Everything ICT

30/07/2026

When did your school last review its AI policy?

Many schools now have some form of AI guidance or policy. But anything written in early 2025 may already need another look.

This quieter point in the year is a useful opportunity to review it before September planning and decisions gather pace.

AI tools and the risks surrounding them are changing quickly. A useful review should consider:

🔹 Which tools staff and pupils may use

🔹 What information must never be entered into them

🔹 How outputs will be checked for accuracy and bias

🔹 How safeguarding concerns, including deepfakes and AI-generated intimate images, will be handled

🔹 Who approves new tools and remains accountable for their use

🔹 How expectations will be communicated to staff, pupils and families

Policy should come before deployment, not after it.

For schools reviewing their approach, our AI policy considerations may be a useful starting point: https://everythingict.org/resource/ai-policy/

27/07/2026

Plastic Free July is a useful prompt to ask a procurement question that can easily be overlooked:

What is the packaging and waste footprint of the ICT equipment we buy?

Sustainable ICT conversations often focus on energy use, device lifespan and responsible WEEE disposal. But laptops, tablets and peripherals can also arrive with cardboard boxes, plastic inserts, protective wrap and other delivery materials.

Across a full device refresh, that can add up.

A few useful questions for suppliers:
🔹 Can devices be delivered in bulk or through consolidated shipments?
🔹 Is packaging kept to a minimum and recyclable through our available waste collections?
🔹 Can the supplier remove or take back packaging after delivery?
🔹 Does our specification evaluate packaging and waste reduction at all?

If packaging requirements are not included in the specification, they are less likely to influence supplier responses or the final outcome.

Everything ICT helps schools consider value, compliance and sustainability across the ICT supply chain.

23/07/2026

When device replacement is driven by failure rather than planning, costs can build up quietly.

Reactive replacement can cost more than planned replacement, even when the upfront cost looks lower.

Emergency purchasing is one reason. When a device fails mid-term, there may be little time to compare options, negotiate pricing or plan installation properly. Schools can end up paying for whatever is available fastest.

Older devices can also create hidden support costs. They may take longer to update, fail more often and need more technician time. At a certain point, keeping them running can cost more than replacing them in a planned way.

Then there is lost teaching time. A failed device at the start of a lesson causes disruption. A class set of ageing devices that cannot keep up with current software, curriculum demands or digital tools can become a daily drag on learning.

Strategic lifecycle planning helps schools identify the point at which replacement becomes more economical than continuing to support ageing devices.

The summer break is a useful opportunity to review your device estate, understand the real cost of ageing equipment and plan before failure forces the decision.

Need help reviewing your school’s device estate? Speak to Everything ICT.

20/07/2026

For many schools, the summer break provides the longest sustained window in the year for infrastructure work to take place with minimal disruption to teaching.

It is also a useful opportunity to step back and review longer-term digital priorities.

The Department for Education expects schools and colleges to work towards meeting six core digital and technology standards by 2030. Making steady progress now can help avoid a rushed and costly catch-up later.

The six core standards cover:
🔹 Broadband internet: full-fibre connectivity, appropriate speeds, capacity and a resilient backup connection
🔹 Cyber security: risk assessment, secure accounts and access, updates, protection, backups, staff awareness and incident response
🔹 Digital leadership and governance: an accountable SLT digital lead, accurate registers, business-continuity planning and an annually reviewed digital technology strategy
🔹 Filtering and monitoring: appropriate filtering, effective monitoring, clearly assigned responsibilities and assessment of risks including AI-generated content
🔹 Network switching: secure, resilient and centrally manageable switching with sufficient speed and power capacity
🔹 Wireless network: reliable coverage, security and enough capacity to support simultaneous device use across the areas where connectivity is required

Filtering and monitoring should already be in place as part of schools’ safeguarding responsibilities. Schools should be working towards meeting all six core standards by 2030.

A practical starting point this summer is to review each area and record what is:
• already meeting the standard
• partly meeting the standard
• still requiring action

The areas requiring the most work may be where summer planning can have the greatest impact.

Progress does not have to mean completing everything at once. A clear assessment, an agreed priority and a realistic improvement plan are all valuable steps forward.

17/07/2026

Compliance matters. So does saving time and money.

Everything ICT gives schools and MATs access to over 350 trusted suppliers through a fully compliant procurement route, with no extra cost to your organisation.

We’ll work with you to find solutions that fit your needs, your timescales, and your budget, while helping you follow a clear and auditable procurement process.

And for every accepted quote or review, a tree planted through our partnership with Ecologi🌳

Find out more: https://everythingict.org/contact/

15/07/2026

Expectations around how schools and MATs spend public money are continuing to grow. Procurement decisions now need to do more than meet an immediate need at an acceptable price. They also need to show that long-term value, sustainability, supplier responsibility and end-of-life planning have been considered properly.

Building responsible procurement into policy gives schools a clearer and more consistent way to make those decisions. It helps teams look beyond the point of purchase, reduce avoidable waste and choose products and services that remain suitable, supportable and cost-effective over time.

Find out how schools can make responsible procurement part of normal practice.
https://everythingict.org/how-schools-can-build-responsible-procurement-into-their-policies/

Practical advice for schools and MATs on responsible procurement, whole-life value, supplier evaluation and secure ICT disposal.

14/07/2026

Before schools close for the summer, it’s worth checking that key cyber security measures will continue working as expected while sites are quieter.

Make sure monitoring systems remain active, alerts are configured correctly, backups have completed successfully, and access permissions are still appropriate for the holiday period.

With fewer staff on site, cyber security issues can take longer to spot and respond to. A few final checks before the end of term can help reduce risk and avoid unwelcome surprises when schools reopen in September.

13/07/2026

Summer is often when schools start clearing out old devices: laptops, tablets, desktops and monitors that are no longer needed.

But getting rid of them is not always as simple as it seems.

There are three things schools need to think about:

1. WEEE regulations
Old devices should not go into general waste. They need to be handled through an appropriate authorised route.

2. Data wiping
A factory reset may not be enough for a school-owned device. Data should be removed using a recognised, auditable process, with evidence provided.

3. Asset records
The asset register should be updated when equipment is disposed of, including the serial number, date, method and any supporting certificates.

One of the most common mistakes is binning devices or passing them on to staff or pupils without making sure the data has been properly removed.

Where devices still have some value, refurbishment or resale may be a better option. It can help schools recover value instead of treating everything as a disposal cost.

Through Everything ICT, schools can access suppliers that offer compliant disposal, certified data wiping, refurbishment and the supporting paperwork.

10/07/2026

With the summer holidays just around the corner, now is the time for schools and MATs to check that their cyber security arrangements are ready for a period of reduced staffing.

From monitoring and incident response to backups, recovery and temporary access, a few simple checks before the end of term can help reduce risk over the summer and support a smoother return in September.

Our latest article shares a practical cybersecurity checklist to help schools prepare before the break.
https://everythingict.org/the-school-cybersecurity-checklist-before-the-summer-holidays/

Prepare for the summer break with our cybersecurity for schools checklist, covering monitoring, backups, access and cyber resilience.

08/07/2026

With the end of term approaching, many school ICT teams will already be planning device preparation for new starters in September.

That often includes software updates, user account setup, security checks, asset tagging, licensing checks and confirming devices are ready to be issued when students arrive.

Leaving this work the end of the summer holidays can create unnecessary pressure, particularly if hardware issues, missing licences or access problems only become visible close to rollout.

Starting preparation before the summer break can help make September deployment smoother and reduce avoidable delays at the start of term.

What stage is your school at with September device preparation?