The New Kent Community Network

Benefits for Primary and Special Schools

Kent Education and Libraries Strategic Plan requires excellent ICT infrastructure for schools. A new broadband network has been commissioned from Unisys, available from April 2005.

DfES requirements Benefit to School
How will our School be connected? How much will it cost?
What should schools do next? Into the future

DfES requirements

By August 2006:
  • Primary and special schools should be connected at a minimum of 2Mbps
  • Connections should be “symmetric” and centrally purchased to ensure best value
  • Broadband networks must be connected to the National Educational Network

The Kent Community Network solution

The Strategic Plan called for a completely new network based on optical fibre:

  • Broadband access to parts of Kent never networked before!
  • 45 hubs bring high capacity to over 95% of schools
  • A ring structure to ensure that a broken fibre will affect few schools
  • Network hubs based in BT telephone exchanges to increase reliability and security

How will this benefit our school?

Broadband provides a multitude of services to support learning, including:

  • Fast access to on-line materials via a safe filtering system
  • Reliable email communications with free 30 EasyMail accounts per school
  • A free school Web site to celebrate your achievements using EISite
  • Collaboration using tools such as ClusterWeb and videoconferencing.
  • Direct access to financial and KCC administration information
  • Free access to the dedicated KCN Broadband Help Desk

Contributions to the costs will be related to the school’s size and service selected.

When will this happen?

The main network backbone will be installed by March with Primary and Special installations planned from April 2005, and completed by August 2006 to meet the DfES target.

 

How will our school be connected?

Full Broadband is expensive to install in parts of Kent. We will work with you to select the right solution for your educational requirement and location.

  • 320 schools connect over fibre at 2 Mbps or 10 Mbps.
  • 100 schools connect with 2 Mbps symmetric Learning Stream, copper or fibre.
  • 65 neighbouring schools use innovative wireless cluster connections.
  • 30 difficult locations connect using Satellite, ADSL or multiple ISDN lines.

How much will it cost?

Primary schools vary widely in size and sophistication of ICT use. The cost of installing and operating broadband, however, depends largely on the distance from the backbone to your school. The table below balances actual costs with matching contribution to school size.

School Size

ADSL

2 Mbps ‘DfES’

2-school cluster

3-school cluster

10 Mbps

Under 150

1450 pa

£2250 pa

£1800 pa

£1600 pa

£3200 pa

150 to 300

Unsuitable

£2750 pa

£2000 pa

£1800 pa

£4000 pa

Above 300

Unsuitable

£3250 pa

£2200 pa

£2000 pa

£4800 pa

Please note that these school contribution levels do not include the cost of installation, which is covered by Kent. School contribution levels are highly subsidised by Kent and DfES.

In future, the DfES may devolve a part of the broadband grant to schools, in which case school contributions will rise as the subsidy moves from Kent to the school. The contribution levels above apply to schools connected by December 2005. Schools connected in 2006 will be affected by a BT price rise of £600 pa.

What should schools do next?

For schools already members of the Kent Community Network, using either ADSL or a ‘Full Broadband’ connection, there is nothing you need to do. (In some cases we will change your connection from Learning Stream to an improved “LES” service, but at no cost to the school.)

Schools not yet on broadband have 14 months to join at the current school contribution levels. Any school with over 150 pupils and good ICT use and/or a computer suite is strongly advised to invest in ‘full DfES broadband’, nothing else is as good.

Schools wishing to remain on ADSL in the short term will need to upgrade by August 2006 to meet DfES requirements. When this is convenient, although there is no immediate urgency, please contact the KCN team.

Schools wishing to find out more or would like to apply for broadband, please contact either

Peter Banbury peter.banbury@kent.gov.uk or

GavinHutchinson gavin.hutchinson@kent.gov.uk

Into the Future…

The new KCN can expand to meet schools’ future demands for connectivity. In order to keep school contributions as low as possible, in the future the KCN will share costs with other KCC and community organisations.

For further detail, please see articles under Broadband Services from the ICT pages of ClusterWeb – www.clusterweb.org.uk?ict

Application forms and further details on the EIS site - www.kent.gov.uk/eis
(Broadband link)

Peter Banbury peter.banbury@kent.gov.uk


 | Published: 3-2-09  | TOP