Christchurch · Dunedin · Nationwide
IT Support for Schools
Exodesk provides IT support for schools and kura across New Zealand. Our Christchurch and Dunedin teams look after agreed devices, accounts and records, and coordinate with your software suppliers and existing N4L services.
Ongoing support or one-off projects. The scope sets out the systems covered, support hours, site attendance and any separately quoted work.
Supporting New Zealand businesses since 1989
The short answer
What does school IT support cover?
School IT support covers the agreed devices, accounts, applications and records used for teaching and school administration, with clear responsibilities alongside existing funded services and software vendors.
Schools and kura are the main audience. Early childhood centres and training providers can also be supported, but their funding, network eligibility and governance differ, so state-school N4L and licensing arrangements are not assumed.
Exodesk has supported New Zealand businesses since 1989. Today, our Christchurch and Dunedin teams support businesses nationwide, with support hours and site attendance agreed for each school.
The school day
Support around the school day
A classroom device problem, a staff sign-in issue and an unavailable student system need different responses. We agree priorities around teaching and administration.
Classrooms
Teaching devices
Classroom and shared devices set up, updated and repaired within the agreed scope.
People
Accounts and access
Staff and student accounts, class groups and application access handled through an agreed process.
Office
Administration
Office systems, software access and coordination with the vendors who maintain them.
Planned changes are scheduled around term dates where practical. Your school’s setup determines the work required, and anything outside the ongoing scope is quoted separately.
N4L and funded services
Working alongside N4L
Start with the services your school already has. Eligible schools and kura can have funded connectivity, filtering, network equipment and support through N4L and the Ministry of Education.
The Ministry’s Te Mana Tūhono programme covers network equipment support and replacement, secure access and help through N4L, and that support does not replace a school’s own ICT provider. Exodesk’s work is agreed around what is installed, with clear responsibility for investigating faults and coordinating the next step.
We check participation and installed services before proposing network or security products, and agree who can authorise network changes. Wi-Fi investigations beyond that provision are scoped through our business WiFi service.
Devices and accounts
Classroom devices and staff accounts
Shared devices, school-owned laptops and student-owned devices need different arrangements. We confirm supported platforms, ownership, enrolment and licences before rollout.
- Device management. Managed settings help apply approved apps and security controls. Mixed fleets can need different management tools, and devices that stop reporting are followed up through our mobile device management service.
- Annual changes. Intake, departures and class changes follow an agreed process. Creating accounts from enrolment data needs an agreed source, integration and approval.
- Departures. Account changes are scheduled and confirmed as complete, including separate applications, sessions and records handover.
- Licences. Ministry-funded software arrangements have eligibility and allocation rules, so funded licences are checked first. A funded licence is not the same as funded setup.
Safety and records
Online safety and student records
Filtering, supported device controls and clear school rules help reduce exposure to harmful content. Protection outside school depends on the device, the application and how it is configured.
N4L explains that its web filtering can block or allow YouTube as a whole but not individual videos, and that no filtering is fully effective. Your school decides the filtering and monitoring policy, including who can view activity and how concerns are handled.
Student records need appropriate permissions, approved sharing and retention rules. The board stays accountable, supported by its privacy officer, and technical controls help apply its decisions. Safer Technologies for Schools (ST4S) reports give risk information for software choices rather than an endorsement, and our NZ Privacy Act guide covers the wider duties.
How it works
How school IT support is set up
Each arrangement starts with your systems, devices, sites and current providers.
Review
Record systems, devices, sites, current providers, funded services and support problems.
Agree the scope
Confirm supported systems, support hours, site attendance, repair arrangements and separately quoted work.
Hand over
Confirm administrator access, account processes, records and recovery responsibilities, scheduled around teaching.
Support and review
Handle requests within the agreed scope and review devices, accounts and access each term.
Backup and recovery are agreed system by system: which records Exodesk protects, what remains with each software vendor, retention, recovery routes and restore testing. Recovery time depends on the affected service and the arrangements in place.
Cost
What affects school IT support cost?
Cost depends on devices, users, applications, sites and support coverage. Funded services and existing licences are checked first.
- Ongoing support. Devices, users, sites and support hours within the agreed scope.
- Setup and projects. Rollouts, migrations and handover work, quoted separately.
- Hardware and repairs. Devices, parts and repair arrangements, shown separately.
- Licences. Funded licences checked first, with any paid licences listed.
- Terms. Inclusions, exclusions, GST and the term, set out in the quote.
The overall support agreement is described on our managed IT services page. Compare total scoped costs rather than a monthly fee alone.
Questions
School IT support questions
What is IT support for schools?
It is support for the agreed devices, accounts, applications and records used for teaching and school administration. The arrangement identifies existing funded services, software vendor responsibilities and the work your IT provider covers.
What does school IT support include?
It can include device setup, account changes, staff support, application access, security configuration and agreed backup. Confirm covered systems, support hours, site attendance, repair arrangements and any project work before comparing providers.
Does N4L cover everything a school needs?
No, but its provision extends beyond the internet connection. Eligible schools can have network equipment, Wi-Fi, filtering and support through N4L and Ministry programmes. Check your school services and agree which remaining work belongs to your IT provider.
How does web filtering for schools work?
Filtering can restrict websites and categories across the school connection, but it does not guarantee that every harmful item is blocked. N4L filtering cannot select individual YouTube videos, and account and application settings have a separate role. Check off-site coverage for the devices involved.
Should schools use shared devices or one-to-one devices?
Choose around teaching needs, ownership and budget, and a school may use both. Management tools and available controls depend on the operating system and enrolment method, so a mixed fleet should not be assumed to fit one management platform.
How do schools protect student data under the Privacy Act?
Use appropriate access, sharing, retention and incident procedures, with a privacy officer and clear board accountability. ST4S assessments can help evaluate software risks. Technical controls and product assessments support privacy decisions; neither establishes compliance on its own.
How much does school IT support cost?
The cost depends on devices, users, sites, applications and coverage. Check existing funded services and licence eligibility first. Compare ongoing fees together with setup, hardware, repair, licence and project charges, rather than assuming the monthly fee covers everything.
Can small schools and early childhood centres get IT support?
Yes. The support scope can reflect a smaller environment. Early childhood centres have different governance and may have different funding and service eligibility, so a state-school N4L or licensing arrangement is not assumed to apply.
How does a school switch IT providers or get started?
Record the systems, ownership and current providers, agree the required support and plan the handover. Confirm administrator access, account changes, records and recovery responsibilities. Schedule changes around teaching where practical and test the agreed setup before completing the transition.
Where does Exodesk provide school IT support?
Our Christchurch and Dunedin teams support schools and kura nationwide. The scope identifies supported systems, remote assistance, site attendance and support hours, including coordination with existing funded services and software suppliers.
Next step
Discuss your school’s IT support
Tell us which systems and devices you use, your sites and the support problems you want to solve, and we can discuss the work required alongside your existing providers. Please keep student records, account exports and passwords out of the enquiry form.
Get in touch
Talk to us about school IT support
Tell us your device platforms, approximate fleet size, sites, existing services and the support you need, and we will be in touch to arrange a time that suits.
Prefer to talk?
Christchurch
Level 1, 85 Riccarton Road
Christchurch 8011
03 343 3124
Dunedin
Level 3, Bartons Building
2 Stafford Street, Dunedin 9016
03 479 2941