Get clarity on switch condition, risk and upgrade priorities

Switches sit behind almost every digital interaction in school. When they are outdated, poorly managed or underpowered, you can see symptoms everywhere, slow logins, unreliable cloud services, patchy Wi-Fi performance and higher support demand. It is also harder to enforce good network segregation and secure management if switching is not designed and managed consistently.

The DfE network switching standard sets expectations for performance, secure management and resilience, so schools and trusts can reduce single points of failure and plan upgrades with confidence. Computeam Compass helps you compare your switching position to the standard, assign actions, and keep a clear record of decisions and improvements.

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Only 44% of primary schools have a platform to centrally manage network switching.

Source: Technology in schools survey: 2024 to 2025 – Research report (Department for Education, carried out by IFF Research, published Nov 2025)

What you need to put in place for fast, secure, resilient switching

The DfE network switching standard describes what schools and colleges should have in place to provide fast, secure and reliable wired and wireless connectivity. It focuses on the performance of switches, the way they are managed and monitored, the security controls they support and the resilience of critical equipment.

The guidance covers both classroom and core networking. It sets expectations for minimum port speeds, stacking and uplink capacity, power over Ethernet (PoE), energy efficiency, centralised management tools and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) for critical switches. It also highlights the importance of network segmentation and access controls to protect users and data.

At a glance, this digital and technology standard covers:

Gigabit or higher connections from switches to user devices

Higher-speed ports and uplinks for servers, wireless and core links

Central management of configuration, monitoring and updates

Security controls such as network segregation and access control

Resilience features, including redundant power and UPS for core switches

Why switching affects performance, safeguarding and resilience

Network switches affect every digital interaction in a school or college. Slow or outdated switches can create bottlenecks, even when broadband, cabling and wireless access points meet modern specifications. Staff may notice that web pages are slow to load, cloud systems feel unreliable or devices struggle to connect at busy times. In teaching spaces, that translates into lost momentum and frustration.

Switching also has a direct impact on safeguarding and data protection. If switches do not support appropriate network segregation, access controls or secure management, there is a higher risk that unauthorised users could reach sensitive systems or intercept traffic.

The DfE digital and technology standard emphasises that switching infrastructure should prevent access by unauthorised users while still allowing appropriate connectivity for students, staff and guests.

There is also an important resilience dimension: core switches that lack redundant power or diverse connections can become single points of failure for a whole site. An unexpected power issue or hardware fault in a central stack can take teaching, telephony, CCTV and administrative systems offline in one step. Designing switching in line with the DfE digital and technology standard helps to reduce that risk and provides a clearer basis for business continuity planning.

For multi-academy trusts, inconsistent switching standards across schools make it harder to roll out shared services and support models. Aligning with the DfE network switching standard gives central IT teams a more predictable environment to manage.

Students in white shirts working on computers in a classroom with pink walls.

How Compass helps you spot switching risks before they cause downtime

Computeam Compass turns the DfE network switching standard into a clear, trackable framework that school and trust leaders can understand. It helps you create a structured overview of your switching estate and its alignment with the digital and technology standard.

Make the expectations visible

Compass lays out the key requirements for switching performance, management, security and resilience in a way that follows the DfE guidance. Schools can record details of their switch models, port speeds, stacking arrangements, PoE capabilities, management tools and resilience measures against each element. This gives SLT, IT teams and governors a shared view of how the current setup compares to the digital and technology standard.

Assign ownership and track actions

When you identify gaps – such as unsupported switches, limited uplink capacity or missing UPS coverage – Compass lets you create actions with named owners and deadlines. Tasks might include planning a switch replacement programme, enabling network access controls or arranging administrator training. Progress is visible across the leadership and IT teams, which reduces the risk that important work slips down the priority list.

Keep a secure, auditable record

Compass provides a secure space to store evidence linked to your switching infrastructure, such as network diagrams, support contracts, warranty details, training certificates and review notes. Each entry is time-stamped, so you can show when decisions were made, when equipment was replaced and when reviews took place. This supports internal assurance and external scrutiny.

Give MAT leaders a trust-wide view

For multi-academy trusts, Compass pulls switching information from multiple schools into a single dashboard. Central IT and operations teams can see which sites meet the digital and technology standard, where older or unsupported switches remain in use and where resilience improvements might be needed. That insight helps trusts to plan coordinated upgrades, manage budgets more effectively and target support to schools with the greatest risk.

Your next steps

If you are reviewing your network switches against the DfE digital and technology standard, Computeam Compass can provide structure and shared visibility. It helps you capture what is in place now, identify unsupported or underperforming equipment and record the actions you are taking to improve performance, security and resilience.