Schools ICT

Working within the Merton School Improvement Service, we will support you in delivering the real benefits of ICT to staff and learners. From SIMS School Management Information System to the London Managed Learning Environment and London Grid for Learning, our forward thinking and innovative approach will help you to effectively plan and use ICT to improve and sustain educational outcomes.

We make management easy and can provide you with the expert independent advice and support you need to make effective policy and strategy decisions. Every school has the right to a cost effective ICT infrastructure and we will work with you and your ICT supplier to help achieve this.

What we offer

We offer strategic advice and help in implementing and maintaining managed learning environments, email administration, remote back up, web design, schools information management systems. In addition, our tailored training packages are renowned for being concise and very beneficial for both teaching and non-teaching staff. We provide one-to-one, in-house and group training on request. Our offer has been extended to include innovative online safety (e-safety) training for both staff and parents delivered by qualified facilitators.

We share good practice, successful ideas and visions across all our SLA schools and regularly attend conferences and update seminars to keep abreast of the latest developments for the benefit of all our partners.

SIMS support

At the heart of every school is the management information system (MIS). We can help you achieve the very best from SIMS with comprehensive support for every module including the new Discover package. We can make your data work for you:

• 24-hour call logging facility
• 4 x 0.5 training days with respect to basic SIMS functionality

Support for LGFL services

• LGFL billing services. We take care of the billing for all LGFL services on behalf of our schools
• LGFL/USO account and password administration
• Practical support for the London MLE (Fronter)
• Support and advice: school websites including hosting and search engine optimisation
• USO-FX secure file transfer system
• USO-Autotext texting service
• Administration of web and email filtering
• Secure store the online backup module (in conjunction with your ICT supplier)
• Secure remote access

Added-value services

• New buildings/school extension works. We will work with you, the Capital Projects Team and your ICT supplier to ensure your ICT needs are met as effectively as possible with minimum disruption
• In conjunction with Fronter we provide advice on using MLE to support curriculum planning, information digital literacies and for all subjects classroom learning and teaching
• Preparation for OFSTED inspection
• Online (e-safety) training for staff and parents
• Data protection training
• The team has a wealth of experience and can offer advice on online safety, safeguarding, data protection, security and disaster recovery and business continuity
• Maintenance of an approved ICT suppliers list
• Emergency school provision
• School Business Managers’ Forum
• ICT audit (on request)

Key features

We have adapted assessment related modules within SIMS to develop and implement an all-inclusive assessment and pupil tracking solution. This service caters for schools who use the Herts for Learning assessment package (an assessment without levels system) and Merton Early Years system. It allows schools to easily track pupil progress and attainment for all year groups, including Early Years, which results in quick and easy whole school and group analysis.

SIMS Discover has enabled us to move group analysis within assessment to the next level and as a result has rapidly improved the ability to quickly identify issues and patterns within various groups, which in turn has helped teachers to plan lessons that meet pupils needs more effectively. SIMS Discover can also be used to track and monitor attendance and behaviour both for the whole school and for specific vulnerable groups.

We actively support the adoption of new technologies and are working with Code Club, Iris, Apple and Roehampton University, amongst others, to lead the way.

Contact details

Merton School Improvement
Merton Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
SM4 5DX

Telephone: 020 8545 4126