ICT Network Manager & Access Lead

Ian Brown

My main role at Sherbourne Fields is the management of the ICT systems and infrastructure, as well as leading our Access to Technology. This includes all our ICT systems, Telephone systems, CCTV and a wide variety of Access Technologies.

We have a number of Microsoft Windows servers on site. These manage the end user devices we use in school. We are a mainly Microsoft Windows environment. We utilise Microsoft Office 365, and Microsoft Office 2019 on our desktops and laptops. This helps our students get a flavour of the software they are most likely to encounter later in life, or when they enter employment or further education. 

We also have a suite of Apple iPads. These allow us to utilise a different suite of apps that are not available for our desktops or laptops. 

We have some Apple Mac desktops on site, including one we use in our Music classroom with GarageBand on to record our students singing and playing a variety of instruments. 

As well as the staple of general ICT devices, we also have a variety of accessible technology devices. These include tablets, desktop computers and laptops that are utilised for a variety of different access requirements across school.

Some are used solely for communication, either by touch access, switch access, or EyeGaze access. 

Some devices are used as methods of producing work. Students who cannot utilise their hands to write or create work, can use our EyeGaze devices to type or control the mouse with their eyes. They can even play games, create art, make sideshows and more, all using their eyes!

We also have a wide range of access peripherals across school to support all our students, including touch screens, joysticks, rollerball mice, adapted keyboards (braille, large keys, ABC format, coloured keys, Soft Touch mini keyboards and more) and switches. This all helps to allow our youngsters to get involved with ICT and play, communicate and produce work using ICT in the same way as their peers.

Having these different access devices readily available in school, really helps to unlock the potential of our young people, and allow them to create and participate in many ways not possible before the technologies were available.  We encourage the use of these technologies from a young age, to really give them a boost as they make their way through school. The results we see with our older students are really quite astounding!   

If you want more information about the systems we use here, please feel free to get in touch using the Contact Us page.