What is Connect the Classroom?

Connecting your school securely

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced the return of the Connect the Classroom scheme, with £30 million of funding available to upgrade wireless networks in schools throughout the UK.

Maintaining a secure, reliable and effective IT network is vital in modern learning environments. And to avoid unnecessary downtime and provide rich educational experiences in the classroom and remotely, it’s important to consider how to securely connect your classrooms.

Converge works with trusted partners to help schools with the Department for Education’s Connect the Classroom scheme by uniting all learning environments - to maximise learning outcomes while keeping pupils safe.

Our Managed solutions can simplify processes and bolster your ability to provide online learning.

Whether you’re looking to protect your data further, increase network speeds, or update outdated infrastructure to accommodate hybrid learning, we are on hand to deliver an IT network you deserve and can trust.

It has been essential for schools to create a modern learning environment whilst ensuring safeguarding measures are in place, this is where Converge can help. Independent research recently commissioned by Converge showed that nearly 50% (46.7) of schools don’t believe they have the infrastructure to manage a 1:1 device scheme.

Our dedicated teams have been instrumental in helping schools and the education sector enhance their infrastructure, providing reliable technology and support services that drive educational excellence.

Fully funded by the DfE

Connect the Classroom is a Government-funded programme to improve internet speed in schools. This is done by upgrading Wi-Fi access points and network switches. The funding for Wi-Fi in schools covers the whole package, from planning to handover.

What’s included?

Active Hardware that meets DfE ‘School Output Specification’

• Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) Access Points to provide site wide coverage and External wireless if previously present

• Edge Switches to service Wireless Access Points

• Core Switches

• Licensing to cover revenue costs for above products for 5 years minimum

• Technical Evaluation Survey, Installation, Commissioning, Handover & Training

Passive networking to ensure the above can operate well (if required)

• CAT6A Data Cable to support Wireless Access Point
• OM4 Fibre link between data cabinets

Value-Add products & services included within Converge solution

• Environmental Air Quality Sensor (1x Sensor & License per 10x AP’s)
• Telephone & Remote Access to Converge 1st, 2nd & 3rd Line inhouse support services provided for 30-Days following project handover
• 10 Year warranty for all kit (excluding outdoor APs)
• Feature upgrades and Firmware all included, along with 24/7 Access to support

The benefits of choosing Converge

Improving technology in schools is a responsibility we take seriously. With us, you can expect:

Enterprise technology for the classroom – The hardware is designed to cope with the high demands of an education network and will future proof your environment for any new IT initiatives you may take.

A schools focussed support service – 30 days free support with Converge. As your technology beds in, we will be on hand to help you get the most out of your new network upgrade, along with making any changes.

Comprehensive warranty – The solution provided by Converge comes with a comprehensive licensing agreement which covers all aspects of warranty, support and firmware upgrades.

Single and Multi-site low touch management – Managing single or multi-site schools in a MAT is simple and intuitive, accessed via a single, cloud-based platform. IT administrators can maintain all of your infrastructure on a single dashboard, from any location. Converge can provide optional support services to take on responsibility to maintain your network should you wish.

Trusted expertise – We will ensure a complete knowledge transfer upon installation so that your team benefit from our experience and expertise.

Account management – Named and dedicated account teams will ensure that your experience with Converge is to the highest standards.

Solution overview

Converge will provide enterprise-class, scalable wireless network solutions in schools designed to perform reliably for many years to come.

The solution we propose is built on open standards and features industry-standard core infrastructure from Tier 1 vendors, ensuring these established technologies and their integration are widely supported across the industry.

We will provide you with a solution that is:

• Reliable
• Robust
• Responsive
• Standardised
• Scalable