As part of our new blog series, Behind the Scenes, we have decided to interview Norwich School's IT Department to get a sense of their role in the everyday working's of the School, IT Service and Support Manager, Mrs Julie Goodswen, answers the following questions...



How is your department divided? 

The entire team is well-equipped to address queries on any IT subject pertinent to Norwich School. However, it is sometimes noticeable that team members tend to naturally gravitate towards specific roles based on the types of tickets they handle. 

Tell me about the team? 

We currently have possibly the best team we have ever had. The team members work together collaboratively to tackle any uncommon challenges. While some team members have a deeper expertise in particular areas, everyone is eager to lend a hand whenever needed. 

What does the average day in the IT department look like? 

There really is no average day; every day is different. We never quite know what challenges we’ll face although it’s a common occurrence to deal with password resets and lost or new ID card issues at the Service Desk. 

Do you work with many other departments in the school? If so, how? When? 

We only work with other departments in that we collaborate to assist with the setting up of events, classroom set-ups and in testing that software will work on our devices. Our team covers IT, Reprographics and external events (with Reprographics and Events covered mainly by one member of the team for each) and the other team members will help as required but, in most areas, we tend to only see people when they have an IT issue. Somehow, the team are positive and happy most of the time. 

What’s the best thing about your department? 

The best thing about the IT department is the way the technicians all work seamlessly together and get along well. Their close-knit bond fosters a genuine atmosphere of friendliness and teamwork. 

What’s the most common issue that people come to the service desk for? 

The most common issues that come to the Service Desk in person are password issues, problems with ID cards and laptop hardware or connectivity issues. Most problems are easily resolved but some do present us with head-scratching moments, but the team do like a challenge. 

Do you have any IT tips you would like to share? 

It’s all about maintaining the health of your device really. So, bookmark browser tabs you want to return to rather than keeping dozens of tabs always open. And shut down your computer at the end of each day/week if you can – your device would really appreciate it. 

You will be familiar with 2-factor authentication for your Microsoft 365 account and ISAMS. If you happen to change the phone on which you have your authenticator app, 2FA will no longer work, so you will need to get in touch with IT Support for us to reset the system at this end. Once this has been done, you can start the process of setting up 2FA on your new device. (We can provide help with this if you need it!)