Belmont Community School

Connecting Classrooms with Improved Wi-Fi Capabilities

  • Sector
  • Services

Schools are continuing to take advantage of the Department for Education’s ‘Connect the Classroom’ initiative. This has already delivered millions of pounds of funding to upgrade education networks and provide improved access to eLearning resources, faster connection times and greater reliability as the scheme continues to be rolled out across the North East.

Background

Belmont Community School in Durham, one of the main secondary schools in the county catering for students aged 11 16, has taken advantage of ‘Connect the Classroom’ to improve Wi‐Fi capability across its campus. This is part of an initiative specifically crafted to support a suite of advanced technologies to keep more than 800 students, teachers and support staff safely online when they work either onsite or remotely.

Solution

The Belmont School ‘Connect the Classroom’ funded initiative is one of the largest of its type in County Durham. Engineered, driven and directed by Advantex, the work has seen a team of education IT specialists working in partnership with the school’s senior leadership team to design and commission a new state‐of‐the‐art Wi‐Fi system alongside new network switching technology running through fibre optic cabling. This is all supported with a 24/7 maintenance and management package.

Specifically, the solution has seen a new cloud managed Cisco Meraki network at the heart of the solution, engineered specifically to improve access for students and teachers to safe and secure technology and resources ‐ powered by superfast broadband connectivity, extended coverage and greater reliability.

Benefits

The digital revolution ‐ and the technology, data and infrastructure powering it ‐ is changing the way our community schools live and work. Through the delivery of superfast connectivity using advanced wireless and switching capabilities, Advantex has put the power of eLearning in the hands of all at Belmont Community School. What’s more, with a robust, scalable infrastructure in place and the latest edtech to nurture and stimulate young minds, the school’s investment ensures that it is well‐placed for a bright, shining future, where connectivity lies at the heart of an enriching, dynamic and, ultimately, rewarding learning and development experience well into the future.

Customer needs:

  • Wireless infrastructure
  • Internet access
  • Managed Services

Components

  • Meraki MS425 Core Switches
  • Meraki MS350 Edge Switches
  • Meraki MR44 Access Points
  • Category 6a data cabling
  • OM4 Fibre Optic Cabling

 

"We have been impressed by Advantex’s added value Wi‐Fi solution and how they have bought into the spirit of the ‘Connect the Classroom’ scheme. Our investment will deliver not only a great resource but also one of the best possible learning environments for teachers, pupils and support staff. "

Dan Brinton
Deputy Headteacher at Belmont Community School