Modernising School Communication for a More Connected Learning Environment

A future-ready VoIP system that strengthened safety, mobility and day-to-day efficiency across campus.

The Customer

St Albans High School for Girls is a selective, independent day school for girls aged 4 – 18 years, which is affiliated to the Church of England. There are approximately 328 pupils in the preparatory school with 900 in the senior school and 186 sixth formers.

Their vision is to develop happy, resilient young people who will embrace opportunities and lead lives of consequence.

The Challenge

After 14 years with an ageing Toshiba telephony system, the school recognised the need for modernisation. Staff needed communication tools that matched today’s mobile, fast-paced educational environment, and the school required a unified paging solution that could broadcast safety announcements across the entire campus if needed.

Their goals were clear:

Upgrade from ISDN to a VoIP-based system
Seamlessly integrate staff smartphones
Improve paging capabilities school-wide
Ensure the system could be managed efficiently by their in-house IT team

Dependable School-Wide Paging

Announcements now reach every corner of the campus quickly and clearly, which is a critical enhancement for operational communication and emergency readiness.

Unified Mobile Connectivity

Teachers and staff gained the ability to make and receive calls through their mobiles, extending communication beyond the classroom and improving collaboration.

A Cost-Effective Operational Model

Transitioning from a CAPEX-heavy system to an OPEX model allowed the school to streamline spending and redirect budget toward learning priorities.

Improved Disaster Recovery & Homeworking Options

The cloud foundation provided resilience and flexibility for remote working where necessary.

“We recently migrated from the old Toshiba system to a Gamma/Polycom Cloud system, managed Service. Babble, who implemented and took care of the full migration project and the implementation, performed an excellent job. With almost zero teething problems. We have had a very good relationship with Babble for more than 10 years and all this time we have received a prompt and efficient level of service that has been more than satisfactory. I would highly recommend Babble as a supplier that works with you.”

Bahram Tavakoli

IT Manager at St Albans High School for Girls

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