How to Audit Technology Across a Multi Academy Trust

Create a Consistent View of Technology Across Every School with Our Free MAT Audit Template

Managing technology across a MAT can be challenging. Each school may have different infrastructure, equipment, suppliers, support arrangements and levels of documentation.

Without a consistent approach, it can be difficult to compare schools, identify common risks and decide where investment should be prioritised.

A Trust wide technology audit provides a clear overview of the current position across every school, helping leaders understand what is working effectively, where improvements are needed and which issues require attention first.

Why Audit Technology Across Your Trust?

A technology audit provides practical evidence to support strategic planning, budgeting and future investment.

Using a consistent approach across every school can help your Trust:

• Compare technology provision across different sites
• Identify ageing, unsupported or unreliable systems
• Highlight operational, security, safeguarding and resilience risks
• Recognise issues affecting multiple schools
• Identify opportunities to standardise technology
• Plan budgets and replacement programmes
• Prioritise future improvements

The aim is not necessarily to make every school identical. It is to establish a consistent Trust wide view while recognising the individual requirements of each setting.

Use a Consistent Audit Framework

Each school should be assessed using the same technology areas and rating system. This makes the findings easier to compare and helps ensure priorities are assessed consistently across the Trust.

For each area, the audit should record:

• Current provision
• Current condition
• Any issues identified
• Recommended improvements
• Priority
• Overall RAG rating

What Should a MAT Technology Audit Cover?

A thorough technology audit should consider the wider technology environment across each school, rather than focusing on one system or area in isolation.

The Tel Group MAT Technology Audit Template covers:

• Broadband and resilience
• Network cabling
• Network cabinets and power
• Network switching
• Wireless networks
• Cyber security
• Filtering and monitoring
• Servers, cloud and backup
• Devices and classroom technology
• IT support and strategy
• Telephony and communications
• CCTV
• Access control and sign-in systems
• Lockdown and emergency communication

Relevant Department for Education digital and technology standards can also be considered alongside the audit where appropriate. However, the template is designed to provide a broader overview of each school’s technology provision, condition and priorities, not simply to act as a DfE compliance checklist.

Compare Findings Across Schools

Once each school has been assessed, the individual RAG ratings can be brought together within a Trust wide overview.

This makes it easier to identify:

• Schools with the most urgent technology requirements
• Weaknesses affecting multiple sites
• Common cyber security or safeguarding concerns
• Equipment approaching end of life
• Opportunities to standardise systems or suppliers
• Projects that could be delivered across several schools

These findings can support informed discussions around future budgets, replacement programmes and Trust wide technology strategy.

Download the Free MAT Technology Audit Template

To help Trusts begin this process, Tel Group has created a free, editable MAT Technology Audit Template. The template provides a straightforward starting point for understanding technology provision across your Trust and identifying areas that may require further investigation.

Need a More Detailed Technology Audit?

A self-audit can provide a valuable initial overview. However, an independent assessment can offer more detailed technical evidence, site specific findings and practical recommendations.

Tel Group supports schools and MATs with infrastructure and cyber security audits, comprehensive RAG rated reports and clear presentations for senior leaders, trustees and governors.

Contact Tel Group to discuss a detailed technology audit across your MAT.

Enquire Today