Bridgid Nzekwu and DCSF procurement expert Claire Dicks visit John Kelly Girls Technology College in London to see if it's possible for the school to update its ICT provision and save money.
The school is about to become an Academy and assistant principal Ross McGill is determined to take the school into the 21st century. Half the desktop computers need replacing and the server is so old that pupils spend valuable lesson time trying to log on.
He visits Thomas Deacon Academy in Peterborough, which has won several awards for its ICT provision. It has a 'thin client' system in which most of the computing power is in the server, doing away with the need for individual desktop computers.
Later, Ross contemplates whether a similar system might work in his school. It would be a big upfront cost but are there ongoing savings to be made. Meanwhile, Bridgid and Claire research the costs and return to the college to report back.
