Posted on 30/03/2022 10:26:59
On Friday, 13th May, at Carrow Road Stadium in Norwich, there is an ICT conference, organised and hosted by ICT for Education.
ICT Solutions have been invited, so please come say hello to us if you’re attending and to learn about our services.
Details on how to sign up and further information can be found here
Posted on 10/03/2022 16:11:00
Google Workspace for Education have introduced upgrade licences to add additional features to the current Education Fundamentals licences, used with the NSIX accounts. As a Google Education partner, we are able to offer free trial licences to enable you to try the upgrade features before committing to purchase.
Email, Calendar, Meet (for 100 participants), Cloud Storage, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Form, Classroom, Assignments, Sites, Groups and Tasks
As per Education Fundamentals plus additional security features (Prevention of threats, remediate phishing and spam etc.)
As per Education Fundamentals plus Google Meet up to 250 participants, Additional features in Meet (interactive Q&A, polls, breakout rooms)
For more information or to arrange a demo, please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 10/03/2022 14:37:40
If you do not wish to renew an annual contract for email/chromebook management services, please email details of the contracts you wish to cancel to ict@norfolk.gov.uk and we will remove the relevant item from SLA Online. Please ensure that you notify us in writing or email of any cancellation by 31st March 2022 before the contract renewal is rolled forward into the next 12 months.
Please note that unticking any items under 'Annual order', will not cancel the contract renewal.
For more information, please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 29/03/2022 12:05:14
To reflect the reduced demand on the Service Desk over the forthcoming half-term holiday period, we will be changing the hours of the Service Desk accordingly
From April 4th - 14th, the hours will be as follows:
08:30 to 16:00
April 15th and 18th are Bank Holidays and we will be closed both days
Normal opening hours of 08:00 to 16:30 will resume on Tuesday, 19th April
For more information, please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 11/03/2022 14:23:53
Commencing 28th March, the procurement system currently used by Norfolk County Council will be upgraded. This will impact our ability to place orders for equipment etc. so please could we ask that any orders are placed by mid-day on Friday, 25th March at the very latest.
Whilst we do have a contingency plan to purchase items during the upgrade period, it will be used for emergency situations only. It’s anticipated the new system will be live week commencing April 18th, in time for when schools/academies return.
We apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused.
Posted on 10/03/2022 16:11:00
Google Workspace for Education have introduced upgrade licences to add additional features to the current Education Fundamentals licences, used with the NSIX accounts. As a Google Education partner, we are able to offer free trial licences to enable you to try the upgrade features before committing to purchase.
Email, Calendar, Meet (for 100 participants), Cloud Storage, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Form, Classroom, Assignments, Sites, Groups and Tasks
As per Education Fundamentals plus additional security features (Prevention of threats, remediate phishing and spam etc.)
As per Education Fundamentals plus Google Meet up to 250 participants, Additional features in Meet (interactive Q&A, polls, breakout rooms)
For more information or to arrange a demo, please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 10/03/2022 14:37:40
If you do not wish to renew an annual contract for email/chromebook management services, please email details of the contracts you wish to cancel to ict@norfolk.gov.uk and we will remove the relevant item from SLA Online. Please ensure that you notify us in writing or email of any cancellation by 31st March 2022 before the contract renewal is rolled forward into the next 12 months.
Please note that unticking any items under 'Annual order', will not cancel the contract renewal.
For more information, please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 10/03/2022 12:54:41
The current Updata infrastructure contract, which provides broadband connectivity to over 250 schools and academies, is due to expire on 31st March 2024.
Due to infrastructure changes, it will not be possible to continue with the Capita Updata service in its current format after this date. Although this seems a long way away, Norfolk County Council (NCC) ICT Solutions are already beginning to review options for providing connectivity to schools and academies post April 2024.
To enable us to produce a Statement of Requirements (SOR) we are looking for feedback on the following to help shape the future contract(s):
Please can you complete the following form, which can be found here by 1st April 2022
Posted on 10/03/2022 13:06:14
Further to MI Sheet 37/22 we are pleased to extend our Cyber Security Information session on Thursday 17th March to include sessions from the Police on their Cyber Security initiatives available to Schools, as well as the Cyber Resilience Programme offer from Secure Schools.
