this change it can be beneficial for staff and students.
Often independent schools decide to hand these challenges over to a trusted MSP like entrust IT group. We manage your school’s IT systems, keep software up to date and be there for technical support allowing your school and its staff to focus on what really matters once again, which is the students and their education and not the online workspace they work in.
A great example of a school that faced a challenge with their IT infrastructure and turned to us for help are Brambletye School, their IT infrastructure was always dealt with by one man who unfortunately for Brambletye decided to retire, this left big shoes to be filled so they turned to us. We have made a full case study on the entire process we went through to overhaul their IT systems, to find out more click here!
Of course, with change comes challenges but we believe if these are overcome a hybrid workspace could be the perfect blend of in class and online learning that allows students to have more freedom than ever whilst still feeling as productive and connected.
If you feel your school is falling technologically behind or are feeling overwhelmed with all these sudden changes It could be time to put the burden on entrust IT. With over 15 years of IT experience working with multiple independent schools we could be the partner your school needs to smoothly transition to a hybrid learning environment, ensuring your school is always up to date and stays connected.
Please feel free to contact us directly to by getting in touch on 0330 002 0045 or emailing enquiries@entrustit.co.uk to be put in contact with one of our experience consultants.
