L-R Mark Fryers and Susan J Whyld

Derbyshire School Enhances IT Provision with New IT Support Contract

As the majority of children return to the classroom following the second national lockdown, William Gilbert Endowed Primary School and Nursery in Duffield have taken further steps to enhance their IT provision having appointed Link ICT as their new provider of IT support.

William Gilbert is a Church of England Primary School located in Duffield, Belper and is part of the Derby Diocesan Academy Trust. There are 243 pupils in school, aged between 4 and 11, plus a 52 place nursery.

Commenting on the appointment, Mark Fryers from Link ICT said, “We are thrilled to have been appointed as William Gilbert’s new provider of IT support. With most pupils returning to school full time on 8 March 2021, schools are finding that now more than ever, IT support is intrinsic in meeting the needs of learners both face to face and remotely. Over the last year, we have worked really hard to help existing and new clients improve both their onsite and remote working infrastructures to ensure they are reliable, safe and supportive of the organisation's operations overall.”

Susan J Whyld, the Headteacher, added, “At William Gilbert, we understand the need to continually deliver high quality education, including face to face teaching and periods of remote learning. We are committed to ensuring that all pupils have access to the learning resources and support they need to succeed. During the pandemic we adapted rapidly.  We developed and regularly updated our comprehensive pupil remote working policy and systems.  We have appointed Link ICT as our IT support provider to allow us to draw on their knowledge and expertise to ensure pupils and staff are receiving the best IT support possible to enhance teaching and learning.”

Also based in Derby, Link ICT specialises in delivering IT support to local businesses and education providers, and each client benefits from having their own dedicated IT technician on-site as well as offering remote support. This means the technician becomes part of the team and is accessible to help and train users so they gain the best from using IT.