Videoconferencing for Schools
Through joint initiatives with the DCSF and Becta, schools are now able to benefit from JANET connectivity via their Local Authority or Regional Broadband Consortium. The interconnection of the local authorities and RBCs via JANET constitutes the National Education Network (NEN). A map of schools regional network can be found on the UK Schools Network link.
The first point of contact for schools’ videoconferencing enquiries is:
• England - Regional Broadband Consortia or the Local Authority
• Scotland - Learning and Teaching Scotland
• Wales - Local Authority
• Northern Ireland - C2K
Videoconferencing by schools is one of the key growth areas in the use of JANET services and the NEN (National Education Network). A successful national videoconferencing pilot for schools using the JANET Videoconferencing Service (JVCS) resulted in a much improved experiences, enjoyed by an increasing number of schools across the UK. Statistics showing the increasing number of schools using JVCS can be found on the Videoconferencing Statistics page.
Please see the Introduction to Videoconferencing for more information on what videoconferencing can do for your school.
Registering with the JVCS Booking Service
To begin using the Booking Service, the first step is for a school to Register itself (they may need to have their LA/RBC register them), its' endpoints and who their organisational administrator(s) will be for this service. Note, when an endpoint has been added to the Booking Service it is then called a venue.
**Important - Videoconferencing Endpoint Interoperability with JVCS explains why software/firmware upgrades are important to continued interoperability between an organisation's endpoint and JVCS equipment.
Once registered, a school should schedule a Quality Assurance (QA) test for each of their venues with the JVCS Operators to ensure the equipment is capable of meeting quality requirements for a videoconference.
For a school to allow its' users (other than administrators) access to the Booking Service, their users must Register themselves and associate (choose the venue they are most likely to use for videoconferencing) themselves with a venue in their organisation. After completing and submitting the registration form, an administrator for their organisation (from the school, LA or RBC) receives an email asking to authorise the request. Once a request has been authorised or rejected the user will be notified by email of the outcome.
If a venue has not been added to the Booking Service, users need to contact their relevant videoconferencing administrator at their organisation (or LA/RBC) to request that the venue be registered.
Licensing
- Local Authority Schools in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Government funding has been provided for the use of JVCS by local authority state schools in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They do not require a licence. - MOD (Ministry of Defence)/Offshore MOD Schools
MOD schools do not have to take up licences to use JVCS; they are to be treated in exactly the same way as UK based, government funded schools. - Independent Schools
Independent schools do need a licence to use JVCS as their use of JANET and JANET services is not covered by the government funding. - British Overseas Territories
Schools in St. Helena, The Falklands, etc are entitled to use JVCS but do need a licence as their use of JANET and JANET services is not covered by the government funding. - Offshore Governments
Schools in Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, etc do need licences as these governments are not providing any funding for their schools to use JVCS.
JANET(UK) Schools Contacts
JANET(UK) employs a number of staff responsible for liaising with the local authorities, RBCs and Becta, ensuring the needs of the Schools sector are met in relation to JANET Connectivity and JANET Services. Please feel free to contact them directly with any questions you may have:
Dr Rob Symberlist
UK Schools Strategy Group Manager
Email: rob.symberlist@ja.net
Kevin Sharp
National Education Network (NEN) Services Group Infrastructure Co-ordinator
Email: kevin.sharp@ja.net
Kevin Sharp liaises with Local Authorities, Regional Broadband Consortia, and the Independent Schools sector. He also communicates with government agencies regarding JANET matters in IT and education in the schools sector.
Tim Boundy
National Education Network (NEN) Services Group Content Coordinator
Email: tim.boundy@ja.net
Tim Boundy focuses on liaising with the cultural sector, including museums, archives and galleries, to advise and guide them on the delivery of videoconferencing content to schools.
Tim is also the Project Manager for the JANET Collaborate Pilot.
Frances Burton
Schools Coordinator - Authentication & Authorisation
Email: frances.burton@ja.net
Frances Burton liaises with local authorities and RBCs concerning the adoption of the UK Access Management Federation for secure access to content by schools.