RM Tech Talk issue 5

With the autumn term practically upon us (yes, 1st September is the start of meteorological autumn) here’s the first edition of RM Tech Talk for the new academic year.

Windows 10 support ending

微软 will stop supporting Windows 10 from October 2025, affecting all users, including schools. After this date, no more bug fixes or security updates will be provided, leaving systems vulnerable to cyber attacks. Schools are frequent targets for cyber criminals, and operating outdated systems increases the risk of significant disruption to lessons, safeguarding, and data management.

Cyber security requires a multi-layered approach. While firewalls and anti-malware help up to a point, unsupported operating systems pose significant risks. Schools should upgrade to Windows 11, though not all devices may be compatible. RM can assist in assessing device readiness for the upgrade.

Extended Security Updates (ESU) will be available for schools, but these are temporary measures and not long-term solutions. The Department for Education cyber security standards tell schools to keep their systems up to date and ensure proper licensing. Planning now is essential to mitigate cyber security risks and avoid future costs. Read our blog post by Ian McIlroy , RM’s Head of Service Development to find out more.

University of Chichester Academy Trust (UniCAT) chooses RM as its technology service provider

University of Chichester (Multi) Academy Trust is a growing trust of fifteen academies, serving approximately 6,000 pupils. Following a comprehensive procurement and bid process, the trust signed a three-year contract for RM to be its technology services provider.

As UniCAT's Technology Service Provider, RM Technology will help the trust standardise technology and systems, automate processes, and make sure they are at the forefront of emerging technologies.

CEO of the University of Chichester Academy Trust, Jennese Alozie said:

We're excited to partner with RM Technology to unify our systems across the entire family of schools within our trust. This technological support will allow our schools to focus on what they do best: inspiring every student to reach their full potential.

RM’s Managing Director Jason Tomlinson said of the new contract:

Our belief is in enriching the lives of learners with technology solutions, and we are committed to ensuring teachers can focus on teaching. We took the time to deeply understand the unique needs and challenges of UniCAT's academies, by addressing these crucial aspects, we're building a trusted relationship, enabling us to provide the most effective solutions for their learners.

Changes to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE)

As in previous years a new version of the “Keeping Children Safe in Education” statutory guidance for schools and colleges comes into effect on 1st September. There are comparatively few changes in the draft version published in May.

RM’s Tasha Henstock summarises the main changes:

• The definition of ‘safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children’ has been changed so it is in line with the updated ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023’.
• Guidance on ‘Early help’ has also changed to reflect ‘Working together’.
• Where applicable, ‘abuse and neglect’ has been changed throughout to ‘abuse, neglect and exploitation.’
• The guidance now clarifies that harm can include children witnessing the mistreatment of others in particular with reference to domestic violence and its effects.
• The signs that children may be at risk of harm now include “unexplainable and/or persistent absences from education”.
• Staff, governors and trustees are directed to the DfE’s “Data Protection in Schools ” document so they understand their obligations in this area.
• When placing a pupil with an alternative provision provider, schools remain responsible for the safeguarding of that pupil.
• The role of the designated safeguarding lead now includes recording the rationale for any decisions made.

Filtering and monitoring remain an important part of schools’ safeguarding responsibilities. The KCSiE guidance should be read in conjunction with the DfE standards on filtering and monitoring .

RM shortlisted in security category for the 2024 ISPA Awards

RM’s broadband services are designed to include the security measures every school and trust needs. The Internet Services Providers' Association ( ISPA UK ) has recognised our commitment to protecting customers, their networks and their data by selecting RM as a finalist in the Best Customer Data and Network Security category at the 2024 ISPA Awards.

Jason Tomlinson , Managing Director of RM Technology welcomed the news:

We are honoured to be shortlisted for this prestigious award. At RM, we are deeply committed to providing the highest level of security and reliability for customers. Schools are increasingly dependent on technology for teaching and operations, meaning cyber security must become a priority for educational leaders. This recognition underscores our dedication to safeguarding sensitive data, allowing schools and trusts to focus on education while trusting us to protect their digital environments.

An independent panel of industry experts judges each category to ensure that only the highest-quality suppliers are recognised. The winners in each category will be announced on November 21st, 2024.

Free Webinar: Using Google for Education to reduce administrative workload

Tasks such as lesson visits and learning walks can help improve teaching and learning. However, if they merely create paperwork, their effectiveness can be outweighed by the bureaucratic burden.

Tools such as Google for Education offer ways to remove administrative strain so everyone can concentrate on the desired outcomes instead of managing a process.

RM works with schools to implement workflows that help teams understand their progress towards individual objectives to improve performance.

áine Burke, Deputy Headteacher - Teaching, Learning and Assessment at St Bonaventure's School in Forest Gate, London told us how the workflows help their school:

Using Google for Education really saves us time and increases collaboration. The work that Dave [Fitzpatrick] from RM has done on workflow documents like lesson visits, book reviews, ECT lesson visits and learning walks draws all areas of school life together, analyses them and informs key stakeholders of progress within their teams. This aids communication and transparency, and reduces the workload for all, especially admin.

Dave Fitzpatrick , Senior Educational Consultant, will host a free webinar on 15 October on how schools can make the most of Google for Education’s powerful suite of tools.

Book your free place today >

Events and webinars

The events page on our website gives details of events we’re attending and our ongoing series of webinars on relevant topics. Forthcoming highlights include:

Safeguarding Your School’s Future: Data Backups Made Simple : Hosted on Teams: Tuesday, 24th September, 4:00?pm - 4:45?pm

Navigating the Digital Landscape in Education: RM Tech Talk LIVE! South Petherwin Community Primary School, Cornwall: Wednesday, 25th September, 4:00pm - 6:00pm

Unlocking the Potential of Google Workspace for Educators - Hosted on Teams: Tuesday, 15th October, 4:00?pm - 4:45?pm.

*New* On-Demand Webinars

If you missed any of them, you can watch our most recent webinars on-demand via our events page , including the series on cyber security for schools in association with Trend Micro.

That’s all for this month. We’ll be back with another RM Tech Talk at the end of September. Until then, keep up with the latest on technology for schools by following us on LinkedIn .

If you missed any previous issues of RM Tech Talk, you can read them in the archive .