If you would like to attend this session, please register your interest via this form so we can send the invitation out to you.
For more information and the agenda view our events page
Posted on 02/02/2022 10:50:36
To reflect the reduced demand on the Service Desk over the forthcoming half-term holiday period, we will be changing the hours of the Service Desk accordingly.
From February 14th - 18th, the hours will be as follows -
08:30 to 16:00.
Normal opening hours of 08:00 to 16:30 will resume on Monday, February 21st.
For more information please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 31/01/2022 10:40:02
All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online
We are proud to promote the efforts of the UK Safer Internet Centre for the upcoming Safer Internet Day on Tuesday 8th February 2022
"Safer Internet Day is celebrated globally in February each year to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people, and to inspire a national conversation about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically, and creatively.
Safer Internet Day 2022 is on 8th February and will be celebrated with the theme ‘All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online’.
Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, Safer Internet Day is celebrated in over a hundred countries coordinated by the joint Insafe/INHOPE network, with the support of the European Commission, and national Safer Internet Centres across Europe"
Visit their website for to register your interest and get access to all of the resources and information to help our young people to stay safe online
Safer Internet Day 2022 - UK Safer Internet Centre
Posted on 06/12/2021 15:11:02
To reflect the reduced demand on the Service Desk over the Christmas holiday period, we will be changing the opening hours to reflect this.
Our opening hours will be as follows:
December 20th – 23rd - 08:30 to 16:00
December 24th - 09:00 to 12:00
December 25th – January 3rd 2022 - Closed
Normal opening hours of 08:00 to 16:30 will resume on Tuesday, January 4th 2022.
For more information please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
We would like to wish all our customers a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year!
Posted on 02/11/2021 15:36:19
Whether you are back in the classroom or teaching remotely, Google’s latest Product Training Series will showcase how to make the most of Google Workspace across four key pillars:
Through a series of demo-based training sessions, Google trainers will share educational use-cases as well as tips & tricks to help make their technology work for you!
Each session will cover features available across four Workspace editions: Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Teaching and Learning Upgrade and Education Plus.
These sessions are free and suitable for educators, curriculum & IT leaders, and IT Administrators. If you're unable to watch live, register to watch on demand.
Recordings will be available the day following the session.
A link to see the events can be found here
Posted on 02/11/2021 15:29:36
If you are planning on holding any training days in the near future or wish to promote to your staff, this is a reminder that the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) have made a free cyber security training package available and it can be accessed here
With cyber security threats faced by Educational establishments on the increase, this will help raise staff awareness and help deal with such threats.
For more information please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 07/10/2021 08:12:58
Microsoft have issued a notification that from November 1st 2021, only certain versions of Office/Outlook will be able to connect to Office/Microsoft 365 services.
In order for you to be prepared for this, please visit the following webpage to ensure that there is no interruption to any Microsoft services that you currently use.
For more information please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 02/11/2021 15:32:59
There is a free Microsoft virtual event on November 9th at 09.00 PST (17:00 - UK Time)
During this free 45-minute virtual event, changemakers and industry leaders will come together to address gaps widened by the pandemic, tackle challenges with innovative technology, and share best practices to support inclusive learning.
More details and a link to the event can be found here
Posted on 21/10/2021 09:58:41
To reflect the reduced demand on the Service Desk over the forthcoming half-term holiday period, we will be changing the hours of the Service Desk accordingly.
From October 25th - 29th, the hours will be as follows -
08:30 to 16:00.
Normal opening hours of 08:00 to 16:30 will resume on Monday, 1st November
For more information please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 09/07/2021 11:13:59
To reflect the reduced demand on the Service Desk over the forthcoming Summer holiday period, we will be changing the hours of the Service Desk accordingly.
From 26th July to 31st August, the hours will be as follows -
09:00 to 16:00.
