School ICT News Bulletin No. 310 - 12/05/2023 Published by ICT Solutions eBulletin Items IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Broadband Framework Update IMPORTANT INFORMATION: DfE Schools Gigabit Programme Free 19 inch monitors available IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Enhanced spam protection in Google Drive IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Rydal Communications Webinars - Thursday, May 18th 2023 1. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Broadband Framework Update Further to MI Sheet 9/23, we have received several questions relating to the migration process, timescales, and the new suppliers on our Framework, as we move towards the end of the Capita contract on 31/03/2024. We are issuing a further MI sheet next week and have created a list of useful FAQs for both the migration and the framework. If you have any queries, please contact ICT Solutions at educonnectivity@norfolk.gov.uk. Please note this email address is only for queries relating to the Capita Broadband migration and Education Connectivity Framework. 2. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: DfE Schools Gigabit Programme The Department for Education are beginning to contact schools in Norfolk about their gigabit broadband programme. Below is the background information provided by the DfE, so you know this is genuine should you be contacted. Please be aware that this is a separate programme of work to the Capita network cease by 31/03/2024. Which Schools Are We Contacting? We are using data from Building Digital UK (a part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) to identify schools that are not included in any of the commercial full fibre rollouts before the end of 2025. Our data suggests there are more than a thousand schools in this position across England. What Are We Asking? We need to get some basic information from schools about their current connection. We need to know whether they have a leased line or similar service (meaning that they do not need our help) or are on something like FTTC (where they do). For those schools without a high-speed connection, and without the chance of getting that connection commercially, DfE will centrally procure gigabit capable (typically FTTP) connectivity for them, allowing them to upgrade their broadband service. We are not asking them to change ISP – we are simply providing the new infrastructure. DfE are procuring these circuits centrally through a Crown Commercial Services framework and will manage the contract as civil works take place to bring the fibre to the school site. 3. Free 19 inch monitors available Norfolk County Council have 100 19” monitors which are no longer required for our estate. They are perfectly usable, have been cleaned, tested and electrically checked. If you would like to request some of these monitors for your school, please contact ict@norfolk.gov.uk by 18^th May 2023 with how many you would like. They can be either collected from County Hall or delivered to you free of charge. 4. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Enhanced spam protection in Google Drive Google will be introducing a dedicated spam folder within Google Drive to host unwanted files that are shared with you containing spam or abusive content. This will work in a similar way to the spam folder works in Gmail. Files which are suspected to be spam will be automatically moved to the spam folder. You will also be able to manually move Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Sites, and Forms files in and out of the spam folder. Any file which has resided in the spam folder for more than 30 days will be permanently removed from your Drive. When a file is moved to the spam folder, you will be unsubscribed, preventing all comment, sharing, and mobile push notifications for the file. Once unsubscribed, you will not be able to find the file anywhere in Drive outside of your spam folder. You can mark a file as spam in two ways: Right click on the shared file, click on ‘Report’ and then select which type of unwanted content you want to report. You can select whether you want to block a user. Simply drag the file into your spam folder. Once you report spam, the file is moved to the Spam folder and is automatically deleted after 30 days. The following Google help page provides additional information on this new option and how to use it: Google Help: Mark or unmark spam in Drive The new feature will start to be rolled out from 24^th May. For more information, please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk 5. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Rydal Communications Webinars - Thursday, May 18th 2023 In preparation for the termination of the Capita network in March 2024, Rydal Communications have announced that they will be hosting webinars on Thursday, May 18th at 10:30 and 14:30 hours. This gives you an opportunity to see their services and ask any questions that you may have. If you are interested in joining, more details can be found at the following: 10:30 – 11:30 session 14:30 – 15:30 session Once you have registered, you will be sent an email with a link to the webinar, which will be carried out via Teams. If it does not come through to your inbox, please ensure you check your ‘junk’ mail folder. For more information, please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk

