In a year when remote learning has been more important than ever, IT technicians Trevor Batten and Tom Grainger, at Lincoln Christ’s Hospital School (LCHS), stood out from the crowd.

Their hard work enabled the school to transition seamlessly from classroom-based learning to remote lessons, allowing students to progress academically while receiving emotional support.

Within a matter of weeks, Batten and Grainger organised and distributed 178 laptops and 11 routers, without which students would not have been able to access online lessons. They also purchased and installed 107 microphoned webcams into all classrooms and offices to ensure that teachers could stream lessons, and ensured that all staff had the necessary software installed on their home devices as well.

Batten and Grainger set up 1,100 classes on Microsoft Teams, making sure measures were in place to safeguard students. The school’s online learning coordinator, Kelly Smith, then ensured that all staff were trained in using it, with all three colleagues subsequently being on hand at all hours to offer IT support. In total, in excess of 3,128 lessons were taught on Teams and 312 staff meetings were held.

During a time of uncertainty, the technology that LCHS relied upon never failed. Staff at LCHS have not only managed to make sure students continue with their learning but have also supported their wellbeing. Their ability to go the extra mile was facilitated by the strength of the IT systems and technology in place.

Judge Ty Goddard said: “This award is about celebrating the people across our schools and the support that digital learning can offer teachers and learners. All of the entries showed the professionalism of the school teams that make edtech work. It was an honour to see such work across our country.”