Saffron Walden County
High School Site data
SWCHS has approximately 300 workstations giving a student station ratio of 1:6. This is divided between PC based systems and Acorns, with a small number of Apple computers in the Art Centre. The dominant management operating system across the network is Research Machines Connect 2.3, which provides management tools on a Windows NT platform. The main curriculum server is an RM based system running approximately 140 windows based workstations. These include RM, Bell Science and Olivetti systems of varying ages. In addition a separate NT4 based Hewlett Packard Curriculum Server and a dedicated NT4 based server for the Cisco curriculum, serve 70 odd machines in the Sixth form centre. The workstations offer either Windows 95 or 98 with built in restrictions for all clients. A separate admin network exists with its own NT4 server and approximately 50 workstations. Plans exist to incorporate the 110 staff laptops into the network by way of using wireless LAN. Most rooms have solid walls employing breezeblocks or bricks, although some have partition walls made from plasterboard (dry-wall) on the interior. Each room has a suspended ceiling, where the tiles are free from asbestos content. All rooms have florescent lights although the main computer rooms have specialist lights that comply with regulations for use in computer areas. Due to the nature of the building environment it is desired that no cabling be visible to students and must therefore be concealed either in ceiling cavities or within trunking.
The school gains access to the Internet at the present time by way of a TC Trust Net Broadband (E1) 2.048Mbps line and linked by way of a Cisco 1603 Router. The cabling structure is very recently updated. Most backbone runs around the school are multimode fibre with cores split between the academic and administrative networks. At IDF’s in each corridor this becomes Cat 5 UTP. All horizontal runs are now Cat 5 although some Cat 3 still exists, unused. Most data is transported across the network via switches with only a few hubs now being active around the school. No hub has more than 30 workstations hanging off it. The move to switching has been stimulated by the desire to operate higher bandwidth applications such as multimedia serving and video-conferencing. The majority of the NICs (Network Interface Cards) are now 10/100Mbs and thus benefit from a faster link. Acorn computers are still prevalent in some areas, notably D&T, but are planned for replacement this year. They are all networked and can share file serving from the main curriculum server. Those areas still operating Acorns have maintained local application servers to reduce traffic. The school is currently exploring the option of wireless transmission to enhance network capability for laptop technology, but for this to be included the technologies must deliver at least 10Mbs. It is a desired goal that all staff be able to access the administration network, BROMCOM system (registration and stats), curriculum material and the Internet from all teaching rooms and faculty team rooms. In addition there are currently approx 30 students engaged in AAL work with their own laptops and the wireless option would serve them better than current arrangements.
At the present time the administration and curriculum networks do not share the same servers and connections are separated at IDF switches and fed down different fibre cores. This allows for maximum security between the two systems, but reduces staff ability to easily access all available resources. The sixth form and Cisco servers share cable and other connectivity and students can log on to either domain from anywhere in the sixth form centre, provided they have been enabled to do so by the network admin team. This has dramatically improved the flexibility of this centre.
In terms of application software the curriculum and administration largely uses Office 97 plans with small areas (ICT Training Centre) employing Office 2000 Professional. There is a desire to migrate towards the newer version for all areas should RM Connect allow it. In addition there are a large number of subject specific software packages in use, which aid the learning opportunities of the students. As the current curriculum server if used for both file and application serving and is already carrying 100+ % greater capacity than it actually has, there are major problems with performance. The school is piloting a number of online projects including Latin and GNVQ ICT and this is having a serious impact on bandwidth. The school is also delivering a number of adult and staff education (NOF) courses, has dramatically increased extra curricular access and would like to increase the opportunities for any time anywhere access to the school resources. This, combined with the desire to increase MM applications has a continued implication for the network.
SWCHS Network
Room Equipment List
|
Area/room |
No of Computers |
Network |
Servers/Additional
equipment |
|
Sixth Form |
|
|
|
|
Private study |
2 |
Curriculum |
|
|
S3 |
1 |
Curriculum |
|
|
S4 |
1 |
Curriculum |
|
|
MSH office |
1 |
Curriculum |
|
|
GO office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
S8 |
1 |
Curriculum |
|
|
S9 |
1 |
Curriculum |
|
|
S11 |
15 |
Curriculum |
2 print servers |
|
S12 |
8 |
Curriculum |
1 print server |
|
S13 |
10 |
Curriculum |
1 print server |
|
S14 |
16 |
Curriculum |
Cisco server |
|
S15 |
15 |
Curriculum |
|
|
GNVQ office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
A corridor |
|
|
|
|
A11 |
12 |
Curriculum |
|
|
A8 |
12 (Acorn) |
Curriculum |
|
|
Technician area |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Science office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
B corridor |
|
|
|
|
B1 |
15 |
Curriculum |
|
|
English office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
B7 |
15 |
Curriculum |
|
|
Year 7/8 office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
B8 |
1 |
Not |
|
|
B9 |
15 |
Curriculum |
|
|
Hums office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
B19 |
1 (Acorn) |
Curriculum |
|
|
B20 |
1 (Acorn) |
Curriculum |
|
|
B21 |
11 (Acorn) |
Curriculum |
|
|
B21 |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
C corridor |
|
|
|
|
Art office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
C4 |
1(Acorn) |
Not |
|
|
C5 |
2 (Acorn) |
Not |
|
|
C6 |
2 (Acorn) |
Not |
|
|
C7 |
1 (Acorn) |
Not |
|
|
C8 |
1 (Acorn) |
Not |
|
|
C9 |
5 (Apple) |
Not |
|
|
C9 |
1 |
Curriculum |
|
|
MFL office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
C10 |
8 (Acorn) |
Curriculum |
|
|
C12 |
8 (Acorn) |
Curriculum |
|
|
D corridor |
|
|
|
|
Exp Arts office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Library |
2 |
Admin. |
|
|
Library |
8 |
Curriculum |
|
|
D7 |
16 |
Curriculum |
|
|
ICT office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
D8 |
1 |
Admin |
|
|
D8 |
3 |
Not |
|
|
E corridor |
|
|
|
|
E1 |
1 |
Curriculum |
|
|
CHD office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Year 9/10 office |
2 |
Admin. |
|
|
Year 11 office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
SCM office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Maths centre |
|
|
|
|
P2 |
15 |
Curriculum |
|
|
P5 |
15 |
Curriculum |
|
|
DJ office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Technician’s office |
1 |
Curriculum |
|
|
Maths office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Maths office |
1 |
Curriculum |
|
|
Music centre |
|
|
|
|
Music office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Music technology |
10 |
Curriculum |
|
|
Technology centre |
|
|
|
|
RWC office |
1 (Acorn) |
Not |
|
|
T6 |
15 (Acorn) |
Curriculum |
|
|
T5 |
15 (Acorn) |
Curriculum |
|
|
T9 |
9 (Acorn) |
Curriculum |
File server (Acorn) |
|
T9 |
1 |
Curriculum |
|
|
Sports centre |
|
|
|
|
Office |
3 |
Sports centre |
|
|
PE office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Admin area |
|
|
|
|
HM office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
HM secretary |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Main office |
5 |
Admin |
|
|
Main office |
1 |
Bromcom |
|
|
Bursar’s office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Exam office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Finance office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Office manager |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
JMM office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
DMB office |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Staff room |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Reception |
1 |
Admin. |
|
|
Network office |
|
|
|
|
Network office |
3 |
Admin. |
|
|
Network office |
1 |
Curriculum |
|
|
Network office |
|
|
Curriculum server |
|
Network office |
|
|
Admin. Server |
|
Network office |
|
|
Sixth form server |
Saffron Walden County High School – Ground Floor
