THE CLIENT

Ravensbury Community School is a two-form entry primary school located at the heart of a vibrant community in East Manchester. The school is committed to the holistic development of its pupils, prioritising academic achievement alongside physical, social, and emotional growth.

THE SITUATION

Since 2018, Ravensbury Community School had been utilising an analogue phone system provided by Tel Group. For several years, this solution served the school effectively. However, with the upcoming BT Switch Off and the rapid pace of technological change, it became essential to upgrade their telephony infrastructure to ensure resilience, efficiency, and futureproofing.

Although already a longstanding Tel Group customer, the school saw this as an opportunity to explore the market. Understanding the advantages of working through a trusted framework and having received positive recommendations regarding Procurement Services, Ravensbury chose to engage in a procurement process through this framework.

Tel Group are an approved supplier on the Procurement Services framework for Communications Solutions and Associated Telephony Services. After reviewing their options, Ravensbury opted for a direct award to Tel Group, recognising the proven relationship, competitive offering, and ease of transition.

THE SOLUTION

Following thorough discussions and planning, Tel Group replaced the school’s ageing analogue system with a fully hosted, cloud-based telephony solution. The installation included:

• A cloud-based VoIP system
• 13 Hosted Yealink handsets, including 1 wireless handset (4 lines and 12 extensions)
• A user-friendly web portal for managing call routing, voicemail, and system settings
• Training for all relevant members of staff, with a dedicated account manager assigned to support their needs

The project was delivered with minimal disruption to staff, ensuring the school’s daily operations continued seamlessly throughout the upgrade process.

THE RESULT

The new telephony infrastructure has delivered immediate benefits for Ravensbury Community School, including:

• Futureproof Communications: Ensuring seamless operations beyond the BT Switch Off.
• Increased Flexibility: Staff can now manage calls from across the site, with the option for mobile integration.
• Simplified Administration: Office teams can manage the system easily through an online portal.
• Cost Efficiency: The new solution delivers lower running costs and reduces the need for ongoing maintenance.
• Scalability for Growth: The system is easily expandable, allowing Ravensbury to adapt to future changes without major infrastructure investments.