Carlton le Willows Academy
A perfect solution for education.
The fast and reliable internet that full-fibre, gigabit connectivity delivers means that Carlton le Willows staff and pupils have secure and unfettered access to the digital education tools they need for teaching and learning respectively.
The business
Part of the Greater Nottingham Education Trust, Carlton le Willows Academy is a mixed, secondary school and sixth form, educating children from 11 to 18 years old.
Located in Gedling Nottingham, Carlton le Willows occupies a 32-acre site and has a population of 1750 pupils. Just down the road, Carlton le Willows' sister school; Netherfield Primary, educates a further 450 pupils, aged 2 to 11.
The challenge
Over the last two decades the use of technology in the classroom has changed exponentially, delivering innovations in teaching and transforming the way lessons are delivered. Today circa 90% of lessons are taught using some form of technology, whether that be a digital whiteboard, online resources such as Youtube, or cloud services such as Google Cloud.
Carlton le Willows and Netherfield Primary have over 1375 laptops, desktops and iPads, split between the two sites. All of the machines are used consistently throughout the school day and each of them needs constant internet connectivity in order to access the digital educational tools on which lessons rely.
Carlton le Willows' IT team needed a robust and scaleable internet connectivity solution in order to ensure that the school's staff and pupils were not restricted in their teaching and learning respectively, by a slow and unreliable connection.
Internet requirements
- Full site WiFi
- Cloud services
- Streaming
- Cyber-security
- IP telephony
Grant Fisher - Network Manager
The solution
We have been working with Carlton le Willows for over a decade. We first replaced an ageing Siemens telephone system back in 2010, with an Avaya solution that offered enhanced voicemail and call routing services. Still in use today, this IP telephony solution was subsequently expanded across the whole campus at Gedling, and then at Netherfield Junior school. The solution provides for comprehensive automated and direct call routing functions along with day and night service facilities, call recording and voicemail services.
Gigabit internet services are provided via direct 'fibre to the premise' routes to both the Gedling and Netherfield locations. This provides cost-effective, gigabit speed, reliable internet service to both schools and caters for all of the voice and data requirements of staff and pupils. A secure link using the internet connection between the schools allows staff and pupils to access centralised services and facilitates the safeguarding of pupil activity on the web.
The result
The solution utilises the same cabling and IT infrastructure used to support all the PC's and WiFi services, reducing the amount of infrastructure required and simplifying management.
With their previous broadband solution, Carlton le Willows received internet speeds of up to 100MB. With their new gigabit-speed internet connectivity this has increased to 1GB; an increase of x10; resulting in huge increases in both performance and reliability of service.
Carlton le Willows full-fibre, scaleable internet connectivity ensures fast and consistent internet access for all staff and pupils, at all times, meaning that lessons can continue undisrupted, no matter how high the demand.
Grant Fisher - Network Manager
Next-generation true-fibre internet access is now available across Nottingham
We offer Gigabit speed services at lower prices than other networks, while dramatically improving service levels and network reliability.