School ICT News Bulletin No. 310 - 12/05/2023

Published by ICT Solutions

eBulletin Items

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Broadband Framework Update
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: DfE Schools Gigabit Programme
Free 19 inch monitors available
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Enhanced spam protection in Google Drive
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Rydal Communications Webinars - Thursday, May 18th 2023

1. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Broadband Framework Update

Further to MI Sheet 9/23, we have received several questions relating to the migration process, timescales, and the new suppliers on our Framework, as we move towards the end of the Capita contract on 31/03/2024. We are issuing a further MI sheet next week and have created a list of useful FAQs for both the migration and the framework.

If you have any queries, please contact ICT Solutions at educonnectivity@norfolk.gov.uk. Please note this email address is only for queries relating to the Capita Broadband migration and Education Connectivity Framework.

2. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: DfE Schools Gigabit Programme

The Department for Education are beginning to contact schools in Norfolk about their gigabit broadband programme. Below is the background information provided by the DfE, so you know this is genuine should you be contacted.

Please be aware that this is a separate programme of work to the Capita network cease by 31/03/2024.

Which Schools Are We Contacting?

We are using data from Building Digital UK (a part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) to identify schools that are not included in any of the commercial full fibre rollouts before the end of 2025. Our data suggests there are more than a thousand schools in this position across England.

What Are We Asking?

We need to get some basic information from schools about their current connection. We need to know whether they have a leased line or similar service (meaning that they do not need our help) or are on something like FTTC (where they do).

For those schools without a high-speed connection, and without the chance of getting that connection commercially, DfE will centrally procure gigabit capable (typically FTTP) connectivity for them, allowing them to upgrade their broadband service. We are not asking them to change ISP – we are simply providing the new infrastructure. DfE are procuring these circuits centrally through a Crown Commercial Services framework and will manage the contract as civil works take place to bring the fibre to the school site.

3. Free 19 inch monitors available

Norfolk County Council have 100 19” monitors which are no longer required for our estate. They are perfectly usable, have been cleaned, tested and electrically checked.

If you would like to request some of these monitors for your school, please contact ict@norfolk.gov.uk by 18^th May 2023 with how many you would like. They can be either collected from County Hall or delivered to you free of charge.

4. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Enhanced spam protection in Google Drive

Google will be introducing a dedicated spam folder within Google Drive to host unwanted files that are shared with you containing spam or abusive content. This will work in a similar way to the spam folder works in Gmail. Files which are suspected to be spam will be automatically moved to the spam folder. You will also be able to manually move Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Sites, and Forms files in and out of the spam folder. Any file which has resided in the spam folder for more than 30 days will be permanently removed from your Drive.

When a file is moved to the spam folder, you will be unsubscribed, preventing all comment, sharing, and mobile push notifications for the file. Once unsubscribed, you will not be able to find the file anywhere in Drive outside of your spam folder.

You can mark a file as spam in two ways:

Right click on the shared file, click on ‘Report’ and then select which type of unwanted content you want to report. You can select whether you want to block a user.
Simply drag the file into your spam folder.

Once you report spam, the file is moved to the Spam folder and is automatically deleted after 30 days.

The following Google help page provides additional information on this new option and how to use it:

Google Help: Mark or unmark spam in Drive

The new feature will start to be rolled out from 24^th May.

For more information, please contact the Service Desk on 01603 475603 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk

5. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Rydal Communications Webinars - Thursday, May 18th 2023

In preparation for the termination of the Capita network in March 2024, Rydal Communications have announced that they will be hosting webinars on Thursday, May 18th at 10:30 and 14:30 hours. This gives you an opportunity to see their services and ask any questions that you may have.

If you are interested in joining, more details can be found at the following:

10:30 – 11:30 session

14:30 – 15:30 session

Once you have registered, you will be sent an email with a link to the webinar, which will be carried out via Teams. If it does not come through to your inbox, please ensure you check your ‘junk’ mail folder.