Normal opening hours of 08:00 to 16:30 will resume on Wednesday, 1st September
For more information please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 21/03/2021 12:31:54
To reflect the reduced demand on the Service Desk over the Easter holiday period, we will be changing the hours of the Service Desk accordingly.
From 29th March to 9th April, the hours will be as follows -
09:00 to 16:00.
Normal opening hours of 08:00 to 16:30 will resume on Monday, April 12th.
For more information please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 27/01/2021 11:52:32
We are aware of a large number of schools receiving an email this morning from a "school" in Norfolk or Suffolk, asking them to click a link as they have files in Dropbox. The subject of the email is - xxxx (where xxxx is the name/abbreviation of the school) sent you some files.
This appears to be a phishing/scam email so please can we ask schools not to click on any links in the email and simply delete it.
You may get a subsequent daily reminder to say you have not downloaded the files and to do so. Again, please simply delete it.
As a reminder, this link will help you if you are unsure if a website/email is legitimate or not - https://icteducation.norfolk.gov.uk/page.aspx?id=1349
For more information please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted 07/12/2020 10.26am
The current Management Information System contracts with Norfolk County Council will expire on 31 March 2021.
Feedback from schools currently purchasing the service through ICT Solutions has shown a desire to continue with the current framework in place.
The following suppliers are available on our Framework at discounted pricing:
MIS pricing is in the process of being sent to schools/academies.
If you are thinking of switching your MIS Supplier, please can you notify us no later than December 18th so that we can notify the supplier on your behalf. Failure to do so may result in a financial penalty being imposed by them.
Posted 07/12/2020 10.26am
We recently held training sessions for MS Teams and O365.
If you were unable to attend, recordings of the sessions held on 22nd October and 5th November are available on YouTube.
Starting with Microsoft Teams for Education: https://youtu.be/h-pe2qLDAHA
Do more with Office 365: https://youtu.be/w-KCe-TCNa0
We would appreciate your feedback and suggestions on what to cover in potential future sessions: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=lOM_8mowLU-yDq7UATSAsV_upC52Ec5EjQhZD-wIFptURTdaNTgwNkI0V1k0TkRGV0VBU1NQWEdEMS4u
ICT Solutions are an accredited Microsoft Global Training Partner, we can offer a range of training options and bespoke packages to meet your requirements.
If you would like to know more about our training packages please contact us at ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 24/11/2020 09:33:06
Vodafone UK announced it is giving free connectivity to 250,000 children across the UK to help them access school work from home, catch up on lost learning during school holidays, and continue with their education if they are required to isolate. The Vodafone schools.connected support – in the form of data SIMs – is available to primary and secondary schoolchildren in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Schools can order the data SIMs to give to pupils who find it difficult to access education from home because they don’t have the right connectivity. Each SIM has a 30GB data allowance valid for 90 days.
The launch of this emergency package follows consultation with head teachers and education trusts, who report that many children are struggling to access education from home due to a lack of connectivity.
More details and how to apply can be found here
Updated on 11/11/2020 15:04:01
The current Management Information System contracts with Norfolk County Council will expire on 31 March 2021. Feedback from schools currently purchasing the service through ICT Solutions has shown a desire to continue with the current framework in place. The following suppliers are available on our Framework at discounted pricing:
Some schools have expressed an interest to view other Management Information Systems, so we have arranged demonstration sessions with each supplier. In the current climate, these will be carried out via Microsoft Teams and is recommended the Head, Business Manager, Data Manager and School Secretary attend so you can make an informed decision for your school/academy.
These demonstrations are open to all Norfolk schools, regardless of whether they purchase their MIS or have their support via ICT Solutions. They will be aimed at Primary and Special schools/academies.
We have the following dates and times available. To join the demonstration, you would simply need to click on the link beside the MIS you are interested in seeing.
It would be appreciated if you are thinking of attending any of the events, if you could email ict@norfolk.gov.uk with your preferred date/time.
MIS pricing from April 2021 is unavailable at present but will be shortly.
If you are thinking of switching your MIS Supplier, please can you notify us no later than December 18th so that we can notify the supplier on your behalf. Failure to do so may result in a financial penalty being imposed by them.
