Your School’s Summer IT Checklist!

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Prepare your school’s IT infrastructure for the upcoming year with this comprehensive summer checklist. From upgrading school broadband to ensuring robust school internet, we’ve got you covered.

Read on to get your weekly dose of IcyTea tech refreshment.

Conduct a Network Audit

First things first, you should considering starting by conducting a thorough audit of your school’s network infrastructure. This would include identifying any weaknesses or areas that need improvement, and putting in plans for things that you can change – think of anything that requires downtime, and get that scheduled in over summer! There isn’t a better time for work that requires systems to be offline.

A network audit involves assessing the performance and reliability of your school’s internet and Wi-Fi. Check for any dead zones, outdated hardware, or bandwidth issues that could affect connectivity. Identifying these problems early allows you to address them before the new school year begins; booking downtime for summer reduces any impact on productivity, but also means that any physical work (i.e. installing new Wi-Fi Access Points) can be done without any risk of potential injury to students.

Upgrade School Broadband and Internet

Ensure your school broadband and internet are up to date. High-speed internet for schools is essential for supporting digital learning and administrative tasks, but switching providers can often 1) be time consuming (in finding the best option for you) and 2) create possible downtime, which might impact learning. Don’t let slow internet be the ice cube that melts too fast in your IcyTea! Consider a refresh(ment) this summer.

Here’s some key tips:

  • Work with your internet service provider to upgrade your broadband plan if necessary.
  • Ensure that you have enough bandwidth to support multiple devices and high-demand applications.
  • Investing in reliable school broadband and internet is crucial for providing a seamless digital experience for students and staff, but you must also make sure this is future-proofed. Don’t sign into a 3 year contract for something that will only work great NOW – consider if it will still be adequate in 36 months’ time!

Enhance School Wi-Fi Coverage

Check your school Wi-Fi coverage and add access points if needed. Ensure there are no dead zones and that all areas of the school have strong, reliable connectivity. A well-planned Wi-Fi setup will ensure that your students and staff will return at the start of the new school year with a smile on their faces – nothing beats a smooth online experience when it comes to using school resources and, more generally, the internet!

Key tips:

  • Conduct a site survey to identify areas with weak or no Wi-Fi signal.
  • Add additional access points in these areas to ensure comprehensive coverage.
  • Upgrading your Wi-Fi infrastructure can improve connectivity and provide a better online experience for everyone in the school.

Implement Effective Web Filtering

Review and update your school web filtering settings. Ensure that your filters block harmful content and provide a safe online environment for students. Web filtering is your digital lifeguard, ensuring everyone swims in the safe zones, so let’s make sure that it’s setup to keep everyone safe. If you have any questions on this, then please feel free to ask by contacting us today!

Key tips:

  • Evaluate your current web filtering solution and make any necessary adjustments.
  • Ensure that your filters block inappropriate websites and prevents access to harmful content – new content will come out, and old content will be changed, so ensure this is all updated ready for the new term.
  • Customisable filters allow you to tailor the filtering settings to meet the specific needs of your school, so ensure that you are checking reports for any regularly visited sites that should be blocked or indeed allowed.

Backup and Security Measures

Ensure all data is backed up and that security measures are in place. Regular backups and strong security protocols protect against data loss and cyber threats. Once set up, backup processes can sit in the background and whir away whilst you work – but they won’t be truly optimised to back up the correct data in the same way unless you actively do this! Summer is a great time to review your backups with your provider, and with an influx of new pupils in a couple of months’ time, you’ll want to make sure that all the new data is being backed up accurately.

Key tips:

  • Implement a robust backup strategy that includes regular backups of critical data. This data will likely have changed, including the data locations, so ensure that everything is triple checked.
  • Store backups in accordance with best practice, using multiple backup methods and ensuring that the data is then stored in secure locations.
  • A key point that should also be checked when looking at backup is to review your security measures to ensure that they are up to date and effective. So why not add this to your summer checklist!

Got specific questions about your school’s data backup and management? Reach out, and we’ll introduce you to our friends and backup specialists over at ClearYolk.

Key Takeaways

Preparing your school’s IT infrastructure for the upcoming year involves a comprehensive checklist. After all, it’s the perfect time to do it!

By upgrading school broadband, enhancing Wi-Fi coverage, implementing effective web filtering, and ensuring robust security measures, you can create a reliable and secure digital environment. So, grab a glass of IcyTea and get ready for a refreshing start to the new school year!

Have any questions on the above? Reach out! We’re happy to help.