Minutes of the meeting of the Project Implementation Group of the NGfL and SRB projects held on Thursday 25^th November 1999 at the PDC International House.

PRESENT:

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE:

1.         MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING

All items covered in the main agenda.

2.                  NGfL DELIVERY PROGRESS REPORT

PRo note the following progress points:

•  22 schools planned to be installed with NGfL equipment before March 31^st 2000

• New project assistant appointed – Bianca Smith

• Orders to be sent out shortly work to commence in January 2000

• Authority bid submission for 2000/1 completed

• Draft Development and Action plans included in pack for comment

• Lambeth LEA is part of an 18 London authority-wide broadband initiative to provide 2-10 Mbit links to schools.

The draft school Development and Action plans included in the notes were discussed. It was confirmed that there would be a briefing at the ICT co-ordinator's conference (2^nd Dec 1999) and that the templates would be provided on disk and on the Lambeth-Connections website.

Heads commented on the proposed format for schools and it was agreed that PR and PRo would redraft these documents in line with the recommendations of the group.

3.                  ILS DELIVERY PROGRESS REPORT

JH noted the following progress points:

• Delivery of systems into the 10 remaining stage C schools currently taking place.

• Remainder of schools for 1999/2000 were the redevelopment schools

• Any schools not yet included in the ILS implementations so far, have been sent a full pack and video of details of the project and an Awareness Day – 13th December 1999 supported by RM plc to introduce the systems to schools and provide an opportunity for discussion and hands-on access.

4.                  CLASSROOM CONSULTANTS REPORT

Deferred to the next meeting. Heads welcomed support received to date.

5.                  EDUCATION EXTRA INITIATIVE – LAMBETH CR.ED

PR outlined the attached notes and details of the recent meeting with teachers and representatives from Paradigm ICT.

Paradigm ICT to provide demonstration sessions for ICT co-ordinator’s at conference 2^nd December 1999.  Further progress meetings with Paradigm scheduled, PR to report to next PIG.

6.                  TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS

Managed Services - it was confirmed that DfEE/BECTa had identified 12 certified suppliers able to offer a standard contract of services to schools from April 2000.

PRo meeting scheduled with RM plc 14^th December to discuss possible bulk purchasing agreement arrangements for Lambeth schools. To report to next meeting.

Heads confirmed that schools needed access to local/school based technical support for first line fault fixing and identification of further support from Managed Service providers.

7.                  RC briefed the group on the progress:

Lambeth new website (www.lambeth.gov.uk) and intranet site (\\Intranet) launched 22^nd October 1999. Over 800 council documents, committee papers, council press releases etc currently available for access and the sites provide extensive querying facilities of all documents.

Lambeth staff directory and new telephone directory available on the intranet site only currently. Access to the Lambeth firewall for schools is to be tested.

Provision of the broadband links for schools should look to provide direct links to the council systems as being installed for Libraries so that schools can access the council intranet directly rather than via the firewall.

8.                  SCHOOLS ELECTRONIC MAIL

It was confirmed that BECTa had sent out letters to all schools nationally to identify the standardisation of the naming conventions of schools domains.

• PRo to publish directory of schools email addresses shortly

9.                  UPGRADING INTERNET EXPLORER

PR drafted instruction sheet and CD for schools use to upgrade to IE5. RC to test in schools on systems

It was agreed that the instructions and CD’s would be available to schools shortly free-of-charge. 

10.              ESPRESSO PROJECT

PR to confirm Espresso slot at ICT co-ordinator’s conference. Further report to next meeting.

11.              LAMBETH S.W.O.P

PR presented discussion paper; PR confirmed that advice had been sought from the council legal advisors, as to the conditions to be specified for potential sponsors for schools websites.

It was agreed that the NGfL project would fund NETSETGO to complete the work on the information pages on the website upto £750. PR to raise order.

12.              DATE OF NEXT MEETING

9:30am Thursday 3^rd February 2000 at International House, Professional Development Centre, Canterbury Crescent, Brixton SW9 7QE

and

9:30am Thursday 30^th March 2000 at International House, Professional Development Centre, Canterbury Crescent, Brixton SW9 7QE

Go Back