Date |
Time |
MIS Supplier |
Demonstration link |
Tuesday, |
11:00 - 13:00 |
RM Integris |
|
Tuesday, |
13:00 - 14:00 |
Scholarpack |
|
Wednesday, |
10:30 - 11:30 |
Pupil Asset |
|
Wednesday, |
14:00 - 15:00 |
Bromcom |
|
Thursday, |
10:30 - 12:00 |
Capita SIMS (They will be showcasing SIMS Primary during this demo) |
Updated on 11/11/2020 14:59:46
With many schools now using Microsoft 365 and Teams for remote learning, we have put together some short training sessions on getting the best out of these applications in an educational environment. The training will be delivered by one of our Microsoft Global Trainers and are free to attend.
** Please note: There has been an amendment to the date of the next session, it is now the 26th. The link is still valid **
Date |
Session |
Joining Link |
14thOctober 2020 15.30 – 16.30 |
Get started with Office 365 |
|
22ndOctober 2020 15.30 – 16.30 |
Starting with Microsoft Teams |
|
5thNovember 2020 15.30 – 16.30 |
Do more with Office 365 and the Microsoft Educator Community |
|
26th November 2020 15.30 – 16.30 |
Hybrid learning in the Teams environment |
If you were unable to attend, recordings of the sessions held on 22nd October and 5th November are available on YouTube.
Starting with Microsoft Teams for Education: https://youtu.be/h-pe2qLDAHA
Do more with Office 365: https://youtu.be/w-KCe-TCNa0
We would appreciate your feedback and suggestions on what to cover in potential future sessions: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=lOM_8mowLU-yDq7UATSAsV_upC52Ec5EjQhZD-wIFptURTdaNTgwNkI0V1k0TkRGV0VBU1NQWEdEMS4u
ICT Solutions are an accredited Microsoft Global Training Partner, we can offer a range of training options and bespoke packages to meet your requirements.
If you would like to know more about our training packages please contact us at ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 09/11/2020 16:11:19
The current Audio Visual Framework which is in place for Schools and Academies across Norfolk via ICT Solutions / Norfolk County Council is due to expire on 31st December 2020.
We are currently in the process of re-tendering the Audio Visual Framework and will appoint suppliers to start from 1st January 2021.
The purpose of the Framework is to provide Schools and Academies with a purchase route for Audio Visual requirements within their establishment, whether it is for Classroom equipment or more specialist Hall Audio Visual equipment. It provides security in the knowledge that the companies appointed to this Framework have been evaluated by Procurement, Health & Safety and Technical Specialists within Norfolk County Council. This is to ensure the chosen suppliers provide value for money, are financially sound as a business, adhere to the correct Health, Safety and Safeguarding procedures and offer technical solutions particularly designed for educational purposes.
Robust procedures are put in place to ensure fair mini-competitions are carried out within the Framework to ensure Schools / Academies are provided with a solution which best meets their requirements, taking out the hassle of having to approach companies themselves and ensuring good procurement practice is followed.
Our Procurement Team are extremely experienced in discussing requirements and consulting with Senior Leadership Team or ICT Leads within the School / Academy to establish the educational requirements for new equipment. With the information and knowledge gained from these discussions we would then approach the suppliers within our Framework to conduct a mini competition to provide tender proposals for these requirements. These proposals are then evaluated by our experienced Procurement Team to ensure they are offering the correct solution to meet the requirements and are value for money. Once the tender has been awarded, we will request the company then arranges to visit the School or Academy to carry out surveys and discuss their solution with them in more depth. This saves the School / Academy having to manage visits from multiple companies to assess the same requirement.
We have close relationships with most of the major Interactive Screen Manufacturers who specialise in products specifically for educational environments and can arrange free of charge demos of equipment and essential training.
If you would like any further information regarding this Framework or have a current requirement to procure Audio Visual Equipment, please do not hesitate to contact our Procurement Team – ictcontractsteam@norfolk.gov.uk or 01603 475603 (Option 2).
