EdIS Newsletter - Summer 2025

EdIS and BT have completed the rollout of next-gen WiFi to 1,210 schools and education hubs. Elmgrove Primary marked the project’s finale, celebrating enhanced connectivity in their new building. Click to read more... Education Authority and BT complete rollout of next generation WiFi to 1,200 Northern Ireland schools | Education Authority Northern Ireland

• The largest single Cisco Meraki WiFi deployment ever delivered in Europe
• 25,000 WiFi Aps installed

Ashgrove Nursery School showcase how their school has benefitted from the EdIS Wireless improvements. EdIS Spotlight - Nursery Wireless Connectivity

All 93 Statutory Nursery Schools now have High-Speed broadband with a modern Wireless network, providing the same level of connectivity as the rest of the school estate. They are also now benefiting from an EdIS Print Solution which allows each school’s desktop PC as well as iPads and Surface Pro’s to print to each school Multi-Function Device (printer/copier).

85% of Nursery Units currently have connectivity back to its Primary School with all surveys complete for those remaining to establish a suitable solution in readiness for the scheduling of work.

The EdIS Nursery Roadshow presentations are still available to watch online. Key presentations include an overview of services and applications available to schools, as well as on the use of digital technologies in nursery settings.

Applications for Free School Meals/ Uniform Grants and School Transport are open on EA Connect. Parents are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to ensure support is in place in time for September.

Our award-winning portal and the project team behind it (including delivery partners, Version 1) continue to be recognised for their impact on the education sector:

• Winner of Development Team of the Year & Highly commended for IT Project of the Year at the Belfast Telegraph IT Awards
• Winners at the Public Sector Digital Transformation Awards in Dublin for Best ICT Project of the Year – Education Sector’ and ‘Best Citizen/Customer Experience’.
• Winners of British Data Awards - Data Transformation of the Year and Public Sector Organisation of the Year

“These awards validate EA Connect as not just a user friendly, high-quality digital platform, but one which is transformative in-service delivery and importantly a blueprint for how public services can be transformed through data.” Francine Hillemand, EA Connect Lead

School Survey 

EA Connect continues to be developed according to user engagement and feedback. Schools can have their say by completing our survey before 27 June.

• Over 5000 School Staff Users
• 200,000 Parent Users
• Over 400 EA Staff Users

Amplifying Learning with AI and Assistive Technology

 Get ready to kick off the new academic year with inspiration, innovation, and impactful learning strategies.

 EdIS is excited to host the Back-to-School Summer Training Week for all teachers across Northern Ireland. This year’s theme, Amplifying Learning with AI and Assistive Technology, brings together leading education specialists from Apple, Microsoft, Google, Adobe, and Just2Easy. Join us for a week of hands-on sessions, expert insights, and practical tools designed to empower your teaching with the latest in Generative AI and assistive technologies. For further information or to register your place(s) see the link below.

Work is ongoing to replace each school’s aging ‘Huawei Core Network Switch’ with Cisco digital architecture. To minimise disruption, we plan to carry out the work over the summer months in as many Post- Primary Schools and SEN schools as possible, with an anticipated project completion for all schools before the end of 2025. 

Schools will be contacted by CAPITA to schedule a suitable date and time in preparation for their engineers to carry out the work. Whilst the work itself is not intrusive, there will be a need for Network Outage of between 0.5-3 hours. We are grateful to schools for their cooperation throughout this important process.

Have you subscribed to the EdIS podcast yet?

Developed in a collaboration between the EdIS Communications team and EATV, the EdIS eXchange podcast aims to bring together industry experts, education practitioners and key stakeholders to exchange in discussion about innovations, best practices and the ever-changing digital landscape in the education sector. 

Find the podcast on Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Podcasts. Episode 3 discussing ‘The use of digital technology in early years setting’ is out now!

Funding has been secured to complete the refresh of core managed desktops in Post Primary and SEN schools, and all schools have been notified of their allocations. Dell Optiplex Micro 7020 desktops will be delivered by October 2025, replacing the 3050 and 3060 models. 

Schools should refer to info sheet EN159 for guidance on core and school-purchased devices. Details on the collection of replaced devices will follow.

EA, BT and W5 have announced the opening of a brand-new immersive Classroom, a 5G-enabled interactive simulation experience that uses a range of sensory and visual interactions.  

Based at W5, the Classroom will have designated priority days for SEN schools which will be free of charge. All NI schools can access this additional facility as part of their educational visit to W5. 

Open days to showcase this facility to schools will take place in the new term. Booking information will be shared on EA social media channels later this summer.

Microsoft Copilot for 365 and Google Gemini 

80 teachers representing all localities and sectors were involved in a Microsoft Copilot POC, commencing in September 2024. Nearly 650 unique use cases were identified and the outcomes captured in the Trailblazing Report published in association with University of Ulster. 

100 teachers participated in the POC for Google Gemini, which concluded in May with a celebration event showcasing 558 use cases.

Tor Bank School showcase their work with AI in school to date;  AI: School harnessing the power of artificial intelligence - BBC News

In conjunction with the UK Safer Internet Centre and the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland, C2k hosted a webinar for schools to share more about Safer Internet Day (SID) 2025 and the support and resources available.

• 464 Attendees 
• Highest Attendance for any UK Region

The 2024–2025 C2k training and collaboration programme is now complete. A variety of TPL events supported digital skill development through eLearning tools, with sessions for educators, school leaders, and administrators. Training focused on enhancing creativity, classroom learning, and effective use of MIS for school management.

• 2,160 Applications to enhance digital skills, creativity and collaboration 
• 160+ Curriculum planning and timetabling 
• 1,095 School Management and Administration 

NAACE Ed Tech Review Framework licenses are funded by the EdIS Programme for all schools until 2028. Workshops continue to be delivered by C2k regionally. For more information on how your school can benefit from this powerful school improvement programme, please visit the EA Website.

Input from schools is essential to support and shape the new and enhanced EdIS services.