Diocese of Norwich Education Service Company (DoNESC) Case Study
DoNESC, established in 2019 and jointly owned by DNEAT and St Benet’s Trust, supports 55+ schools with over 7,000 children. Its mission is to deliver high-quality, cost-effective services, ensure compliance with legal and funding requirements, and maximise cost savings for frontline investment. Built on the Diocese’s MATs, DNEAT (2013) and St Benet’s (2018), DoNESC fosters a collaborative network, prioritising professional support and continuous improvement.
The situation
Facing an urgent need to transition from its incumbent supplier before March 2024, the Federation required broadband connectivity, web filtering, and firewall solutions to enhance teaching and learning across its schools. It was essential to select a single, vetted supplier meeting Department for Education (DfE) criteria.
Rydal Group, an approved provider on an existing framework, delivered secure, fully managed connectivity with failover and backup, alongside a proven web filtering solution and a managed, secure firewall..
The result
As a vetted supplier on the Norfolk County Council ICT Multi Broadband Supplier Framework, Rydal Group met all Department for Education (DfE) requirements and Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) safeguarding standards. For schools across both trusts, Rydal provided leased lines for secondary schools, Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) for primary schools, and robust failover and backup services. Using Smoothwall for web filtering, hosted in Rydal’s data center, all services were fully managed.
Key outcomes include:
- Sufficient bandwidth to support enhanced teaching and learning through device use.
- Enhanced safeguarding for staff and pupils, exceeding KCSIE standards.
- Reliable technical support and customer service for ongoing confidence.
- Regular account management and educational updates in collaboration with DoNESC.
Join Rydal to create a safe, productive, and tech-ready school for your students and staff!