GDPRiS have notified us that they are holding a webinar for Norfolk schools on Tuesday, December 1st. To give you an idea of what will be covered, please see the following link - https://icteducation.norfolk.gov.uk/page.aspx?ID=1467
Posted on 13/10/2020 14:13:44
We are aware of a recent cyber attack that has affected the IT services of a council in the London area. Whilst the exact cause of the incident is currently unknown, we would therefore like to remind Schools/Academies to remain vigilant at the present time when receiving any emails, especially if they are from an outside sender.
Guidance on how to spot such emails and websites can be found on our website - https://icteducation.norfolk.gov.uk/page.aspx?id=1349
For more information please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 08/10/2020 09:07am
The current MIS contracts with Norfolk County Council will expire on 31 March 2021. Feedback from schools currently purchasing the service through ICT Solutions has shown a desire to continue with the current framework in place.
The following suppliers are available on our Framework at discounted pricing:
Some schools have expressed an interest to view other MIS’, so we have arranged demonstration sessions with each supplier. In the current climate, these will be carried out via Microsoft Teams and is recommended the Head, Business Manager, Data Manager and School Secretary attend so you can make an informed decision for your school/academy.
These demonstrations are open to all Norfolk schools, regardless of whether they purchase their MIS or have their support via ICT Solutions. They will be aimed at Primary and Special schools/academies.
We have the following dates and times available. They will be the same in October and November, but we have put more than one on, in case you are unable to make either date. To join the demonstration, you would simply need to click on the link beside the MIS you are interested in seeing.
It would be appreciated if you are thinking of attending any of the events if you could email ict@norfolk.gov.uk with your preferred date/time.
MIS Pricing from April 2021 is unavailable at present but will be shortly.
Date |
Time |
MIS Supplier |
Link |
October 13th |
10.30 - 11.30 |
Pupil Asset |
|
October 14th |
11.00 - 12.30 |
Capita SIMS |
|
October 14th |
13.30 - 14.30 |
ScholarPack |
|
October 15th |
13.00 - 15.00 |
RM Integris |
|
October 15th |
14.00 - 15.00 |
Bromcom |
Date |
Time |
MIS Supplier |
Link |
November 17th |
11.00 - 13.00 |
RM Integris |
|
November 17th |
13.00 - 14.00 |
ScholarPack |
|
November 18th |
10.30 - 11.30 |
Pupil Asset |
|
November 18th |
14.00 - 15.00 |
Bromcom |
|
November 19th |
10.30 - 1.00 |
Capita SIMS |
Posted on 01/10/2020 19:33:46
With many schools now using Microsoft 365 and Teams for remote learning, we have put together some short training sessions on getting the best out of these applications in an educational environment. The training will be delivered by one of our Microsoft Global Trainers and are free to attend.
Date |
Session |
Joining Link |
14th October 2020 |
Get started with Office 365 |
|
22nd October 2020 |
Starting with Microsoft Teams |
|
5th November 2020 |
Do more with Office 365 and the Microsoft Educator Community |
|
19th November 2020 |
Hybrid learning in the Teams environment |
ICT Solutions are an accredited Microsoft Global Training Partner, we can offer a range of training options and bespoke packages to meet your requirements.
If you would like to know more about our training packages please contact us at ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Driving data protection excellence
Posted 25/09/2020 9.02am
Since the implementation of the GDPR Norfolk schools have made good use of the GDPRiS software and the DPO services from Data Protection Education to aid their journey to compliance.
The two organisations are pleased to announce their closer working partnership bringing together a depth of experience and understanding of schools to ensure that Norfolk schools can have peace of mind knowing that the information, guidance and support available to them will ensure their compliance with the GDPR.
Talking about Data Protection Education’s contribution, James England, Director of Data Protection Education, commented “We are proud to be working more closely with GDPRiS to help schools in Norfolk continue to meet and exceed the requirements of the GDPR. We passionately believe that together we will strengthen existing good practices in data protection by enhancing already sound procedures and methods”.
