Standard Network Design

The NEN has previously considered what standards are most appropriate for a modern school network and developed a set of technical standards. As technology changes so rapidly these standards need to evolve over time and the expectation is that the NEN will regularly revisit these standards to ensure that they continue to reflect the current state of technology.

Since these were originally written the DfE has produced its own set of standards: Digital Technology Standards for Schools and Colleges. Those standards are generic in nature and require considerable interpretation when developing a plan to meet them, or to see whether they are currently being met. The NEN technical guidance here is compatible with the DfE standards.

In addition, the NEN has produced a briefing note (see below) that provides a distillation of the DfE documents for senior management. It is not intended to replace the DfE guides but to provide a high level overview as an aid to understanding. No specific recommendations are included as these are available in the full DfE guidance or NEN technical guides.

As the NEN technical guides need to work for a wide variety of school networks there are three versions: one each for Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, and Multi-Academy Trusts. These are not hard and fast divisions as, for example, the Secondary guidance may be a better fit for a large Primary. Each document is written for guidance only – they are not prescriptive.

These documents focus on the technical aspects of implementing ICT. Each includes an Executive Summary designed for school leaders to introduce the concept of what is required. This is followed by the technical detail referencing DfE standards documents where they exist.

SMT Briefing Note on DfE Digital Standards

NEN-MAT-Standard-Network-Design as pdf

NEN-Secondary-Standard-Network-Design as pdf

NEN-Primary-Standard-Network-Design as pdf