Education budgets are often stretched to the limit, with schools constantly balancing tight financial constraints against the escalating costs of staffing, facilities, and essential services. One area that often takes a back seat in these budgetary discussions is technology. However, in today’s fast-paced educational landscape, technology has become a cornerstone of successful teaching and learning. It offers not only new opportunities for students but also helps to streamline administrative processes and make the best use of teachers’ and staff’s valuable time.

One of the hidden benefits of working within the education sector in the UK is the long summer holiday, which provides schools with a chance to switch out old systems without the pressure of ongoing day-to-day operations. This means that, once a year, there’s an opportunity to implement changes and improve technological infrastructure without interrupting the flow of the school year. That’s exactly what one school came to us looking for. The school’s existing infrastructure was based on ageing on-premises servers running Windows Server 2012 and Active Directory. These systems were no longer cutting it and had become a drain on resources. What they needed was a more cost-effective, cloud-based solution that would reduce the ongoing expense of keeping on-premises servers updated and running. Additionally, they were looking for a new managed service provider who could take over both their onsite and remote support needs moving forward.

Evaluating their needs

After evaluating their needs and the existing infrastructure, we quickly identified that Microsoft Entra ID (formerly known as Azure Active Directory) would be an ideal solution. This cloud-based identity and access management platform is offered at a significant discount to schools, which made it an attractive option for the school. Not only was it cost-effective, but it would also integrate seamlessly with their existing use of Office 365 for email and SharePoint for document sharing. This combination of tools would provide a smooth transition to the cloud without disrupting the users, making the changeover process as pain-free as possible. Although we considered alternatives like Google Workspace, the switch would have been a major disruption for both staff and students, so it wasn’t the right fit in this case.

Before jumping into the migration process, we needed to better understand the school’s network layout and what systems were connected to it. The campus spanned over 35 acres and included a dozen different buildings, so it was critical to assess the network infrastructure to ensure everything was functioning as it should. Like most schools, their budget was limited, and we had to make sure we delivered the best possible solution with maximum efficiency. While businesses often focus on the return on investment (ROI) in terms of profit, schools must justify their investments based on how they enhance teaching and learning.

Upon review, we found that the school’s existing infrastructure was a patchwork of network switches and wireless networking equipment from various vendors. While we, as IT professionals, would have loved to upgrade the entire setup with a centrally managed solution such as Aruba, UniFi, or TP-Link Omada, we realized that the existing system, while not pretty, was functional. So, rather than replacing everything, we chose to reconfigure, document, and optimize what was already in place. This approach allowed us to keep costs down and ensure the school’s primary focus—teaching and learning—remained unaffected. We were upfront with the school about the potential risks of this approach, including possible delays in fault diagnosis, but the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

Migration

The bulk of the work took place over a six-week summer holiday, during which we successfully migrated the school’s existing personal data storage to OneDrive, ensuring that everything was safely stored in the cloud, along with a new ‘desktop profile’ that was 100% fully deployed via Microsoft inTune/Endpoint Manager. We also migrated the remaining applications that still required a client-server setup, such as the Management Information System (MIS) and the Cashless Catering system, to our secure cloud environment. We also reinstalled and upgraded all 300 end-user devices to the latest version of Windows 10 to ensure security, functionality, and performance.

As part of the upgrade, we also took over the employment of an existing Network Manager, who had been with the school under the previous IT support provider, as part of a TUPE transfer. To further enhance the school’s network capabilities, we installed a new 1Gbps leased line, which provided the bandwidth necessary to support the growing demands of the school’s technology infrastructure. One important aspect of the migration was implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We worked closely with the school to assess where MFA would be necessary and where it wouldn’t be. As recommended by the Department for Education, schools should prohibit mobile phones, meaning teachers and students wouldn’t be able to use their phones for login purposes. However, given the sensitive nature of the information being accessed and the need for secure external access, we decided that MFA would be required for teachers accessing the system remotely. We also implemented a strong password policy to further bolster security for all users, along with tools to allow teachers to reset students passwords in class, ensuring that teaching time would not be lost to students trying to find a technician to reset them!

Since the implementation, the school has seen a significant improvement in its IT operations. The new cloud-based system has allowed teachers and staff to “work anywhere,” – and students too, making it easier for them to manage and access files, collaborate on documents, and ensure that students are supported in a more efficient and streamlined manner. Another benefit of the new setup is the consistency of the end-user devices. All 300 devices now have the same profile, meaning that if one device fails, it’s incredibly easy to swap it out and get the teacher or staff member up and running quickly. This has proven invaluable in a busy school environment where devices can be subjected to wear and tear from being transported between classrooms and used in various ways by different users.

Conclusion

Of course, the nature of the school environment means that things are always changing. The devices are continuously used and occasionally damaged as teachers and students move between classrooms. However, the new system has proven to be resilient and adaptable, allowing the school to function smoothly and continue to focus on its primary goal: providing the best education possible to its students. The school’s transition to a cloud-based infrastructure has proven to be a successful and cost-effective solution that has enhanced both the teaching and learning experience. By strategically leveraging the existing network infrastructure, incorporating Microsoft Entra ID, and focusing on security and accessibility, we’ve been able to create a flexible, efficient system that serves the school’s needs both now and in the future. With ongoing support and optimization, the school is ready to continue thriving in an increasingly digital world.