Lawrence Royston, co-CEO of GDPR in Schools said “This formally brings together two organisations that are at the forefront of helping Norfolk schools monitor and manage their compliance.
“The partnership has many benefits including having access to shared resources and expertise. The partnership recognises the importance of building on this collaborative approach that strengthens both organisations and enables us to better help schools ensure they meet the new data protection regulations.”
To hear from both GDPR Schools and Data Protection Education about the new partnership and the latest features available for monitoring and tracking Data Protection within your establishments, please join our webinar on the following dates/times:
Tuesday 6 October at 2pm – register here https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrdO6rpzwtG90V8ZVeJel5Hawc4iQnUauw
Thursday 8 October 3pm – register here https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpdeqvpjwjEtf7IR1tE1l0Xh94gInmYnCG
New features video link https://vimeo.com/459330983
Posted 24/08/2020 11.59am
Do you have a new secretary this term?
We are able to offer a 2 hour overview of your MIS, Anycomms plus and guidance on how to request assistance/where to find help guides to ensure that the start to their new role is as smooth as possible.
The session would be held remotely by one of our experienced team members and the cost is £60.00.
If you would like to book a session, please register your interest at ict@norfolk.gov.uk and we will be in touch to discuss dates/times.
Updated 24/08/2020 11.28am
Offer extended to the 30th September 2020
Posted 13/05/2020 13:48
As you may have seen in the Government communications, they are recommending using either Google or Microsoft digital education platforms to support and deliver remote learning.
Other suppliers may be marketing you to take advantage of Government funding to move to one of these platforms. As a valued customer of ICT Solutions, we can offer advice, guidance and provision your platform free of charge if you register your interest before 30th September 2020.
It's a place where your pupil' learning experience at home can continue as close to normal as possible. The platforms are purpose-built for remote learning in a way that a school website isn't.
In short, if you get set up on one of the platforms, you'll be able to:
For either G-suite for Education or Microsoft 365 we can offer:
To help you establish which platform is right for you, view the comparison guide
To register your interest please complete this form and we will be in touch with you shortly to discuss your requirements
We are working directly with both Microsoft and Google Education teams for remote support best practice.
To reflect the reduced demand on the Service Desk over the Summer holiday period, we will be changing the telephone line hours to reflect this. From July 27th to September 2nd, the desk will be open between 09:00 and 16:00 hours.
Normal opening hours of 08:00 to 16:30 will resume on Thursday, September 3rd.
For more information please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Updated 01/06/2020 10.53
Offer extended to the 30th June 2020
Posted 13/05/2020 13:48
As you may have seen in the Government communications, they are recommending using either Google or Microsoft digital education platforms to support and deliver remote learning.
Other suppliers may be marketing you to take advantage of Government funding to move to one of these platforms. As a valued customer of ICT Solutions, we can offer advice, guidance and provision your platform free of charge if you register your interest before 30th June 2020.
What is a digital education platform?
It's a place where your pupils' learning experience at home can continue as close to normal as possible. The platforms are purpose-built for remote learning in a way that a school website isn't.
In short, if you get set up on one of the platforms, you'll be able to:
For either G-suite for Education or Microsoft 365 we can offer:
To help you establish which platform is right for you, view the comparison guide
To register your interest please complete this form and we will be in touch with you shortly to discuss your requirements
We are working directly with both Microsoft and Google Education teams for remote support best practice.
Posted on 22/04/2020
In light of the current Coronavirus Pandemic the DfE have cancelled or paused all but the most essential data collections, services and requests from all educational and care settings until the end of June 2020. This means that the both the School and Pupil Census Summer 2020 and Statutory Assessments have been cancelled. Therefore, we will not be publishing any guides on our website on how to run the census or complete assessments until we have further guidance from the DfE.
Posted on 03/04/2020 14:55
As more and more people are now working remotely, we are naturally receiving requests from Schools/Academies to access resources from home, primarily Star Accounts. Unfortunately, whilst we do not offer a remote access service, if you are using the Updata network, they can provide you with a quote for theirs. With some additional configuration from your IT support team you will then be able to access your Star Accounts database by RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol).
