Press Release | 8 June 2020
RM Education announces new contract win with The Forest CE Federation as part of a next generation cloud managed service proposition
LONDON, 8 June - RM Education, a leading supplier of technology to the education sector, today announced a new important relationship with The Forest CE Federation schools partnership. Central to this new strategic partnership, RM Education has been appointed Managed IT Services provider for this federation, which is made up of four rural Primary Schools in the beautiful countryside surrounding the market town of Towcesterin Northamptonshire.
After a competitive procurement process, The Forest Federation selected RM Education as its partner to design, deliver and implement a structured long-term technology plan addressing the needs of the schools, their teachers and pupils across the entire Federation.
The contract, which initially runs until August 2023, will support the educational needs of more than 245 pupils aged between 4 and 11, as well as 42 staff across the four schools.The Federation is proud of the way it pools strengths and experiences in the classroom – alongside leadership and governance – to create a richer quality learning experience for all of their children. Deciding to put technology at the heart of each school, is an important step in this approach.
Importantly – especially in light of the recent Coronavirus shutdown – staff and pupils will have the ability to work remotely in the future. RM will help them build an IT platform that is both flexible and scalable for the planned future growth of the Federation. They will create a clear IT policy and approach that is consistent across all four schools, with the ability for staff and pupils to go anywhere and do anything from any device – to roam seamlessly between sites in one virtual network that can be accessed in a truly flexible manner. As this will be a modern cloud-based server-less network, RM will provide all pupils with their own individual email addresses and Office 365 accounts.The solution will allow the schools to adapt their teaching and office spaces in the future, bringing infinite flexibility and removing some of the limitations that traditional approaches to IT can impose on physical classroom layouts.
The solution also involves RM providing the connectivity requirements for each school, including moving them to a future-proofed Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephony system–giving far greater flexibility to route telephone calls if schools are forced to close in the future (for example in the event of floods, snow or some other major disruption) – a serious consideration in these uncertain times.
“The last ten weeks have shown us how important the role of technology has become in supporting business continuity within a school environment. Many of our customers have shown how a cloud-based network – such as the one we are designing with the Forest CE Federation – is critical in equipping a school with the tools to continue teaching, no matter what challenge they face. Whilst we may all hope there will not be a ‘next time’, we also know there could be another pandemic, a flood or disruption from a severe winter. With reliable and modern technology at the heart of every school, backed by a robust and experienced partner, senior leaders should rest easy knowing that their teachers can keep teaching, and their pupils keep learning. We are delighted by the opportunity to bring our experience to benefit everyone at the Forest CE Federation”
John Baskerville, Managing Director of RM
The Forest CE Federation sought a partner who could help them design and deliver an IT platform that would support improved collaboration and planning right across the Federation. Whilst the procurement process commenced before the Coronavirus outbreak, it was conducted almost entirely remotely, using the Microsoft Teams virtual platform, conference calls, and remote design and mark up of documents.
“Our curriculum is designed to spark curiosity in young minds through carefully planned opportunities for pupils to acquire, apply and master their knowledge and skills in a unique learning environment, and having modern and reliable technology is key to that. We are excited to be working with RM, and whilst the selection process was thorough, we quickly realised the value from working with a large, capable and resilient partner would be important in our final selection – someone who could ensure that, no matter what the next challenge maybe, will be there to support us in delivering outstanding teaching for all pupils in our care.”
Eliza Hollis, Executive Head of The Forest CE Federation
“As a Governing Body we are constantly looking for ways we can improve the opportunities we give to our staff and pupils. We wanted to offer all stakeholders the latest standards in technology that the IT and education sector affords, including moving our infrastructure to the cloud and refreshing all hardware and software. As one of the biggest investments the Federation has ever made, we looked to find a provider that not only would satisfy our requirements and whom we could work with long term but also understood and embraced our ethos. RM took the time to understand our needs and the challenges of our rural village schools and went on to offer the most comprehensive and competitive solution. This new partnership with RM will go on to help improve standards of teaching and learning well into the future.”
Daniel Lister, Chair of Governors of the Forest CE Federation
RM is a leading supplier of technology and resources to the education sector, supporting schools, teachers and pupils across the globe –from pre-school to higher education – including examination boards, central governments and other professional institutions.
For more information on how RM could support your school or trust, visit rm.com/education
About RM Education
RM Education helps schools save time, save money and improve the impact of technology on teaching and learning. It is a market-leading supplier of software and services working in partnership with thousands of schools to improve outcomes for all learners rm.com/education
About RM plc
RM Education is part of the listed company RM plc – the £224m turnover British business, with over 2,000 employees globally, established in 1973, specialising in providing information technology products and services to educational organisations and establishments. Its key market is UK education including schools, colleges, universities, government education departments and educational agencies. rm.com
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