Unlock Connect the Classroom funding for your school
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The DfE Connect the Classroom scheme provides funding to eligible schools to improve their internet and wifi network speed. It forms part of the DfE’s plans to narrow the digital divide in education.
Is my school eligible?
The DfE announced the latest iteration of Connect the Classroom in March 2025 and said it aims to publish details about school eligibility criteria in spring 2025.
In the 2025 to 2026 financial year, the DfE will make £25 million available. Previously, schools in education investment areas (EIAs) or priority education investment areas were eligible to apply for funding. However, EIAs and priority EIAs have been withdrawn, so the DfE will not use them to target the funding.
Eligible schools whose wifi connectivity does not meet DfE standards will receive funding. The proposed upgrade must meet DfE specifications, which include having a functioning signal in all school buildings and outside where necessary.
We have a proven track record of successfully accessing the funding for schools:
RM has helped more than 240 schools complete Connect the Classroom network upgrade projects, allowing them access to over £10 million in DfE funding.
"It was an excellent example of partnership between the DfE, the multi-academy trust, our schools and our third-party managed service provider [RM]. An example of how all of that working together delivers something that's a real benefit on the ground."
"RM were the only bidders who provided the complete package. We weren’t sure that the DfE would go for it, but they agreed with us that it was the right solution, and the rest is history."
Updating your school network can bring many benefits:
- Reduced workload
- Improved pupil experience
- Better support for personalised learning
- Increased collaboration
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Better protection against cyber attacks
Our blog post explains in more detail.
If you are one of more than a third of schools reporting in the 2023 Technology in Schools Survey that you don’t have a fully functional wifi signal throughout the school, the scheme could fund an upgrade.
Accessing the funding with RM's support is easy
- Get in touch, and we can help you understand whether your school currently fails to meet DfE wifi standards.
- Keep an eye out for an email from the DfE confirming your eligibility.
- If your school is eligible for funding, we'll discuss your requirements in more detail and prepare a quote - and help you through the DfE funding application.*
- Read and review the RM proposal and follow the DfE's application instructions to gain their approval to proceed.
- Once you have received confirmation from the DfE, complete the order form with a PO reference and approved signatory.
- That’s it—we will then contact you to arrange the successful delivery of the project, including a complete
site survey to finalise your design, acceptance testing, and support from our project management team.
* If your school does not meet the eligibility requirements, we can discuss other options, including leasing, to spread your infrastructure costs over multiple years.
The perfect combination for Connect the Classroom
RM is an official Aruba partner and was their number-one partner in previous waves of the scheme. Together, we have helped schools of all types implement Connect the Classroom projects. We will help design the best infrastructure and network management system to comply with DfE standards. And with installation managed by RM, you can look forward to a hassle-free setup.
Our quality and data security commitments are backed up by appropriate certifications, including ISO 9001 Quality Management and ISO 27001 Information Security Management.