Further information about the service can be found on our support website here
For more information:
Please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 18/03/2020 10:35:38
We wanted to assure our customers’ that, despite the current climate, we are continuing to operate as normal. On Government and NCC advice we have adopted remote working, but things will operate the same as normal. The only difference that will be noticeable will be that the usual options will not be available once you have dialled the service desk, as we are forwarding the number.
Our opening hours will remain as 08:00 to 16:30, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) and we can still be reached via email – ict@norfolk.gov.uk, with the mailbox covered as usual.
As more and more people are asked to work remotely during this time, please can you ensure that you always provide a contact telephone number for any requests made should we need to contact you.
Posted on 17/03/2020 14:04:38
BrainPOP, Purple Mash and SMART are offering their respective services free of charge during this time for schools and families affected by potential school closures.
BrainPOP – Make Any Room a Classroom
Purple Mash for School Closures
View the latest guidance from GDPRiS for data protection when working off site
Google and Microsoft have both released statements regarding their products and what is available to support education during this period, both offering their collaboration tools for free, although these may already be available to you as part of your ICT Solutions support.
You will have access to Google Hangouts to enable video conferencing between remote locations and schedule video meetings, as well as G-Suite for Education applications such as Classroom to create assignments and communicate with students or collaborate on Google Docs or share files on Google Drive.
*Note Hangouts is current switched off as default. If you wish to have this enabled, please can we have an email from the Head/Principal authorising us to do so, the email address to send this to is - ict@norfolk.gov.uk
You can access Microsoft Teams via office.com and using your generic email account (e.g. head@schoolname.norfolk.sch.uk) and password and then you’ll be able to schedule and host video meetings. You will also have access to other Office 365 online applications and collaborate with others who have a “generic” email address at your school.
As per the above with the “Generic” email but you will, more than likely, have all staff and maybe students set up with an O365 A1 licence. This will allow chat, online video meetings, sharing of documents, storage of documents via Microsoft Teams and access to all of the Office 365 online applications. If you do not have your own tenant, contact ICT Solutions to discuss the benefits of this.
In both scenarios, if you are thinking of using this with pupils you may wish to consider gaining parental consent first.
Google COVID-19 Edu Blog
Google – First Day of Classroom learning resources
Please contact ICT Solutions if you have any questions regarding remote working using Google or Microsoft’s offerings.
Posted on 12/03/2020 08:58:01
Based on the UK Government assessment of COVID-19 ICT Solutions will be following the guidance set out by Public Health England.
Customers who have regular on-site visits will be reviewed regularly against the latest government advice. In circumstances where our support is impacted due to staff sickness/premises being closed, or public transport suspended, we will still provide remote support to your site to ensure you stay operational/protected. In the event of this happening, we will issue more information on how to contact us.
If your establishment has been impacted by COVID-19 please do make us aware ASAP.
For more information please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 / 0845 303 3003 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted on 14/02/2020 10:43:34
We would like to offer our VR kit for half price to educational establishments until 31.03.2020
Further information and testimonials can be found on our website - https://www.ict.norfolk.gov.uk/support-services/innovation, along with a link for how you can register your interest to hire the equipment.
Posted on 22/11/2019 15:23:13
Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 7 on January 14, 2020
You can continue to use Windows 7, but after January 14, 2020 support has ended, your PC will become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses.
Windows 7 will continue to start and run, but you will no longer receive software updates, including security updates, from Microsoft.
In addition, Microsoft customer service will no longer be available to provide Windows 7 technical support. With Windows 10, your devices will continue to receive the latest security updates to help keep you and your data safer.
What should I do if I am still running Windows 7?
For Windows 7 users, moving to Windows 10 will be the recommended path forward.
You can upgrade compatible Windows 7 PCs based on minimum requirements, but in most cases we recommend moving to a new PC with Windows 10 to take advantage of the latest hardware capabilities.
Fill out our contact form to get more information on how we can support you and project plan your move to a Windows 10 environment.
See how our EdTech Enhancement Programme (EEP) can help spread payments over three years.