In my experience supporting IT across several academies, one thing that’s struck me time and again is just how exposed these environments can be – especially when we talk about the “Academy for Growth”. Growth in academic results, yes. But also growth in students’ digital awareness, curiosity, and, sometimes, mischief.
A real-life example that still sticks with me: a Year 9 student managed to find their way into the shared network drive and deleted a folder containing two years’ worth of teaching resources. Not malicious, just experimenting. But the fallout? Lessons disrupted, staff stressed, and hours of IT recovery. Another case involved a group of students who figured out how to bypass the content filter using free VPN extensions from the Chrome Store. Within an hour, they were accessing inappropriate material, with serious safeguarding implications.
IT Support for Tech-Savvy Pupils
And then there’s the tech-savvy pupil who wrote a simple PowerShell script that looped a broadcast message across every device in the school – including the headteacher’s laptop during a governors’ meeting. These moments may raise a smile in hindsight, but they highlight a much more serious issue: without robust IT policies, monitoring, and controls, academies are vulnerable.
The “Academy for Growth” can’t just be about academic performance. It needs to include a digital growth strategy – both in educating students on responsible tech use and in reinforcing the systems that protect everyone. That means proper device management, tight user permissions, and regular reviews of firewall and web filter rules.
IT support in academies isn’t just about fixing broken kit. It’s about future-proofing the school environment and keeping one step ahead of increasingly clever students. And when it’s done right, it builds a safer, more secure platform for everyone to grow on.
